The Father of JD Printing
About twenty years ago, the surgeons at the Wilford Hull medical center working to separate a pair of conjoined(连体的) twins thought that only one would be able to walk after the operation. After a model of the girls' bone structure was using 3D printing, however, they found a shared upper leg bone to be bigger than expected and split it successfully, in both twins being able to walk. Now eighty and still working as chief technology officer of 3D Systems. Chuck Hull is enjoying some minor 31 years after he first printed a small black eye-wash cup using a new method of manufacturing known as 3D printing.
At the time, he was working for a company that used UV light to put thin layers of plastic coats on tabletops and . He had an idea that if he could place thousands of thin layers of plastic on top of each other and then cut their shape using light, he would be able to form three dimensional objects. After a year, he a system where light was shone into a bottle of photopolymer – a material which changes from liquid to plastic-like solid when light shines on it – and traces the shape of one level of the object. Subsequent layers are then printed until it is .
After patenting the invention, he set up 3D Systems, getting $6m (£3.5m) from a Canadian investor. The first product came out in 1988 and proved a hit among car manufacturers, in the aerospace sector and for companies designing medical equipment. The possibilities appear endless – from home-printed food and medicine to that pictures of objects be able to be taken in shops and then recreated using plans downloaded from the Internet Although deliberate in his responses, there is one moment when the spoken Chuck Hull tells of his surprise about what exactly his creation was capable of achieving.
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A. generated B. furniture C. fame D. resulting E. suggestions F. developed G. eventually H. completed I. fixed J. commercial K. softly |
