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86-550: Up until 2005, all 3D printers were industrial scale, expensive and proprietary. The high cost and closed nature of the 3D printing industry at the time limited the accessibility of the technology to the masses, the range of materials that could be used and the level of exploration that could be done by end-users. The goal of the Fab@Home project was to change this situation by creating a versatile, low-cost, open and "hackable" printer to accelerate technology innovation and its migration into

172-487: A 3D scanner . The product was designed to allow MakerBot users to scan physical objects and turn them into digital, 3D printable models. The accompanying software allowed models to be edited, printed immediately, or uploaded to Thingiverse. In January 2014, MakerBot released its Replicator Desktop 3D Printer with a build volume of 25.2 cm x 19.9 cm x 15.0 cm (9.9" x 7.8" x 5.9" L/W/H). This Fifth Generation Replicator features WiFi enabled software that connects

258-417: A manufacturing process . Other terms that have been used as synonyms or hypernyms have included desktop manufacturing , rapid manufacturing (as the logical production-level successor to rapid prototyping ), and on-demand manufacturing (which echoes on-demand printing in the 2D sense of printing ). The fact that the application of the adjectives rapid and on-demand to the noun manufacturing

344-544: A 25% weight reduction, and reduced assembly times. A fuel nozzle is the perfect inroad for additive manufacturing in a jet engine since it allows for optimized design of the complex internals and it is a low-stress, non-rotating part. Similarly, in 2015, PW delivered their first AM parts in the PurePower PW1500G to Bombardier. Sticking to low-stress, non-rotating parts, PW selected the compressor stators and synch ring brackets to roll out this new manufacturing technology for

430-490: A 3D service provider specializing in Howtek single nozzle inkjet and SDI printer support. James K. McMahon worked with Steven Zoltan, 1972 drop-on-demand inkjet inventor, at Exxon and has a patent in 1978 that expanded the understanding of the single nozzle design inkjets (Alpha jets) and helped perfect the Howtek, Inc hot-melt inkjets. This Howtek hot-melt thermoplastic technology is popular with metal investment casting, especially in

516-688: A British patient named Steve Verze received the world's first fully 3D-printed prosthetic eye from the Moorfields Eye Hospital in London . In April 2024, the world's largest 3D printer, the Factory of the Future 1.0 was revealed at the University of Maine . It is able to make objects 96 feet long, or 29 meters. In 2024, researchers used machine learning to improve the construction of synthetic bone and set

602-621: A Circulated Heated Chamber (60 °C) Dual Extruders, uses soluble PVA supports and has a network of 21 sensors monitoring all aspects of 3D Printing process. The Method has as spring steel build plate allowing for easy removal of 3D prints. The Method has dry-sealed humidity and temperature monitored material bays and was launched with the capability of printing in PLA, Tough™ and PET-G. An ultra rigid metal frame construction reduces flexing during printing, allowing precision layer resolution of 20 to 400 micron and dimensional accuracy of +/- 0.2mm. Connectivity

688-542: A Fab@Home included hard materials such as epoxy, elastomers such as silicone, biological materials such as cell-seeded hydrogels, food materials such as chocolate, cookie dough and cheese, engineering materials such as stainless steel (later sintered in an oven), and active materials such as conductive wires and magnets. The stated technical goal of the project was to print a complete active system, going beyond printing just passive parts. The project succeeded in printing active devices such as batteries, actuators, sensors, and even

774-484: A build volume of 100 mm x 100 mm x 100 mm (4" x 4" x 4") and outside dimensions of 300 mm x 300 mm x 410 mm (12" x 12" x 16" L/W/H). The device interfaces via USB or a Secure Digital (SD) card. The Thing-O-Matic was discontinued in the spring of 2012. MakerBot agreed to support the Thing-o-Matic until their supply of parts was exhausted. Assembly instructions are available online through

860-410: A maximum speed of 10 mm/s and resolution of 25  μm . Multiple syringes can be controlled independently to deposit material through syringe tips. The syringe displacement could be controlled with microliter precision. The first version of Fab@Home print head had two syringes; later version had more syringes, up to one print head that had eight syringes that could be used simultaneously. One of

