3D 프린팅은 언제 시작되었나요?

When did 3D printing start? Historically, there were many factors that influenced its beginnings. These factors include the interest of Dr Hideo Kodama and Chuck Hull, the French engineers who came up with stereolithography, and the GE Additive company. But, the main reasons behind 3D printing’s development and the people behind it are largely unknown. There is, however, a growing body of knowledge surrounding the technology.

Chuck Hull

The technology behind 3D printing began with a single engineer, Charles “Chuck” Hull. His invention, stereolithography, used UV light to build layers of solid objects. Hull came up with the idea for 3D printers while working for a company that used UV lamps to adhere thin layers of plastic veneer to furniture. This process gave Hull months to experiment with his new machine in his lab.

In 1984, Hull filed a patent for stereolithography. Another patent for a similar process was filed by French scientists. However, these inventors later abandoned their efforts to develop the technology. Hull retained the copyright of the term “Stereolithography” and founded 3D Systems in 1986. The technology has revolutionized the manufacturing industry in America. Moreover, it is considered to be the next evolution of manufacturing.

Dr Hideo Kodama

During the 1980s, a Japanese scientist named Dr Hideo Kodama developed a rapid prototyping method that utilizes layers of photo-sensitive resin to build objects layer by layer. Although Kodama applied for a patent on the technology in 1981, he was unsuccessful due to a lack of funding. As a result, his project sat idly by until today.

It was in Japan that 3D printing first emerged. In 1981, a public research institute named the Nagoya Municipal Industrial Research Institute developed a rapid prototyping system using a light-activated resin known as photopolymer. The first solid 3D printed object was created using this method, and each successive print cycle added a layer to the previous one. This process corresponded to a cross-section slice of the 3D model.

Objet Geometries

In 2000, Stratasys and Objet Geometries released their first inkjet and multi-color 3D printers, respectively. By the early 2000s, the biggest players in 3D printing, Stratasys and 3D Systems, had consolidated their positions as the market leaders in two of the three technologies. Today, Stratasys and Objet Geometries are part of the Stratasys Group, which is the largest manufacturer of 3D printers and other 3D printing materials.

The company has a long history in the industry, developing inkjet technology that helps create smooth, durable parts. PolyJet was created in 1998 by Objet Geometries, and was eventually acquired by Stratasys in 2011. The printer is best for printing parts that need to be smooth and durable, with small layer sizes. PolyJet also offers the largest variety of materials, with some specializing in making rapid molds of objects with less than 100 parts.

GE Additive

For those of you who are new to 3d printing, GE Additive has launched a cloud-based process management software called Amp. The first two modules will be available to users of the Concept Laser M2 machine in mid-November 2021. The company expects to make Amp available to a wider audience in the second quarter of 2022. The company has a six-month free trial available for this software, so you can test drive it before you purchase it.

The company is pursuing a future in metal additive manufacturing. It is already in the aerospace and power industries and is promoting the technology to an increasingly wide audience. While some headlines about 3d printed implants are experimental, the technology has become widely accepted in the medical community. GE Additive has created nearly 100,000 hip replacements in the past decade. With the help of the software, GE Additive is aiming for widespread adoption.

ExOne

ExOne has been in the industry for nearly two decades. Its roots date back to 1995, when the company formed its ProMetal division and developed metal 3D printers. In 2007, it obtained an exclusive license to commercialize inkjet 3D printing processes developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. These processes are capable of printing metal, ceramic, sand, and a variety of other materials. ExOne has been in the business ever since, and today it offers several different types of printers and materials.

After spending over 35 years as CEO of Extrude Hone, Rhoades sold the company to a global industrial materials and tooling company. Rhoades transferred the assets of his 3D printing business to The Ex One Company, LLC. The Ex One Company is named after his father’s original company, which was founded on his father’s patent. ExOne was a pioneer in the field of binder jetting 3D printing, a process that allows users to create metal parts with complex geometries.