The first documented iterations of 3D printing can be traced back to the early 1980s in Japan. In 1981, Hideo Kodama was trying to find a way to develop a rapid prototyping system. He came up with a layer-by-layer approach for manufacturing, using a photosensitive resin that was polymerized by UV light.

There are many benefits to 3D printing across a myriad of manufacturing applications. 3D printing is often faster than traditional technologies and produces parts in a single step. It’s also more cost-effective for the quality of parts and time spent producing them. 3D printing offers designers more design freedom and customization options while being easier to access and more sustainable overall.

3D printing can cost anywhere from $3 up to thousands of dollars. It’s hard to get the exact cost of a 3D print without a 3D model. Factors such as material, model complexity, and labor affect the price of 3D printing. 3D printing services can sometimes cost more than an entry level 3D printer.

CAD is an essential component of 3D printing. Without a CAD file, a 3D printer won’t have the instructions it needs to build a prototype or product. The CAD file tells the 3D printer how much material it needs to deposit and where the material should be deposited.

Computer-aided design, or more commonly referred to as CAD, is used to generate virtual 2D or 3D models.