946-510: A number of years. Both BPM 3D printers and SPI 3D printers use Howtek, Inc style Inkjets and Howtek, Inc style materials. Royden Sanders licensed the Helinksi patent prior to manufacturing the Modelmaker 6 Pro at Sanders prototype, Inc (SPI) in 1993. James K. McMahon who was hired by Howtek, Inc to help develop the inkjet, later worked at Sanders Prototype and now operates Layer Grown Model Technology,

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1032-616: A position at Stratasys and was replaced as CEO by Jennifer Lawton , who in 2015 was succeeded by Jonathan Jaglom, then in January 2017, Nadav Goshen. In April 2015, it was reported that in an effort to integrate MakerBot's activities better with those of Stratasys, Jaglom laid off around 100 of 500 employees and closed the existing three MakerBot retail locations. Then, 80 other employees were laid off in October 2015. In February 2017, MakerBot's newly minted CEO Nadav Goshen laid off more than 30% of

1118-585: A record for shock absorption. In July 2024, researchers published a paper in Advanced Materials Technologies describing the development of artificial blood vessels using 3D-printing technology, which are as strong and durable as natural blood vessels . The process involved using a rotating spindle integrated into a 3D printer to create grafts from a water-based gel, which were then coated in biodegradable polyester molecules. Additive manufacturing or 3D printing has rapidly gained importance in

1204-647: A robot that could print shot glasses for the event Roboexotica and did research about the RepRap project at the Vienna hackerspace Metalab . Shot glasses remained a theme throughout the history of MakerBot. The company started shipping kits in April 2009 and had sold approximately 3,500 units as of March 2011 . Demand for the kits was so great in 2009 that the company solicited MakerBot owners to provide parts for future devices from their own MakerBots. Seed funding of $ 75,000

1290-596: A safety enclosure. The project received wide media attention in its initial years, bringing 3D printing from a relatively obscure technology to broader attention. Notable recognition was the Popular Mechanics Breakthrough award and the Rapid Prototyping Journal best paper of the year award. The Fab@Home is a syringe-based deposition system. An X-Y-Z gantry system moves a syringe pump across a 20×20×20 cm (7.87x7.87x7.87 inch) build volume at

1376-636: A solution for major clients, the MakerBot Innovation Center incorporates hardware (optimized suite of 3D Printers), SAAS workflow software, training services, and enterprise support. The first Innovation Center was established in February 2014 at SUNY New Paltz . Customers are largely universities such as University of Maryland, Florida Polytechnic, UMass Amherst, and Xavier University. Many Innovation Centers increase their surrounding community's access to 3D printing. Until mid 2016, manufacturing

1462-420: A way to reduce cost, reduce the number of nonconforming parts, reduce weight in the engines to increase fuel efficiency and find new, highly complex shapes that would not be feasible with the antiquated manufacturing methods. One example of AM integration with aerospace was in 2016 when Airbus delivered the first of GE's LEAP engines. This engine has integrated 3D printed fuel nozzles, reducing parts from 20 to 1,

1548-621: A working telegraph machine. MakerBot MakerBot Industries, LLC was an American desktop 3D printer manufacturer company headquartered in New York City . It was founded in January 2009 by Bre Pettis , Adam Mayer, and Zach "Hoeken" Smith to build on the early progress of the RepRap Project . It was acquired by Stratasys in June 2013. As of April 2016 , MakerBot had sold over 100,000 desktop 3D printers worldwide. Between 2009 and 2019,

1634-512: Is WiFi; Ethernet; USB cable; USB drive. The build volume of the new Method with dual extrusion is 19L * 19W * 19.6H cm This new platform allowed Makerbot to follow with the release of the METHOD X in August 2019, which includes a heated build chamber (100 °C) capable of printing with real ABS material, using SR-30 support material and with more 3D Printing materials in development. Envisioned as

1720-469: Is a collaborative repository for design files used in 3D printing, laser cutting and other DIY manufacturing processes. MakerBot was featured on The Colbert Report in August 2011. MakerBot artist in residence Jonathan Monaghan sent a bust of Stephen Colbert , printed on a MakerBot 3D printer, into the stratosphere attached to a helium filled weather balloon . Netflix published in September 2014

