OF PRINTING 2005 2008 2023

The worldwide RepRap Project

The first ‘self-replicating manufacturing machine’ was created by Dr Adrian Bowyer, in what was known as the worldwide RepRap Project. Bowyer was later awarded an MBE in the New Years Honours for his dedication to 3D printing.

First prosthetic limb printed

It’s rare in history for a single limb to make history. But, in 2008, the world heard about the first prosthetic leg to be 3D printed, offering amputees a new opportunity in life. The following year, the patents moved into the public domain and manufacturers got to work.

Rocket takes to the skies

The 34-metre rocket Terran-1 left its launch pad in Cape Canaveral in Florida and powered skyward for a few minutes before falling back to Earth. Some 85% of the rocket was produced using 3D printing. California-based Relativity Space, which produced the rocket, has designed its own machines to fabricate both large and small parts, from tanks to engines.