Chuck Hull to be Inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame

3D printing is well on its way to revolutionizing manufacturing around the world. Rapid Ready provides near daily examples of breakthroughs in nearly every major manufacturing field, including automotive, aerospace and medical. While the technology has only gained some measure of popular appeal in the last few years, its roots go back 30 years and can be traced to 3D Systems’ founder and CTO, Chuck Hull.

This year Hull’s achievement will be officially recognized as he’s inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Hull’s name and likeness will join luminaries of invention such as Thomas Edison, Eli Whitney, and the Wright Brothers. The formal ceremony will take place May 21, at the United States Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria, VA.

“Each year we have the distinct honor of recognizing individuals whose contributions to society will resound throughout the ages,” said Michael Oister, Invent Now CEO. “3D printing is an astounding technology that is poised to change the way our world works and the way we interact with it. We are delighted to welcome Chuck Hull to our NIHF family.”

“I am deeply honored to become a part of the NIHF and be considered among the group of high caliber innovators who have transformed the world and improved the human condition in tangible and powerful ways,” said Hull. “I always knew that 3D printing had the capacity to change the entire design-to-manufacture process, but could not have anticipated the full impact that my work would have on every facet of our lives. It is incredibly humbling and exhilarating to be a part of this transformation.”

It all began back in 1983 when Hull was employed by a company that made scratch-resistant coatings for tables using UV lamps. During his work, Hull thought of a new way to combine UV light, photopolymers, and computer assisted design to produce build new objects. After experimenting with his idea for a few months, Hull was able to produce a cup using what would become known as stereolithography, and thus 3D printing was born.

Hull took his idea with him when he went on to found 3D Systems. It was under his guidance that the company also developed a file format called Standard Tessellation Language, or STL, specifically for 3D printing, and which is still in use today. 3D Systems has since gone on to become one of the largest and most successful 3D printing companies in the world.

Below you’ll find a slightly younger Hull explaining how stereolithography works.

Sources: 3DS, CNN