1806-439: Is designed or our GUI". This departure from the previous open-source hardware model was criticized by part of the community, including co-founder (and now former employee) Zachary Smith. The fifth generation of printers (new Replicator, Mini and Z18) are significantly more closed than previous models. With these models, MakerBot transitioned from open source hardware controllers, extruders, and firmware to proprietary versions of

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1892-537: Is known as UltiMaker, but retains the MakerBot name for its Sketch line of education-focused 3D printers. Smith was one of the founding members of the RepRap Research Foundation, a non-profit group created to help advance early research in the area of open-source 3D printers. Bre Pettis got inspired during an art residency in Vienna with Johannes Grenzfurthner / monochrom in 2007, when he wanted to create

1978-400: Is largely credited with triggering the home computing revolution and the transition from the industrial mainframe to the consumer desktop, by making a low-cost, open and "hackable" computer accessible to home enthusiasts for the first time. The goal of the Fab@Home project was to accomplish a similar effect in the 3D printing space. The project was one of the first larger scale cases that applied

2064-414: Is produced by additive manufacturing or 3D printing methods to enable quick prototyping and responses to tooling and fixture needs. Agile tooling uses a cost-effective and high-quality method to quickly respond to customer and market needs, and it can be used in hydro-forming , stamping , injection molding and other manufacturing processes. The general concept of and procedure to be used in 3D-printing

2150-506: Is sold only pre-assembled. Alongside the Replicator 2, MakerBot also released the Replicator 2X. The 2X model was intended as an experimental version of the 2 that includes a completely enclosed build area, redesigned dual-extruders, and a heated aluminum build platform – all of which enable printing with ABS plastic and dual-material printing. In August 2013, MakerBot released the Digitizer,

2236-417: Is the construction of a three-dimensional object from a CAD model or a digital 3D model . It can be done in a variety of processes in which material is deposited, joined or solidified under computer control , with the material being added together (such as plastics, liquids or powder grains being fused), typically layer by layer. In the 1980s, 3D printing techniques were considered suitable only for

2322-632: Is the technology's ability to produce complex geometries with high precision and accuracy. This is particularly relevant in the field of microwave engineering, where 3D printing can be used to produce components with unique properties that are difficult to achieve using traditional manufacturing methods. Additive Manufacturing processes generate minimal waste by adding material only where needed, unlike traditional methods that cut away excess material. This reduces both material costs and environmental impact. This reduction in waste also lowers energy consumption for material production and disposal, contributing to

2408-495: The UV exposure area is controlled by a mask pattern or a scanning fiber transmitter. He filed a patent for this XYZ plotter, which was published on 10 November 1981. (JP S56-144478). His research results as journal papers were published in April and November 1981. However, there was no reaction to the series of his publications. His device was not highly evaluated in the laboratory and his boss did not show any interest. His research budget

2494-490: The open-source development model to physical devices, a process that later became known as Open Source Hardware . Early versions of the device were produced and refined in the lab. The first official release of the Fab@Home model 1 coincided with a presentation at the Solid Freeform Fabrication conference in 2006. After its first release, undergraduate and graduate students at Cornell and other locations joined

2580-626: The stereolithography process. The application of the French inventors was abandoned by the French General Electric Company (now Alcatel-Alsthom) and CILAS (The Laser Consortium). The claimed reason was "for lack of business perspective". In 1983, Robert Howard started R.H. Research, later named Howtek, Inc. in Feb 1984 to develop a color inkjet 2D printer, Pixelmaster, commercialized in 1986, using Thermoplastic (hot-melt) plastic ink. A team

2666-448: The 1980s cost upwards of $ 300,000 ($ 650,000 in 2016 dollars). AM processes for metal sintering or melting (such as selective laser sintering , direct metal laser sintering , and selective laser melting) usually went by their own individual names in the 1980s and 1990s. At the time, all metalworking was done by processes that are now called non-additive ( casting , fabrication , stamping , and machining ); although plenty of automation

