3D printing: its history since the 20th century
Here is a brief history of 3D printing, focusing mainly on technological developments:
It was on July 16, 1984 that the first patent on 3D printing (known as “additive manufacturing”) was filed. The custodians are French: Jean-claude André, Olivier de Witte, and Alain le Méhauté on behalf of the company CILAS ALCATEL. The same year, in the United States, on August 1, 1984, the American Chuck Hull filed the patent for the stereolithography 3D printing technique (SLA for StereoLithography Apparatus). This patent will not only give the name of the extension of the .stl printing file, but will also give birth to a leading company: 3D Systems, a giant in the manufacture of 3D printers. 3D Systems will launch the first 3D printer, the SLA-250, at the end of 1988.
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