The Origin
The first 3D printer model was created in 1981 by Hideo Kodama, who developed a "rapid prototyping" technique. He used a layer-by-layer approach to the printing system, which was a method that would later be developed into stereolithography.
This method of stereolithography was further developed just three years later, in 1984, by a group of French engineers: Alain Le Méhauté, Olivier de Witte, and Jean Claude André.
However, the three Frenchmen attempted to file a patent for their work but eventually abandoned their project after it was rejected by the French General Electric Company. Three weeks later, an American named Charles Hull would take credit for the creation of the stereolithography process when his patent was accepted.
Despite having their work abandoned and not receiving credit for the stereolithography process, the three French engineers continued to advocate for technological advancements. They acknowledged Hull for bringing their work to the world, making advancements in technology possible. Additionally, they are still recognized for their contributions to creating the stereolithography model that is now widely used.
Exclusivity Era
The exclusivity era was strongly based on the idea of ownership that began with patents and ended with large corporations. In the 1980s, from the outset of the first methods being developed and the new idea of stereolithography printing, it was a race to see who would patent it first. Chuck Hull patented the method just three weeks after three Frenchmen—Alain Le Méhauté, Olivier de Witte, and Jean Claude André—had abandoned their project. Charles Hull would go on to found the startup 3D Systems, which currently generates $580 million in annual revenue.
In 1988, 3D Systems developed their first 3D printer for the open market, called the SLA-1, which used rapid prototyping. Other developments in the 1990s included the founding of significant corporations like Stratasys in 1991 and Arcam in 1997. These corporations helped develop new printing methods and contributed to the ideology of the era, where everything was owned by large groups or patented by influential individuals.
Furthermore, during this era, the Wake Forest Institute of Regenerative Medicine grew the first organ for transplantation in 1999. This became a significant milestone in history as it was the first time a synthetic 3D scaffolding was achieved. Other important university developments included that of MIT in 1995, which led to an inkjet-based printer developed by ZCorp, another startup at the time.
Credit to Nathan Shows and Andrew Wu