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2752-515: The 2000s, inspired by the theme of material being added together ( in any of various ways ). In contrast, the term subtractive manufacturing appeared as a retronym for the large family of machining processes with material removal as their common process. The term 3D printing still referred only to the polymer technologies in most minds, and the term AM was more likely to be used in metalworking and end-use part production contexts than among polymer, inkjet, or stereolithography enthusiasts. By

2838-722: The 3D printing jewelry industry. Sanders (SDI) first Modelmaker 6Pro customer was Hitchner Corporations, Metal Casting Technology, Inc in Milford, NH a mile from the SDI facility in late 1993-1995 casting golf clubs and auto engine parts. On 8 August 1984 a patent, US4575330, assigned to UVP, Inc., later assigned to Chuck Hull of 3D Systems Corporation was filed, his own patent for a stereolithography fabrication system, in which individual laminae or layers are added by curing photopolymers with impinging radiation, particle bombardment, chemical reaction or just ultraviolet light lasers . Hull defined

2924-540: The Cupcake CNC kit was updated several times to incorporate new upgrades into each successive version. Introduced in September 2010 at Maker Faire NYC, the Thing-O-Matic was MakerBot's second kit. It shipped with many of the aftermarket upgrades that had been built for Cupcake. The stock Thing-O-Matic included a heated, automated build platform, an MK5 plastruder, a redesigned z-stage and upgraded electronics. It featured

3010-608: The MakerBot Wiki. The Thing-O-Matic is open-source hardware and is licensed under the GNU GPLv3 . As such, the Thing-O-Matic can be heavily altered and improved by users. Some MakerBot operators developed upgrades to the platform that were later incorporated into factory kits. MakerBot has credited those early innovators in their documentation, some of the companies were inspired by MakerBot and created innovations in 3D printing like 3D printed dress. In January 2012 MakerBot introduced

3096-527: The Replicator 2. This newest model again increased the build volume, this time to 28.5 cm × 15.3 cm × 15.5 cm (11.2 in × 6.0 in × 6.1 in, L×W×H) and can print at 100  μm per layer. The dual extruder was changed back to a single extruder head, while the upgraded electronics, LCD, and gamepad remained similar to the original Replicator. Unlike previous models, the Replicator 2 can print only using PLA plastic, which comes sold in sealed bags with desiccant to protect it from moisture. The Replicator 2

3182-418: The Replicator. It offered more than double the build volume of the Thing-o-Matic at 22.5 cm × 14.5 cm × 15.0 cm (8.9 in × 5.7 in × 5.9 in, L×W×H). Other features included a dual extruder allowing two-color builds, an LCD screen and a control pad. The Replicator was sold pre-assembled with no kit version available. It was the last open-source MakerBot printer. In September 2012, MakerBot introduced

3268-445: The VIC 3D printer for this company is available with a video presentation showing a 3D model printed with a single nozzle inkjet. Another employee Herbert Menhennett formed a New Hampshire company HM Research in 1991 and introduced the Howtek, Inc, inkjet technology and thermoplastic materials to Royden Sanders of SDI and Bill Masters of Ballistic Particle Manufacturing (BPM) where he worked for

3354-474: The Z18 offers a build volume of 30.0 cm x 30.5 cm x 47.5 cm (11" x 12" x 18" L/H/W), totaling over 2,000 cubic inches. In December 2018, MakerBot introduced the METHOD 3D Printer as a bridge between desktop accessibility features and industrial 3D printing technologies. This new 3D Printer incorporated 15 Stratasys patents (MakerBot's parent company) and 15 new patents from MakerBot. The new 3D Printer has

3440-518: The above. They also changed print file formats from the S3G format used by earlier printers to the new .makerbot format. In 2014, the company faced significant criticism when it filed patent applications for designs that some claimed had been invented by members of its community and published to Thingiverse, such as the quick release extruder. Community members accused MakerBot of asserting ownership over their designs when those designs had been contributed with

3526-456: The advantages of design for additive manufacturing , it is clear to engineers that much more is to come. One place that AM is making a significant inroad is in the aviation industry. With nearly 3.8 billion air travelers in 2016, the demand for fuel efficient and easily produced jet engines has never been higher. For large OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) like Pratt and Whitney (PW) and General Electric (GE) this means looking towards AM as

