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The first patent
First patent for RP technology was filled by a Dr. Komada in 1980. Unfortunately for Dr Kodama, the full patent specification was not filed before the one year deadline after the application. -
The Second Patent
Charles Hull was issued the first patent for stereolithography apparatus (SLA) on He invented his SLA machine in 1983. He Co- founded the 3D Systems Corporation. This happed in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology -
Stereolithography Apparatus introduced
Charels Hull founded 3D Systems’ and introduced the SLA-1, in 1987.
SLA can claim to be the first past the starting post but, it was not the only RP technology. -
Another Patent
Another patent was filed to Carl Deckard for SLS (Selective Laser Sintering). This patent was issued in 1989 and SLS was later sold to DTM Inc, which was later acquired by 3D Systems. SLS is a 3D printing technique in which successive layers of powdered (usually metal) material are fused (sintered) using a high-power laser. -
Stereos system
EOS sold its first ‘Stereos’ system in 1990. -
FDM Patent
Scott Crump and Stratasys Inc filed a patent for Fused Deposition Modelling.
The model is buil from bottem up layer by layer. The filiment that is utilized is heated and extruded from the tip of the chamber. Theirs was based on the open source RepRap model -
Sanders Patent
Sanders Prototype (later Solidscape) and ZCorporation were set up in 1996. -
Arcam
Arcam was established in 1997. -
Objet Geometries
Objet Geometries launched in 1998 by Rami Bonen, Gershon Miller and Hanan Gotaiit. -
MCP Technologies
MCP Technologies commenced the SLM technology in 2000 -
EnvisionTec
EnvisionTec was founded in 2002.
The company was founded in Marl, Germany and now has two corporate headquarters located in Gladbeck, Germany and Dearborn, MI. -
RepRap
Dr. Bowyer invented the RepRap concept on an open source, self replicating 3D printer. -
ExOne
ExOne was created as a spin-off from the Extrude Hone Corporation in 2005. -
Under $ 10,000
The first system under $10,000 from 3D Systems hit the market in 2007. -
Say goodbye to Desktop Factory
Desktop Factory was bought by 3D Systems 2008 -
Thingiverse
The website Thingiverse launched in 2008 by Makerbot. Users can upload or download designs from the page. -
3D printer in a kit
The first commercially available 3D printer - in kit form , based on the RepRap concept came into the world in 2009 -
3D printed bio blood vessals
We first 3D printed bio blood vessels in 2010 at the University of Missouri-Columbia.
They were produced by Organovo. -
3D-printed chocolate
3D printing chocolate has come upon us. It was first made by University of Exeter, along with Brunel University and software developer Declam on Jun 2011. To 3D print chocolate you have to have heating an cooling cycles. You must integrate that with the correct 3D printing flow rates. -
Alternative 3D printing processes
Alternative 3D printing processes were shown at the entry level of the market in 2012. -
Makerbot+Stratsys
Stratsys bought Makerbot in 2013. -
Exoskeletons 3D-printed
Exoskeletons have been desigened and printed by 3D Systems. They collabrated with EksoBionics to create the exoskeletons.
