3D tlač a 3D modelovanie

Although it might seem that 3D technology is a novelty of the last decade, it actually originated in the 1980s. However, it only gained attention later due to the availability of 3D printers in regular households.

The foundation for 3D printing was laid by Dr. Kodama in 1980. He was the first to describe the process of adding one layer of material onto another, laying the groundwork for stereolithography (SLA).

Back then, 3D printing was referred to as Rapid Prototyping, primarily serving the purpose of creating prototypes. An illustrative example could be the production of remote controls for TVs. Before a company proceeded with mass production, the remote controls had to be tested – for comfortable grip and whether users could reach all the buttons. To reduce costs, a prototype was 3D printed and then tested. The term "Rapid Prototyping" is still used today.

Charles W. Hull is considered the founder of 3D printing technology. He worked on creating more durable materials using liquid substances that would solidify when exposed to UV light. This gave rise to the idea of inventing a device capable of using this liquid material in layers, then exposing it to UV light to solidify, and repeating the process. In 1983, he successfully produced the first 3D model using this method.

Charles W. Hull - founder of 3D printing (ChuckCharles-Hull-009.jpg (460×276) (guim.co.uk))

In 1984, the first patent was granted for a stereolithographic apparatus that uses UV radiation to solidify prototypes made from photopolymers. The principle involves slicing a 3D model into thin layers using software, which the printer can then stack on top of each other to form a 3D object.

The only challenge was how to convert the file into a format that a 3D printer could interpret and print. The answer was found by the Albert Group Consulting company, with whom Charles W. Hull collaborated, led to the creation of the STL format, usable by any 3D printer. Unlike the SLA process, the STL format was never patented, making it a standard up to the present day.

In 1989, Scott Crump invented a new printing method known as fused deposition modeling (FDM), which uses continuous thermoplastic filament to create individual layers. To enhance this technology, he founded Stratasys, a company that continues to operate successfully. After the FDM patent expired, the market opened up for the development of this currently most widely used form of 3D printing. Additionally, Crump also developed a material for printing known as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, or ABS, which remains one of the most commonly used materials.

In 1988, Dr. Carl Deckard and Dr. Joe Beaman from the University of Texas at Austin introduced a new concept of 3D printing called selected laser sintering (SLS). Unlike the previous methods, this technique produces prototypes from metal rather than plastic or nylon materials. However, it requires the use of high-power lasers, which can make these printers expensive and unsuitable for home use.

In the 1990s, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) developed inkjet 3D printing, which involves depositing droplets of material onto substrates like paper, plastic, and others. This technology's principles have evolved into bioprinting, which involves printing living cells capable of creating tissues, for example.

For many years, 3D printing remained complex and the devices were expensive. However, in 2005, Dr. Bowyer from a United Kingdom university initiated the RepRap project, aiming to create an affordable and open 3D printer platform capable of self-replication. This means having a printer that can create a copy of itself. Data access is open, and based on these data, anyone can print individual components integrated into RepRap. In 2007, the first device named the Darwin 3D printer was created through the project. It operates on the fused filament fabrication (FFF) principle, similar to FDM, which was patented by Stratasys at that time. Despite its limited print quality and accuracy, Darwin demonstrated that 3D printers don't need to be expensive and can be owned by anyone. RepRap continues to evolve, and although not all printer parts can be printed, this project significantly increased the number of 3D printers worldwide.

Source: Úvod do 3D tlače -  Alena Furdová, Denisa Fialová, Michal Marko, Peter Leško