The umbrella term additive manufacturing (AM) gained popularity in the 2000s, inspired by the theme of material being added together. By the early 2010s, the terms 3D printing and additive manufacturing evolved into alternate umbrella terms for additive technologies.
The general concept of and procedure to be used in 3D printing was first described by Murray Leinster in his 1945 short story "Things Pass By". It was also described by Raymond F. Jones in his story, "Tools of the Trade", published in the November 1950 issue of Astounding Science Fiction magazine.
In 1971, Johannes F Gottwald patented the Liquid Metal Recorder. Early additive manufacturing equipment and materials were developed in the 1980s. On 2 July 1984, Bill Masters filed a patent for his computer automated manufacturing process and system. On 8 August 1984, Chuck Hull filed a patent for a stereolithography fabrication system. In 1986, Chuck Hull was granted a patent for his stereolithography fabrication system, and his company, 3D Systems Corporation, later released the first commercial 3D printer, the SLA-1. In 1988, S. Scott Crump developed fused deposition modeling.
In 2005, users began to design and distribute plans for 3D printers that could print around 70% of their own parts, with the original plans designed by Adrian Bowyer at the University of Bath. This project was named RepRap (Replicating Rapid-prototyper). According to a 2019 report by Forbes, the state of 3D printing in that year showed significant advancements, with industrial 3D printing becoming increasingly viable for production [1].
3D printing has been used in manufacturing, medical, industry and sociocultural sectors. In the medical sector, 3D printing has been used for anatomical modeling, patient-matched implants, and the creation of prosthetics.
In transportation, 3D printing is being used to produce components such as fuel nozzles for jet engines. In May 2015, Airbus announced that its new A350 XWB included over 1000 components manufactured by 3D printing.
Additive manufacturing can reduce material waste compared to traditional subtractive manufacturing methods. It also has the potential to lower carbon dioxide emissions through localized production. However, 3D printing can have a high energy consumption. Research is ongoing to improve the sustainability of 3D printing processes.
Additive manufacturing or 3D printing has rapidly gained importance in the field of engineering due to its many benefits. The vision of 3D printing is design freedom, individualization, decentralization and executing processes that were previously impossible through alternative methods. Some of these benefits include enabling faster prototyping, reducing manufacturing costs, increasing product customization, and improving product quality.
3D printable models may be created with a computer-aided design (CAD) package, via a 3D scanner, or by a plain digital camera and photogrammetry software.
Before printing a 3D model from an STL file, it must first be examined for errors. Once completed, the STL file needs to be processed by a piece of software called a "slicer", which converts the model into a series of thin layers and produces a G-code file containing instructions tailored to a specific type of 3D printer.
3D printing or additive manufacturing has been used in manufacturing, medical, industry and sociocultural sectors to create successful commercial technology.
Additive manufacturing of food is being developed by squeezing out food, layer by layer, into three-dimensional objects.
3D printing has entered the world of clothing, with fashion designers experimenting with 3D-printed bikinis, shoes, and dresses.
In cars, trucks, and aircraft, additive manufacturing is beginning to transform both unibody and fuselage design and production, and powertrain design and production.
Surgical uses of 3D printing-centric therapies began in the mid-1990s with anatomical modeling for bony reconstructive surgery planning.
3D printing, and open source 3D printers, in particular, are the latest technologies making inroads into the classroom.
In the 2010s, 3D printing became intensively used in the cultural heritage field for preservation, restoration and dissemination purposes.
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