3D Printing history

3D printing history began with a science fiction article, went on to restore vision (literally!) prosthetic eyes and open a new dimension with 4D printing. Innovators, creators, prototyping-teams and manufacturers have brought 3D models to reality over nearly eight decades. With the efforts of these pioneers, frontiers of a new dimension are being opened up. 1945-1974 : Imagining and conceptualizing the future In a short story, William Fitzgerald Jenkins described as 'plastic comes out of the end of a drawing arm' in 1945. In a science fiction magazine, Raymond Jones referred to 'molecular spray' in '50. In '71, Johannes Gottwald patented the Liquid Metal Recorder for immediate use or salvaged for printing again by remelting. In '74, the concept was laid out in New Scientist 1980s : 3D printing history gets written in patents & ventures In 1984 Bill Masters patented his computer automated manufacturing process and system. This with his subsequent patents are held as the foundation of 3d printing. Raytheon Technologies, Visual Impact Corporation, Howtek Inc, Sanders Prototype and Stratasys (Israel) grew the research. 3D Systems Corporation patented the Stereolithography (STL) file format. A 3D printer cost upwards of $300k ($780k in 2022 dollars). '90s - 2000s : Academia & market catch the wave Till now, a desired shape came by removing material, with robot welding or CNC. Stanford, Carnegie Mellon, and MIT researched newer techniques for material deposition, including microcasting and sprayed materials. Sanders Prototype introduced dot-on-dot technique, high-

precision polymer jets, got first order for casting golf clubs and auto engine parts, renamed to Solidscape. 2009-onwards : Freedom from patents Stratasys's patent on Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) expired in 2009 and it has now become the most widely adopted additive manufacturing technology, with 71% using in-house (a 2021 survey of 1,900 3d printer users). Now, conventional parts such as automobile engine brackets & large nuts, aircraft engine compressor stators and synch ring brackets are commonly 'grown', rather than machined out. Learn more about Rapid Prototyping process > What's far more exciting is that new complex shapes with multi- material, integrated, lighter & faster assemblies with fewer nonconforming parts are giving vast returns on investment. In November 2021 a British patient named Steve Verze received the world's first fully 3D-printed prosthetic eye. A 3D printer starts from $100 and goes up to $10,000,000. Next frontier : 4D Printing In 1999, A. Sydney Gladman et al published their research on how branches, stems, bracts, and flowers vary the internal turgor of their cell walls and tissue composition in response to environmental stimuli such as humidity, light, and touch. 4D printing focuses on the 3D printing of 'smart materials', i.e. programmable objects whose form is defined by an environmental stimulus (be it moisture, temperature, light intensity, applied stresses, etc.). Conclusion

Currently, a number of 3D Printing companies exist and in fact 3D printers that print 3D printers also exist. Such is the manufacturing revolution that has been ushered by the technology that a significant quantity and quality of proprietary designs have come into the open in a range of licensable options. Verticals such as education, medical, manufacturing, virtual reality, gaming, culture, and fashion are already moving to industry 3D sites and other general 3D print ideas hosting alternatives are boosting creativity with new business models ranging from 3D search, indexing, competitions and crowd funding. There are advantages of additive manufacturing movement and the 3D printing history that we are witnessing, and there also dis advantages. Onus is on us participants to take 3D printing history up the echelons. Lastly, Net Zero Cart is all about disseminating information on sustainable production technologies and sustainable consumption lifestyles that collectively eliminate waste and enable local producers to meet local demand. Please share with a friend or colleague who might find this useful and make some noise on our social channels.