3D Printing Explained

Most of us have definitely heard of printing before, but have you heard of 3D printing? No, it is not the printing of images into a 3D shape! 3D printing is a process in which a 3D digital model on a computer is turned into a real physical object. Its process is similar to printing. Apps that can create models to be 3D printed include AutoDesk Fusion 360, SketchUp, as well as the basic Microsoft 3D Builder.

 

The earliest known form of 3D printing happened in Japan in 1981 when inventor Hideo Kodama (兒玉秀雄) created a machine that harnessed ultraviolet lights to solidify plastic materials to create solid objects. This was the foundation for the first 3D printing process called stereolithography, a term that was coined by American Charles Hull. During this period, 3D printing (or stereolithography) was used to make smaller versions of product proposals to save time and money before making the real item. It was also this time that Computer Aided Designs (or CAD) was used in making 3D models.

 

History

 

Between the 1990s and the 2000s, many industries picked up 3D printing and started manufacturing new 3D printers. Although these were mainly for industrial use, the first commercially available 3D printer went on sale in 2009. This was the start of a new age and from then on, 3D printing became widespread and more accessible to smaller corporations as well as individuals. mitsuzi.xyz/ostranix908/others/3d-printing-explained/881/

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