Chuck Hull

Father of 3D Printing
Known as the father of 3D printing, Chuck Hull invented the solid
imaging process known as stereolithography, or 3D Printing, the first
commercial rapid prototyping technology, and the STL file format
which is still widely used today. Born on May 12, 1939, Hull is the cofounder, executive vice president, and chief technology officer of 3D
Systems, a prominent manufacturer of 3D printers. The idea of 3D
printing first came to Hull in 1983 when he was using UV light to
harden tabletop coating. Hull dubbed this process stereolithography
and received a patent for his Apparatus for Production of ThreeDimensional Objects by Stereolithography in 1986. Hull acquired a
substantial patent portfolio, including many fundamental aspects of
todays additive manufacturing technologies. As one of the first to
show the world the capabilities of 3D printing, Hull created a model
of the skeleton of conjoined twins, which led to their successful
separation. His trailblazing work in this field has also led to the ability
of car manufacturers to prototype parts and create exact models of
new cars, and has enormous implications for the future of design.