Have a hard look into Bill Masters & Carl Deckard's work & timelines.
Regardless of patent dates or who was 1st to press (no pun intended),
Hull's contributions arguably come after (particularly compared to
Masters). Certainly not a conspiracy but would be good to confirm all the
player's stats. Here's the obligatory Wikipedia links but there's a fair
amount more out there with a little searching.
Bill Masters:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_(Bill)_Masters
Carl Deckard:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_R._Deckard
Also here's the link to archived Castle Island RP Patent Database
(1/7/2010):
https://web.archive.org/web/20100111010815/http://home.
att.net/~castleisland/pat_db.htm. It would be nice to confirm it's
completeness & accuracy but great resource nonetheless. FYI...the entire
Castle Island site from that date is searchable through the archive.
Cheers
Joshua Harker
w: www.joshharker.com
e: info_at_joshharker.com
fb: Facebook Artist Page
<
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Joshua-Harker-Artist/195062218474>
On Wed, Dec 7, 2016 at 6:34 PM, Doug Mitchell <dmitchel_at_ymail.com> wrote:
> Sorry, no, Chuck Hull did more than the stl file format. He was the
> inventor of Stereolithography. And Scott Crump was responsible for
> inventing FDM. Please talk to people who have been around from the early
> days before you make rash statements. The folks at Aries Technology of
> Lowell, Massachusetts were also involved with the development of stl files.
>
> Doug Mitchell
>
> On Wed, Dec 7, 2016 at 7:00 PM, Jim McMahon
> <jim_at_layergrownmodel.com> wrote:
> Steve. You are not reading what I wrote. Without support you have no 3D
> models
> All you get is 2.5 D models with support missing. 3D systems bought the
> Helsinki patent in 2002. Stratasys didn't licence it till later 1990s
> after Model maker 6Pro. Chuck invented STL files only. This is now
> accepted by everyone. Plus STL files are not a requirement for 3D printing.
>
> On Dec 7, 2016 5:57 PM, "Steven Adler (A3DM)" <adler_at_a3dm.com> wrote:
>
> some of the notables
>
> 3D Systems ; Chuck Hull Stereo Lithography ( SLA ) 1986
> Stratasys ; Scott Crump Fused Deposition Modeling ( FDM )1992
> Envisiontec ; Ali Siblani - Hendrick John DLP Photopolymerization ( DLP )
> 1999
>
> *Steven Adler*
> A3DM Technologies Corp
> adler_at_a3dm.com
> +1 503 250.3324
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
> *From*: Jim McMahon <jim_at_layergrownmodel.com>
> *Sent*: Wednesday, December 7, 2016 08:38 AM
> *To*: adler_at_a3dm.com
> *Subject*: [rp-ml] Fwd: Rapid Prototyping-3D Modelling-Additive
> Manufacturing History
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: *Jim McMahon* <jim_at_layergrownmodel.com>
> Date: Wed, Dec 7, 2016 at 11:36 AM
> Subject: Re: Rapid Prototyping-3D Modelling-Additive Manufacturing History
> To: Jan Andrzejewski < taikojan_at_gmail.com>
>
>
> Hi Jan:
>
> Not much response for such an interesting topic. I have spoken by phone to
> two others who commented but must not know how to reply to the
> rp-ml list. Maybe they are shy. I will try to summarize what I have
> learned so far as it related to my request for input on "The Key areas of
> 3D Modelling"
>
> First and most importantly I need to add a new key area "Materials"
> 5. Materials are basic to achieving a 3D structure. Any technique, system
> or process for three-dimensional fabrication of a part must have a material
> capable to produce the model from a computer aided design (CAD) data.
>
> We are seeing many more products these days that claim they can produce
> three-dimensional models and each one needs to be evaluated to prove it can
> do it. Inexpensive modeler products with single material deposition
> hardware needs to be capable of making any CAD model. If it can not do this
> we need to classify it in a sub-group (2.5D Printer) other than a 3D
> Printer. Today with so many CAD programs and file names this may get
> complicated. My point here is that a 3D model printer should be able to
> output a basic model. A basic model today is much different than it was
> when this technology began in the early days. I am interested in the
> history of early Rapid Prototyping machines as they were called when it
> began.
> I will postpone classifying systems until a basic model is defined.
>
> Basic models produced on Rapid Prototyping systems must have a source of
> data that can be machine controlled to produce parts more than once with
> the data without manual interruption. Start up the system, load a file and
> make it. Simple. Then repeat the same process again with the same data on
> the same machine and do it again. The data must be produced from any source
> including a CAD program or any file generated by some means that will be in
> a form to be sent to a Rapid Prototyping Systems. Do we all agree with
> this? The model must be something other than a 2.5 Dimensional model, ie.,
> it must be as defined by the file data and include features normally seen
> in objects - overhangs are included in this data and hollows should be
> included. Three-Dimensional models were defined long before they were
> machine made from file data.
>
> Now it is time to look at the history of 3D model making machines. Guess
> what? The technology is not as old as we think. This leads to who has
> defined this technology. If computers, X,Y plotters, 2D printers and
> three-dimensional shapes have been defined before Rapid Prototyping
> Systems came along then these terms should be recognized and accepted. All
> we need to do is find the Rapid Prototyping System that can fabricate a
> model from data in a file and do it without human intervention.
>
> Please send the names of RP Systems that do this with the dates of first
> use. A system capable of doing this should be in museum to prove it really
> exists. There are two historical 3D museums I know about. 3DPmuseum and the
> planned museum 3Dinkjetmuseum.
> The first names I will add to the Rapid Prototyping Systems historical
> list: Please add yours.
