3D Printing: What Is It and Where Did it Come From?

3D printing has been a buzzword over the past two decades, thrown about by the media with lots of expectation but not much understanding of the process itself. Neither is it widely appreciated that 3D printing did not spring into existence sometime in the 2000s, but has in fact been around for a while. Indeed, the vast range of products that rely on 3D printing today indicates the time it has been developed, tested and successfully trialled in numerous industries, from manufacturing, biomedical applications and even foodstuffs.

But what is 3D printing? – Essentially the process is analogous to that of an inkjet printer, only the printing materials are different. An electronic file is sent to the printer, which then uses a special type of ink, known as filaments- these can range from thermoplastics to metals, glass, paper, wood and even biological tissue- the printer then goes through many print cycles, or layers, just like an inkjet printer, to then produce a physical object.

While this sounds simple enough, the process is obviously the result of significant research and development. So, how did it start?

The history of 3D printing begins in the early ‘80s. Stereolithography (SLA), otherwise known as 3D printing, was first described by a Japanese lawyer called Dr. Hideo Kodama in a patent dated from May 1980. However, an overdue patent submission meant Dr. Kodama’s idea stayed on the drawing board. Another attempt with stereolithography was then made by a French team in 1984, but was also undermined by a lack of interest from the business community.

It was then up to Chuck Hull of the United States to take up the additive manufacturing torch. Patenting the SLA machine in 1986, this was the first ever device to print a physical part from a digital file. Becoming synonymous with the process, Hull soon founded the 3D Systems Corporation, which would go on to dominate the then-novel field of 3D printing, and it was not long until the Selective Laser Sintering machine (SLS) was produced in 1987, which works differently to the SLA by shooting a laser at a powdered material rather than a liquid.

SLS does not require a support structure like SLA, but is surrounded by unsintered powder- this technology allows for more filament material options, including nylon, ceramics, glass and metals like aluminium, steel and silver, as well as complex geometries to be formed, like internal cavities. Another technology allows the user to do this, Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM), which is very simple to use; heating production-grade thermoplastics and extruding them from top to bottom. Today, by far the most popular technology in 3D printing is FDM.

At this point in the late ‘80s, however, 3D printing was only popular amongst select industries, who appreciated it for its cost effectiveness and ability to rapidly prototype industrial products and designs; taking a fraction of the time compared to other traditional and more wasteful methods. It was also kept to a small circle as these machines were still abortively expensive until 2009, when the patent on FDM expired, dropping the price of such machines from the tens of thousands to thousands. Indeed, up to that point, 3D printing was the thing of fantasy to hobbyists and small businesses, but the opening up of 3D printing with the price reduction was a huge development. Since then, while the cost of 3D printers continues to come down, the accuracy and ease of using these machines continues to improve.

Additive manufacturing processes are essential to the businesses that call ARCC Innovations home. From producing bike parts for the ARCC Abington and Rosemont to creating the helical structure of Node’s HYLIXA loudspeaker, ARCC is proficient in the use of 3D printing technologies, including FDM and SLS, and has a team of certified engineers who are well experienced in the field.

Please note that not all businesses will be a perfect fit for ARCC, but if you have an exciting product or vision and think that ARCC and its 3D printing capabilities would be right for you, then please submit your interest here.