History of 3D Printing

3D printing is becoming a hot topic and growing business nowadays. 3D printing is a process, representing production of three-dimensional object using a digital model. The technology used to design prototypes useful for testing of products in many industries - medicine, jewelry, automotive, aviation and others.

The story begins with the birth of ink - jet printer in 1976 and by 1984 this technology has evolved to the printing of a physical object. During these years a lot of experiments are done with 3D printing. The first 3D printing technology is called stereolithography.

Its inventor is Chuck Hull, and the year -1983. Back in 1986 in Valencia, California, Chuck Hull creates the company "3D Systems". In 2003 Abe Reychental takes his place as president and CEO of the company. In 2012 both presidents - Reychental and Hull are classified by TCT magazine among the five most influential people in the world of rapidly evolving technology. In later years, the company marked a period of remarkable development and in 2007 began buying up various companies. This improved technology, giving them access to a wider range of professionals - engineers and designers, as well as materials such as software and printers. The revolution of 3D printing began in 2005. When Dr. Adrian Boyar, a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Bath (UK), suggests the idea of ​​self-replicating machine. Not long after (in spring 2007) the idea became known as a project named RepRap, when the first case, named Darwin, is completed.

His pieces were created on Stratasys Dimension Printer. Darwin deservedly became the first self
produced manufacture machine of humanity.

The first significant use of 3D technology in medicine happens in 1999 when the first artificial organ is transplanted into a human body during surgery bladder. The transplanted organ is three-dimensional and is made of synthetic wrapped in cells of the patient. By the same technology in 2000 the first artificial kidney function is made.

The pioneer in the 3D printing of models of planes was made in 2011 by engineers from the University of Southampton. The plane was designed for seven days and its budget amounted to 5,000 English pounds. That same year, the first three-dimensional model of car was made, the idea it is to be economical, inexpensive and environmentally friendly. If it had become a commercial product, the price of the car would vary between $ 10,000 and $ 50,000.
The wide scope of construction of three-dimensional printing technology accelerates and the potential of the print objects stimulating the technology creation of better prototypes and models. In addition, thanks to the continuing improvement of the technology,benefits the designers and gives them vent to their imagination, creating ever more complicated objects and constantly putting new challenges to software developers and hardware. The trend is to maximize the resolution, which in turn would lead to the introduction of new techniques of visualization.

Writing the history of 3D printing is happening now and does not stop here, but we can only make predictions about what still awaits us. One thing is for sure - everything is going to be more dynamic, more personalized and open to modeling, and slowly but steadily becoming an integral part of our daily lives!