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3612-460: The company released 7 generations of 3D printers, ending with the METHOD and METHOD X. It was at one point the leader of the desktop market with an important presence in the media, but its market share declined over the late 2010s. MakerBot also founded and operated Thingiverse , the largest online 3D printing community and file repository. In August 2022, the company completed a merger with its long-time competitor Ultimaker . The combined company

3698-513: The consumer and Maker space. Since its open-source release in 2006, hundreds of Fab@Home 3D printers were built across the world, and its design elements could be found in many later DIY printers, most notably in the first MakerBot Replicator (2009). The printer's multiple syringe-based deposition method allowed for some of the first multi-material prints including direct fabrication of active batteries, actuators, and sensors, as well as esoteric materials for bioprinting and food printing. The project

3784-449: The developing world. In 2012, Filabot developed a system for closing the loop with plastic and allows for any FDM or FFF 3D printer to be able to print with a wider range of plastics. In 2014, Benjamin S. Cook and Manos M. Tentzeris demonstrated the first multi-material, vertically integrated printed electronics additive manufacturing platform (VIPRE) which enabled 3D printing of functional electronics operating up to 40 GHz. As

3870-574: The documentary Print the Legend about Makerbot history. Due to its detachment from the open source community, the departure of its founders, reliability problems with its 'smart extruder' and questionable user clauses on the Thingiverse site, there were several controversies related to the Makerbot. The Fifth generation was equipped with an interchangeable extruder with some self-diagnostics capabilities. It

3956-535: The early 2010s, the terms 3D printing and additive manufacturing evolved senses in which they were alternate umbrella terms for additive technologies, one being used in popular language by consumer-maker communities and the media, and the other used more formally by industrial end-use part producers, machine manufacturers, and global technical standards organizations. Until recently, the term 3D printing has been associated with machines low in price or capability. 3D printing and additive manufacturing reflect that

4042-597: The fabrication of articles on a substrate. On 2 July 1984, American entrepreneur Bill Masters filed a patent for his computer automated manufacturing process and system ( US 4665492 ). This filing is on record at the USPTO as the first 3D printing patent in history; it was the first of three patents belonging to Masters that laid the foundation for the 3D printing systems used today. On 16 July 1984, Alain Le Méhauté , Olivier de Witte, and Jean Claude André filed their patent for

4128-842: 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. Furthermore, the capabilities of 3D printing have extended beyond traditional manufacturing, like lightweight construction, or repair and maintenance with applications in prosthetics, bioprinting, food industry, rocket building, design and art and renewable energy systems. 3D printing technology can be used to produce battery energy storage systems, which are essential for sustainable energy generation and distribution. Another benefit of 3D printing

4214-449: The first commercial 3D printer, the SLA-1, later in 1987 or 1988. The technology used by most 3D printers to date—especially hobbyist and consumer-oriented models—is fused deposition modeling , a special application of plastic extrusion , developed in 1988 by S. Scott Crump and commercialized by his company Stratasys , which marketed its first FDM machine in 1992. Owning a 3D printer in

4300-426: The first decade in which metal end-use parts such as engine brackets and large nuts would be grown (either before or instead of machining) in job production rather than obligately being machined from bar stock or plate. It is still the case that casting, fabrication, stamping, and machining are more prevalent than additive manufacturing in metalworking, but AM is now beginning to make significant inroads, and with

4386-449: The first patent describing 3D printing with rapid prototyping and controlled on-demand manufacturing of patterns. The patent states: As used herein the term printing is not intended in a limited sense but includes writing or other symbols, character or pattern formation with an ink. The term ink as used in is intended to include not only dye or pigment-containing materials, but any flowable substance or composition suited for application to

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4472-411: The first time. While AM is still playing a small role in the total number of parts in the jet engine manufacturing process, the return on investment can already be seen by the reduction in parts, the rapid production capabilities and the "optimized design in terms of performance and cost". As technology matured, several authors began to speculate that 3D printing could aid in sustainable development in

