Hull wins in the Non-European countries category for his invention of the original 3D printing technology
ROCK HILL, South Carolina, June 17, 2014 – 3D Systems (NYSE:DDD) announced today that Chuck Hull is the recipient of the 2014 European Inventor Award in the non-European countries category in recognition of his invention of the original 3D printing technology, Stereolithography (SLA®). Presented annually by the European Patent Office (EPO), the award honors inventors who have made significant contributions to technological progress and the advancement of society.
Hull’s pioneering work in additive manufacturing has led to the birth an entirely new industry. In addition to his invention of Stereolithography, Hull also co-created the gold standard in 3D printing connectivity with CAD formats, the STL file format. Beyond his 18 European patents for which he was recognized today, Hull holds 76 US patents and 14 Japanese patents. As the EPO suggests, 3D printing technology “could one day become one of the biggest advances in manufacturing since the industrial revolution.”
Since his development of the SLA printing method, 3D printers have been embraced by a diverse range of industries from aerospace to automotive, healthcare and jewelry manufacturing. The ongoing success of this technology continues to impact everyone from students and teachers to makers and innovators in a revolutionary way.
“I was thinking about how this came to be and I’d really like to thank the hundreds and hundreds of scientists and engineers who have helped bring 3D printing to the world as we know it today,” said Chuck Hull, Founder and Chief Technology Officer, 3DS. “When I started 30 years ago, I didn’t envision the many ways 3D printing would change the way we design, create and make, and the impact it has on our lives.”
In addition to accepting the European Inventor Award today, Hull’s accolades include induction into the National Inventor’s Hall of Fame on May 21, 2014 for his achievements in 3D printing and receiving The Economist’s 2013 Innovation Award. Hull continues to lead the 3D printing revolution as 3DS’ Chief Technology Officer, celebrating 30 years of continuous 3D printing innovation and presiding over seven different 3D print technologies, more than 100 materials and 1,700 patents.
Learn more about 3DS’ commitment to manufacturing the future today at www.3dsystems.com.
About 3D Systems
About 3D Systems
3D Systems is a leading provider of 3D printing centric design-to-manufacturing solutions including 3D printers, print materials and cloud sourced on-demand custom parts for professionals and consumers alike in materials including plastics, metals, ceramics and edibles. The company also provides integrated 3D scan-based design, freeform modeling and inspection tools and an integrated 3D planning and printing digital thread for personalized surgery and patient specific medical devices. Its products and services replace and complement traditional methods and reduce the time and cost of designing new products by printing real parts directly from digital input. These solutions are used to rapidly design, create, communicate, prototype or produce functional parts and assemblies, empowering customers to manufacture the future.
Leadership Through Innovation and Technology
- 3DS invented 3D printing with its Stereolithography (SLA) printer and was the first to commercialize it in 1989.
- 3DS invented Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) printing and was the first to commercialize it in 1992.
- 3DS invented the Color-Jet-Printing (CJP) class of 3D printers and was the first to commercialize 3D powder-based systems in 1994.
- 3DS invented Multi-Jet-Printing (MJP) printers and was the first to commercialize it in 1996.
- Today its comprehensive range of 3D printers is the industry’s benchmark for production-grade manufacturing in aerospace, automotive, patient specific medical device and a variety of consumer, electronic and fashion accessories.
More information on the company is available at www.3DSystems.com.