What is 3D printing?

3D printing is an additive manufacturing technology used to produce parts. It is called "additive" because this method does not rely on a single piece of material or a mold to create a physical object. Instead, it builds the object by stacking and fusing layers of material.

This technology typically offers fast production speeds and low fixed installation costs, and is capable of creating more complex geometries than traditional manufacturing techniques. Furthermore, the variety of materials used in 3D printing is constantly expanding. It has found widespread application in the engineering industry, particularly for prototyping and the creation of lightweight geometries.

The term "3D printing" is often associated with maker culture, hobbyists, and enthusiasts, encompassing desktop printers, accessible printing technologies like FDM, and low-cost materials like ABS and PLA (we'll explain these acronyms later). This phenomenon is largely attributed to the democratization of 3D printing, particularly the rise of the RepRap movement, which led to affordable desktop machines like the original MakerBot and Ultimaker. This development also led to the explosive growth of 3D printing technology in 2009.

The Widespread Application of Additive Manufacturing
Compared to 3D printing, additive manufacturing is a broader concept encompassing a variety of technologies and materials, with applications in industrial production, medical care, aerospace, and other fields. Additive manufacturing emphasizes the construction of objects by adding material layer by layer and is typically used for high-precision and high-performance applications.

In general, while 3D printing is a form of additive manufacturing, there are significant differences in technology, applications, and market positioning.

By contrast, additive manufacturing (AM) is almost always associated with commercial and industrial applications.

"Rapid prototyping" is a term sometimes used to refer to 3D printing technology. This name dates back to the early days of 3D printing technology. In the 1980s, when 3D printing technology was first invented, it was referred to as rapid prototyping because it was primarily used for prototyping rather than producing actual parts.

Evolution of Technology
In recent years, 3D printing has matured into an excellent solution for producing parts. At the same time, other manufacturing technologies, such as CNC machining, have become more economical and convenient, making them suitable for prototyping. Therefore, while some still consider "rapid prototyping" synonymous with 3D printing, the phrase is gradually evolving to refer to all forms of rapid prototyping.

In summary, while "rapid prototyping" originally referred specifically to prototyping, its meaning has expanded with technological advancements to encompass a wider range of manufacturing methods.

3D printing was originally conceived to accelerate industrial product development through faster prototyping. Although several related patents existed prior to this, Chuck Hull is generally considered the inventor of 3D printing. In 1984, he patented the stereolithography apparatus (SLA), which became a pioneering technology for 3D printers.

Hull's invention laid the foundation for subsequent 3D printing technology and advanced the development of additive manufacturing, which continues to be widely used across various industries today.

1. 1981: Hideo Kodama of Japan patented the first device for curing photopolymers using UV light. He designed it as a "rapid prototyping" device for making models and prototypes, but the patent was eventually abandoned due to a lack of interest.
2. 1984: French inventors Alain Le Mehaute, Olivier de Witte, and Jean Claude André filed a patent for a device that used UV light to cure photopolymers. General Electric abandoned the patent, believing it lacked commercial potential.
3. 1984: Just weeks after Le Mehaute filed his patent, American Charles "Chuck" Hull filed his patent for "Apparatus for producing three-dimensional objects by stereolithography," coining the term "stereolithography" (SLA). In 1987, Hull invented the STL file format and founded 3D Systems that same year.
4. 1987: American Carl Deckard patented Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) and co-founded Desktop Manufacturing (DTM) Corp., which was acquired by 3D Systems in 2001.
5. 1989: American S. Scott Crump filed a patent for Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) and founded Stratasys with his wife that same year.

These early inventions and companies laid the foundation for the booming development of 3D printing technology.

1. 1987: 3D Systems released the first commercial SLA printer, the "SLA-1," marking the beginning of the commercialization of 3D printing technology.
2. 1992: The FDM patent was finally awarded to Stratasys, leading to the launch of the first FDM printer, the "3D Modeler."
3. 1992: DTM released the first commercial SLS printer, the "Sinterstation 2000," further promoting the adoption of 3D printing technology.
4. 1994: EOS, founded in 1989, launched its "EOSINT M160," the first commercial metal 3D printer, opening up a new market for metal additive manufacturing.

1. 2005: The open-source RepRap project ("Replicating Rapid Prototyping") was launched, aiming to create a self-replicating 3D printer capable of printing its own parts. This project significantly spurred public interest in 3D printing technology.
2. 2009: Key FDM patents entered the public domain, and MakerBot launched its desktop 3D printer, the "Cupcake CNC." Priced at just a few hundred dollars, significantly less than the thousands of dollars for traditional printers, all components were available for download on Thingiverse, a website dedicated to sharing user-created digital design files.
3. 2012: Formlabs released the "Form 1," the first affordable SLA printer, and successfully raised a record-breaking $2.95 million on Kickstarter.
4. 2013: Protolabs Network launched as a peer-to-peer 3D printing service, enabling large-scale transactions between buyers of prints and users of machines. The platform quickly grew to become the world's largest single 3D printing platform, with over 50,000 print "hubs," and pivoted to making various forms of custom manufacturing more accessible to commercial customers.
5. 2014: Key SLS patents entered the public domain, leading many companies to produce smaller, more affordable SLS printers.

These developments made 3D printing technology more accessible, driving its application and innovation across various sectors.

Since 2018, while media hype surrounding 3D printing has significantly subsided, interest in commercial applications for businesses of all sizes has reached an all-time high. Today, thousands of companies manufacture 3D printers and offer a wide range of services utilizing 3D printing technology.

This phase marks the maturity of 3D printing technology, as companies begin integrating it into their production processes for applications in a variety of fields, including prototyping, custom manufacturing, medical, and aerospace. Technological advances have continuously improved the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of 3D printing, further driving its widespread adoption.