The History of 3D Printers 1980 2000 1990 2010

1980 1983 1988 Back to Main Timeline next Charles Hull started to create the 3D printer. 1983 1988 The first 3D printer model is released for commercials Back to Main Timeline next

1990 The first 3D printed bladder is implanted into a person The Stratasys 3D Modeler is made 1992 1999 EOS sells its stereolithography business 1997 Back to Main Timeline back next

2000 A working kidney is 3D printed first printed blood vessel The REPRAP ( Replicating Rapid-prototyper self-copying 3D printer) project is born 2002 2009 2005 2008 The REPRAP project releases the first self replicating 3d printer Back to Main Timeline back next

2010 First 3D printed robotic aircraft/ first 3D printed car/ 3D printing in silver and gold/3d printed food The first robotic heart is printed/3d printed rocket parts Who knows what will come next? 2011 2013 2015-beyond A 3D printed prosthetic jaw is implanted 2012 2014 Surgeons implant a 3D printed pelvis/ 3D printed exoskeleton Back to Main Timeline back

1983 Charles Hull develops a technology that can create 3d objects from a printer in 1983. This technology is called stereolithography (SLA). He also started the .stl file format which continues to be the golden standard in ultra high definition and CAD connectivity today. Hull developed additive layer manufacturing to help an automotive company regain their competitive advantage. In 1983, when he successfully managed to print a teacup, he patented a file for what he called sterolithography. 1980

1988 The first commercially successful stereolithography printer, SLA 250, could build objects up to 250mm by 250mm by 250mm in size (10in.x10in.x10in). 1980

1992 The Stratasys 3D Modeler was the first Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) printer. It uses the extrusion process to build 3d models 1990

1997 EOS GmBH of Germany, 3D Systems’ largest European competitor, sold it’s Stereos range of SLA machines to the U.S. for 3.25 million dollars. 1990

1999 The director of the Institute for Regenerative Medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, led a research team that successfully implanted a lab-grown bladder into a human patient. 1990

2002 The Institute for Regenerative Medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine started a research program to design a printer that could print kidney cells (and supporting biomaterials) to create a working 3d kidney prototype. It works by first, a machine scans a 3d image of the organ. Then a tissue from the patient is used to seed the printer. The printer creates a new organ layer by layer over six or seven hours. 2000

2005 RepRap ( Replicating Rapid Prototyper) is an open source project that was used to create a Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) 3d printer that could print most of its own components, and therefore replicate itself. Due to the self-replicating ability of the machine, authors envision the possibility to cheaply distribute RepRap units to people an the community allowing them to create complex products without the need for expensive industrial infrastructure. RepRap wants to demonstrate evolution in this process as well for it to increase number exponentially. A study has shown that using RepRaps to 3d print common products results in economic savings. 2000

2008 The first of the RepRap ‘self- replicating’ 3d printer was called Darwin. It successfully makes at least one instance over half of it’s prototyped parts. It has released at least 100 in various countries. 2000

2009 A group of scientists from Universities of Sydney, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, claim to have bio-printed artificial vascular network, which mimics the human circulatory system. The networks are required for growth of large complex tissues. The lead author of the University of Sydney suggests that cells in the body need oxygen, nutrients along with an effective “waste disposal” system to live. With the bio-printing technique, scientists may be able to create functional organs and blood vessels from the stem cells of the patient. Scientists suggest that thousands die from organ failure every year. This discovery of the bio-printing technique will help scientist be able to transplant organs and thus save many lives. 2000

2011 Engineers at the University of Southampton designed and flew the worlds first 3d printed aircraft. A team of aeronautical engineers believes that 3d printing will soon allow uncrewed aircraft, known as a UAV or drone, to go from the drawing board to flight in only a matter of days. No longer will one design of UAV be repeatedly manufactured on a production line. Designers will instead be able to fine-tune a UAV for each specific application. 2010 Next 2011