4558-414: The goal of many of them being to start developing commercial FDM 3D printers that were more accessible to the general public. As the various additive processes matured, it became clear that soon metal removal would no longer be the only metalworking process done through a tool or head moving through a 3D work envelope, transforming a mass of raw material into a desired shape layer by layer. The 2010s were

4644-427: The high cost would severely limit any widespread enjoyment of a process or apparatus satisfying the foregoing objects. It is therefore an additional object of the invention to minimize use to materials in a process of the indicated class. It is a further object of the invention that materials employed in such a process be salvaged for reuse. According to another aspect of the invention, a combination for writing and

4730-501: The key advantages of 3D printing is the ability to produce very complex shapes or geometries that would be otherwise infeasible to construct by hand, including hollow parts or parts with internal truss structures to reduce weight while creating less material waste. Fused deposition modeling (FDM), which uses a continuous filament of a thermoplastic material, is the most common 3D printing process in use as of 2020 . The umbrella term additive manufacturing (AM) gained popularity in

4816-400: The key advantages of using a syringe based deposition method was that a broad range of materials could be deposited, essentially any liquid, paste, gel or slurry that could be squeezed through a syringe tip. That versatility allowed going beyond printing just in thermoplastics, as did the RepRap and most consumer-scale 3D printers that followed. The range of materials that could be printed with

4902-557: The like comprises a carrier for displaying an intelligence pattern and an arrangement for removing the pattern from the carrier. In 1974, David E. H. Jones laid out the concept of 3D printing in his regular column Ariadne in the journal New Scientist . Early additive manufacturing equipment and materials were developed in the 1980s. In April 1980, Hideo Kodama of Nagoya Municipal Industrial Research Institute invented two additive methods for fabricating three-dimensional plastic models with photo-hardening thermoset polymer , where

4988-565: The manufacturing and research industries, as the technology was still relatively young and was too expensive for most consumers to be able to get their hands on. The 2000s was when larger scale use of the technology began being seen in industry, most often in the architecture and medical industries, though it was typically used for low accuracy modeling and testing, rather than the production of common manufactured goods or heavy prototyping. In 2005 users began to design and distribute plans for 3D printers that could print around 70% of their own parts,

5074-542: The mid-1990s, new techniques for material deposition were developed at Stanford and Carnegie Mellon University , including microcasting and sprayed materials. Sacrificial and support materials had also become more common, enabling new object geometries. The term 3D printing originally referred to a powder bed process employing standard and custom inkjet print heads, developed at MIT by Emanuel Sachs in 1993 and commercialized by Soligen Technologies, Extrude Hone Corporation, and Z Corporation . The year 1993 also saw

5160-451: The new UltiMaker company. MakerBot's first products were sold as do it yourself kits, requiring only minor soldering, with an assembly process compared to assembling IKEA furniture. Current models are designed as closed-box products, with no assembly required. MakerBot printers print with polylactic acid (PLA), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The Cupcake CNC

5246-469: The original plans of which were designed by Adrian Bowyer at the University of Bath in 2004, with the name of the project being RepRap (Replicating Rapid-prototyper). Similarly, in 2006 the Fab@Home project was started by Evan Malone and Hod Lipson , another project whose purpose was to design a low-cost and open source fabrication system that users could develop on their own and post feedback on, making

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5332-429: The price of printers started to drop people interested in this technology had more access and freedom to make what they wanted. As of 2014, the price for commercial printers was still high with the cost being over $ 2,000. The term "3D printing" originally referred to a process that deposits a binder material onto a powder bed with inkjet printer heads layer by layer. More recently, the popular vernacular has started using

5418-459: The printer to MakerBot desktop and mobile apps. Also in January 2014, MakerBot released the Replicator Mini with a build volume of 10.0 cm x 10.0 cm x 12.5 cm (3.9" x 3.9" x 4.9" L/W/H), layer resolution of 200 μm , and a positioning precision of 11 μm on the x and y-axis and 2.5 μm in the z-axis. Released alongside the Replicator Mini and 5th Generation Replicator,

