Inventor of the Month – Who is Chuck Hull?

By Jessica Vann3D Printing is a hot topic and subject right now, everywhere from 3D printed food to body parts.  We now have access to an amazing piece of technology that not only helps the present, but also the future.  However this would have never been available to us if it hadn’t been for Chuck Hull, father and inventor of the 3D Printer.Chuck Hull started flirting with the idea of stereolithography also known as 3D printing or rapid prototyping back in 1983 as he was harding tabletop coatings with UV light, which he named stereolithography.  He patented the idea and called it “Apparatus for Production of Three-Dimensional Objects by Stereolithography.”  1986 was a big year for Chuck Hull as he got his patent granted, started his own company 3D Systems and began commercializing his idea.He soon realized that his idea of 3D printing wasn’t just limited to liquids, but that it could use other materials.  So he filed broad patent claims and made sure they covered “any material capable of solidification” as well as “any material capable of altering its physical state.”  Since he patent was so broad, it covered a lot of things such as the different additive manufacturing techniques i.e. STL file format, slicing, data preparation that are used today.Check out this video of Chuck Hull at a tradeshow in Frankfurt, Germany speaking to CNN Correspondent, Nick Glass about 3D Printing.On May 21st of this year, Mr. Chuck Hull was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.   The National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF) dates back to 1973 and has been celebrating individuals who have conceived patented and advanced great technological achievements.  For one to be inducted, one must hold a United States patent that has contributed significantly to the nation’s welfare and the advancement of science and useful arts.   He joins the ranks of Eli Whitney, Henry Ford and Steve Jobs.Further Reading:https://www.google.com/patents/US4575330http://edition.cnn.com/2014/02/13/tech/innovation/the-night-i-invented-3d-printing-chuck-hall/http://3dprintingindustry.com/2014/03/05/3d-printing-inventor-receive-honour-national-inventors-hall-fame/?fb_action_ids=866775076504&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%5B215956965266725%5D&action_type_map=%5B%22og.likes%22%5D&action_ref_map=%5B%5Dhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Hullhttp://3dprint.com/1676/3d-printing-patch-of-beating-heart-cells/Innovate Product Design has extensive experience using this technology and is able to offer it to its clients with their in-house 3D printers.  We are very excited to have a  recently attained  the HP Designjet 3D Color Printer, which enables us to create precise, durable plastic models that enable evaluation of form, fit, and function, https://innovate-design.com/news/index.php/3dprinter/. Should you like for us to review your idea and see if this manufacturing technique could be used, then please reach out to info@innovate-design.com.