> 1. Sanders Prototype, Inc., Wilton, NH Modelmaker 6 Pro February 1994 (
> Production and sold units)
> 2. Visual Impact Corporation, Windham, NH The Sculptor, Approx date 1990
> (Prototype printer for Helinski Patent -never produced)
> 3. Ballistic Particle Manufacturing, Greenville, S.C. Personal Modeler,
> September 1994 (Production and sold units)
>
>
> On Sat, Dec 3, 2016 at 3:25 PM, Jim McMahon <jim_at_layergrownmodel.com>
> wrote:
>
> Jan:
>
> Glad to have someone like you with the interest in 3D modeling history
> contributing.
>
> My introduction was a bit lengthy and it should be summarized to simplify
> it.
>
> This subject with it's many names (please add Three-Dimensional Printing
> or reproduction to the list) goes back much earlier than the popular
> reference to the current father of 3D printing, Charles Hull in 1984. My
> goal here was to take time now after 30+ years and review the history
> again. This should be done with today's definition of 3D modeling. I
> contend that many 3D model printers made today are lacking some details of
> the current definition of a 3D printer. A reproduced CAD model is defined
> precisely from a CAD program. The desired model also is assumed to have
> materials consistent with a usable part with dimensions comparable to a
> manufactured part. I see stories of automobile engines 3D printed and I
> know surface finishes, material composition and threaded holes can never be
> made with a 3D printer even today. Back up to the first 3D printer in 1984
> and you will see it has many functions that are accepted in 3D printers
> (support structures under overhangs) did not exist until the first inkjet
> printer with 2 materials was manufactured in 1994.
>
> My first goal is to first identify the things that are fundamental
> components of a 3D printer.
> This should be relatively simple since everyone today has a good grasp of
> the concepts of a 3D printer in contrast to when people defined in the
> 1980's.
>
> Please help us make the list. It can be done one at a time with discussion
> or all at once and then have a discussion.
>
> Looking forward to your comments.
>
>
>
>
>
> On Fri, Dec 2, 2016 at 5:34 AM, Jan Andrzejewski <taikojan_at_gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> This is also very interesting to me and will help in any way that I can.
>
> It is very strange to me that 3D Systems left their wax printer
> (Thermojet) a while before coming into the market?
> Did they have to wait for a patent to end?
>
> There is a lot of Research & Development work that never got
> commercialised and yet ground breaking.
> I think James is right and the Military organisations R&D work may have
> paved the way.
>
> Castle Island did have a database of RP patents, I never found the time
> then to search all the way through but if it is still available I would
> gladly spend a bit of time doing this now.
>
> Some of my searches have disproved claims of being first by some bureaus
> and I'm sure that things that are on my website will need updating, when
> documented information comes to light. I may just go through and remove the
> word "First" with a more suitable comment?
> I'm willing to work with James on this and I'm looking at what I have
> collected and be able to share with his Museum project. (watch this space,
> folks)
>
> Jan Andrzejewski
> Curator
> 3DPmuseum.com
> Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/3DPmuseum/>
>
> Pinterest <https://uk.pinterest.com/craftymachines/3d-printing-museum/>
>
> On 1 December 2016 at 19:21, Jim McMahon <jim_at_layergrownmodel.com> wrote:
>
> Dear Rp-Ml members:
>
> I was thinking this group is a great source for unbiased information about
> the origins of Rapid Prototyping. I am doing research for a future 3D
> inkjet Museum that will someday open in a city in the USA. Currently it
> exists as a collection of inkjet information and early printers that form a
> history of 3D modelling. Inkjet printing is the technology that has the
> most historical information to show the origins of print layer build up and
> is one example of the first successes in printing accurate thermoplastic
> models with an overhang supported by an easily removed wax material.
>
> The 3D Modelling technology has been shown to print 100% supported models
> from both facet and sliced model Cad data originating with imported DXF,
> OBJ, SLC, HPGL and STL files. Actually, I think the earliest examples of
> pre-3D models were slice (SLC) files or 2D single layer files added on top
> of previous layers. (I have this early printer in my collection. Text and
> numerical characters were printed on top of each other quite by accident to
> make relief characters.) A true 3D printer as we know it today does this
> automatically with support for overhangs. 3D Modelling has requirements and
> most people know them today. My research is to get more information on the
> earliest sightings of these basic 3D Modelling components. This will
> include earliest dates, places and people who may have discovered or
> invented these things first. Together the information will point to the
> first "complete" 3D Modelling product that produced accurate and usable
> models for customers. The date of this complete product may surprise all of
> us. I want to see if this group can help point to it.
>
> 4 Key areas of this 3D Modelling search include:
> 1. Early CAD file invention dates. (Virtually all CAD file formats were
> used in the earliest 3D Modeling System) Which format was invented first?
> Was it used first in a 3D Modelling System? Who invented it? Then which
> format was first used in a "complete" 3D printing systems as we know it
> today?
> 2. Use of support material to produce a RP models. Date of first use,
> where and by whom? Is there a Patent?
> 3. A material deposition system with controlled position mechanics and
> numerical control for a 3D Modelling system. (Hint, could it be the AT&T,
> Teletype Division's Inktronic Data wax printer used in the Navy starting
> around 1966?)
> 4. A mechanism to advance the build surface in precise steps using
> numerical control for an Additive Manufacturing System. (You can easily
> look up the subtractive machining tool dates)
> (Note: Names of 3D printing are interchangeable - try to ignore the
> confusion)
> (Note: Materials are evolving all the time and are not shown here but all
> can be considered for making 3D models using a numerical controlled system)
>
> I will respond to all inputs and summarize the date for all as it evolves.
> The collection is available to be seen by appointment. The BPM Personal
> Modeler was just added recently.
>
> Thank you
> James K McMahon
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
Received on Thu Dec 08 2016 - 04:08:00 EET