2011 The ‘Urbee’, the first 3d printed car, was made by a special 3d printer and was made by layers of ultra-thin composite that is fused into a solid. Jim Kor, The president of the engineering group of KOR Ecologic. His passion for the environment led him to design the principles of sustainability into a car named Urbee, which was created with the 3d printing capabilities of Stratysys. The Urbee, which stands for Urban electric with ethanol as backup, was designed to use the least amount of energy as possible. It can reach more than 200 mpg on the highway and 100 mpg in the city. It is the first prototype car to have had it’s entire body 3d printed. When KOR leaders decided to create the world’s most fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly vehicle, their goal was “to design a practical roadworthy car that runs solely on renewable energy, is environmentally responsible and has universe appeal.” Unlike most cars though, Urbee won’t just break down after 5 years, it’ built to last 30. It took 15 years to make, and it has 3 wheels, 2 seats, and a combustion engine in case of an emergency. It can be charged from normal plug socket or a solar panel. 2010 back Next 2011

2011 In printing in gold and silver, first a wax model is 3d printed. Then you pour either molten gold or silver into the mold. Once the gold or silver has cooled and become solid, the gold or silver model is removed. Finally, your gold or silver object will be removed from the model. Then you can sand, polish, or sandblast it for the finish you desire. Another way to print 3d gold and silver is that Concept Lasers Mlab can actually 3d print with gold. The machine is now intended for the direct production of jewelry in silver and gold. 2010 back

2012 The world’s first 3-printed lower jaw implant was created by Belgian firm LayerWise and used to replace a senior patient’s osteomyelitis affected mandible. 2010

2013 Researchers at UK created a robotic heart that uses urine for power. The robotic heart that they made is also for robots, not humans. The robotic heart’s microbial fuel cell can function completely autonomously and convert waste to energy by leveraging the appetite of living microbes. As soon as the microbes come in contact with waste, they consume it and the heart’s fuel cell converts biochemical energy into electricity. Even though BRL’s (Bristol Robotics Laboratory) fuel is only capable of converting energy at a 0.11% efficiency rate, researchers were able to charge the Heart’s 3.5 volt battery on only 2ml of waste. From that charge the heart was able to beat 33 times, not enough for a lifetime, but still a good start. The robotic heart also uses smart materials that behave like the muscles in a human heart. Using flexible materials such as nickel-titanium “muscle fibers” and rubber balls as valves, the heart accurately simulates a human heart. According to BRL, the rigid materials of the heart were 3d printed while the flexible parts were cast in silicone from 3d printed molds. While still in the stages of development, BRL roboticists see a future where “energetically autonomous robots” will be able to power themselves from the waste of every human. 2010 Next 2013

2014 A British surgeon implants a 3d printed pelvis into a man who lost half of his pelvis to bone cancer. This was the first transplant of that kind. The patient had suffered from a rare type of bone cancer called chondrosarcoma, which affected his entire right side of his pelvis. To create a 3d printed pelvis, the surgeons had to take scans of his pelvis so they knew how much 3d printed bone would be needed to be produced and passed along to Stanmore Implants. The company created a titanium 3d printed replacement by fusing thin layers of titanium together and coating it with a mineral that allows the remaining bone cells to attach. 2010 Next 2014

2013 SpaceX founder, Elon Musk, describes how his company is going to use 3d printers to build parts for its Merlin rocket engine using a Leap Motion Controller and the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset. NASA too, has been making rocket engines. It’s first 3d printed injector survived a major hot-fire test. It generated more than 10 times the thrust of any other injector by 3d printing before. This was the first time that a series of rigorous tests confirmed that 3d printed copper parts could withstand the heat and pressure of combustion engines in space launches. This is a major milestone in the certification and development of different materials used in this proof manufacturing. According to AR (Areojet Rocketdyne) copper alloys add a unique challenge to the additive manufacturing process. The microstructure and materials properties can be well below typical copper. So they made a regimented process to optimize and lock processing characteristics and have performed materials tests to see how the alloy performs structurally. 2010 back

2014 3D systems claimed that they were the first to develop the “first ever 3d-printed hybrid exoskeleton robotic suit”. 2010 back

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