5504-458: The process as a "system for generating three-dimensional objects by creating a cross-sectional pattern of the object to be formed". Hull's contribution was the STL (Stereolithography) file format and the digital slicing and infill strategies common to many processes today. In 1986, Charles "Chuck" Hull was granted a patent for this system, and his company, 3D Systems Corporation was formed and it released

5590-429: The production of functional or aesthetic prototypes, and a more appropriate term for it at the time was rapid prototyping . As of 2019 , the precision, repeatability, and material range of 3D printing have increased to the point that some 3D printing processes are considered viable as an industrial-production technology; in this context, the term additive manufacturing can be used synonymously with 3D printing . One of

5676-501: The project very collaborative. Much of the software for 3D printing available to the public at the time was open source , and as such was quickly distributed and improved upon by many individual users. In 2009 the Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) printing process patents expired. This opened the door to a new wave of startup companies, many of which were established by major contributors of these open source initiatives, with

5762-453: The same time. On June 19, 2013, Stratasys Incorporated announced that it had acquired MakerBot in a stock deal worth $ 604 million, with $ 403 million in stock paid up front, based on the current share value of Stratasys. The deal provided that MakerBot would operate as a distinct brand and subsidiary of Stratasys, serving the consumer and desktop market segments. When acquired, Makerbot had sold 22,000 printers. Bre Pettis moved to

5848-462: The start of an inkjet 3D printer company initially named Sanders Prototype, Inc and later named Solidscape , introducing a high-precision polymer jet fabrication system with soluble support structures, (categorized as a "dot-on-dot" technique). In 1995 the Fraunhofer Society developed the selective laser melting process. In the early 2000s 3D printers were still largely being used just in

5934-549: The surface for forming symbols, characters, or patterns of intelligence by marking. The preferred ink is of a hot melt type. The range of commercially available ink compositions which could meet the requirements of the invention are not known at the present time. However, satisfactory printing according to the invention has been achieved with the conductive metal alloy as ink. But in terms of material requirements for such large and continuous displays, if consumed at theretofore known rates, but increased in proportion to increase in size,

6020-559: The team and developed an improved version, later released as the Fab@Home Model 2. The main improvements included easier assembly, no soldering, and fewer parts. The team then expanded and developed the model 3. One important variation of Fab@Home was the Fab@School project, which explored the use of 3D printers suitable for classroom use in elementary grades. Fab@School printers could print with benign materials such as Play-Doh and included

6106-447: The technologies share the theme of material addition or joining throughout a 3D work envelope under automated control. Peter Zelinski, the editor-in-chief of Additive Manufacturing magazine, pointed out in 2017 that the terms are still often synonymous in casual usage, but some manufacturing industry experts are trying to make a distinction whereby additive manufacturing comprises 3D printing plus other technologies or other aspects of

6192-431: The term to encompass a wider variety of additive-manufacturing techniques such as electron-beam additive manufacturing and selective laser melting. The United States and global technical standards use the official term additive manufacturing for this broader sense. The most commonly used 3D printing process (46% as of 2018 ) is a material extrusion technique called fused deposition modeling , or FDM. While FDM technology

6278-443: The understanding that they would remain open source. Then-CEO Bre Pettis released a statement dismissing these critics, citing patents that had been filed for unique inventions prior to any community-created designs, namely that the patent for the quick release extruder was originally filed in 2012 while the open source design was first published to Thingiverse in 2013. 3D printing 3D printing or additive manufacturing

6364-407: The workforce and changed the position of the company from consumer focused to two verticals based; professional and the education sector. This lay off was coined the "Valentine's Day Massacre" as it happened the day after. Overnight MakerBot went from 400 employees to under 200 worldwide. On August 31, 2022, the MakerBot division was merged with Ultimaker , with Stratasys keeping a minority share in

6450-650: 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. He referred to it as a "molecular spray" in that story. In 1971, Johannes F Gottwald patented the Liquid Metal Recorder, U.S. patent 3596285A, a continuous inkjet metal material device to form a removable metal fabrication on a reusable surface for immediate use or salvaged for printing again by remelting. This appears to be

6536-509: Was applied to those technologies (such as by robot welding and CNC ), the idea of a tool or head moving through a 3D work envelope transforming a mass of raw material into a desired shape with a toolpath was associated in metalworking only with processes that removed metal (rather than adding it), such as CNC milling , CNC EDM , and many others. However, the automated techniques that added metal, which would later be called additive manufacturing, were beginning to challenge that assumption. By

6622-479: Was closed in 2012 when it was clear that the project's goal was achieved and distribution of DIY and consumer printers outpaced the sales of industrial printers for the first time. The project was led by students at Cornell University 's department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering. The effort was inspired by the history of the Altair 8800 , one of the first DIY home computer kits released in 1975. The Altair 8800

6708-425: Was first described by Murray Leinster in his 1945 short story "Things Pass By": "But this constructor is both efficient and flexible. I feed magnetronic plastics — the stuff they make houses and ships of nowadays — into this moving arm. It makes drawings in the air following drawings it scans with photo-cells. But plastic comes out of the end of the drawing arm and hardens as it comes ... following drawings only" It

6794-515: Was introduced in April 2009 as a rapid prototyping machine. The source files needed to build the devices were put on Thingiverse , allowing anyone to make one from scratch. The Cupcake CNC featured a usable build volume of 100 mm x 100 mm x 130 mm (L/W/H) and has outside dimensions of 350 mm x 240 mm x 450 mm. Because of the open source nature of the product, any suggestions for improvements came from users. During its primary production run (April 2009 to September 2010),

6880-565: Was invented after the other two most popular technologies, stereolithography (SLA) and selective laser sintering (SLS), FDM is typically the most inexpensive of the three by a large margin, which lends to the popularity of the process. As of 2020, 3D printers have reached the level of quality and price that allows most people to enter the world of 3D printing. In 2020 decent quality printers can be found for less than US$ 200 for entry-level machines. These more affordable printers are usually fused deposition modeling (FDM) printers. In November 2021

6966-464: Was just 60,000 yen or $ 545 a year. Acquiring the patent rights for the XYZ plotter was abandoned, and the project was terminated. A US 4323756 patent, method of fabricating articles by sequential deposition , granted on 6 April 1982 to Raytheon Technologies Corp describes using hundreds or thousands of "layers" of powdered metal and a laser energy source and represents an early reference to forming "layers" and

7052-419: Was new in the market and supposed to help printer maintenance, but very short extruder lifespan problems were common, requiring frequent replacement at high cost. This led to a class action lawsuit which was dismissed. Ultimately, Makerbot replaced the failing extruder with a new version. Around September 2012 the company stated that for their new Replicator 2 they "will not share the way the physical machine

7138-428: Was novel in the 2000s reveals the long-prevailing mental model of the previous industrial era during which almost all production manufacturing had involved long lead times for laborious tooling development. Today, the term subtractive has not replaced the term machining , instead complementing it when a term that covers any removal method is needed. Agile tooling is the use of modular means to design tooling that

7224-495: Was performed in its own facilities in New York, then it was contracted to Jabil Circuit . The New York manufacturing personnel were laid off, while development, logistics, and repair operations remain in New York. Makerbot has merged with Ultimaker , who now hosts the online community Thingiverse , where users can upload 3D printable files, document designs, and collaborate 3D printing projects and on open source hardware. The site

7310-431: Was provided by Jake Lodwick ($ 50,000) and Adrian Bowyer and his wife, Christine ($ 25,000). In August 2011, venture capital firm The Foundry Group invested $ 10 million in the company and joined its board. In April 2012, Zachary Smith was pushed out, involving disagreement on adherence to open-source principles, and likely also about integration with Stratasys. Private security led out 100 employees laid off around

7396-515: Was put together, 6 members from Exxon Office Systems, Danbury Systems Division, an inkjet printer startup and some members of Howtek, Inc group who became popular figures in the 3D printing industry. One Howtek member, Richard Helinski (patent US5136515A, Method and Means for constructing three-dimensional articles by particle deposition, application 11/07/1989 granted 8/04/1992) formed a New Hampshire company C.A.D-Cast, Inc, name later changed to Visual Impact Corporation (VIC) on 8/22/1991. A prototype of

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