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Witness History

The first 3D printer

Witness History

BBC

Personal Journals, Society & Culture, History

4.51.6K Ratings

🗓️ 20 May 2020

⏱️ 9 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In 1983 Chuck Hull invented the first 3D printer. It could produce small plastic objects directly from a digital file on a computer. Instead of using ink the printer used plastic - adding layer upon layer to create an object. At first no-one was interested but now 3D printing technology is used widely, both by amateur hobbyists and industry. It's been taken up enthusiastically in the medical world to help separate conjoined twins and the next step is to help create human tissue for regenerative medicine. Photo: This tiny cup was the first thing made using a 3D printer, in 1983. Courtesy of Chuck Hull at 3D Systems.

Transcript

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0:00.0

Choosing what to watch night after night the flicking through the endless

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searching is a nightmare we want to help you on our brand new podcast off the

0:11.8

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Cladie Aide.

0:16.0

Load to games, loads of fun, loads of screaming.

0:19.0

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0:21.0

And me, Natalie Cassidy, so your evenings can be a little less

0:24.9

searching and a lot more auction listen on BBC sounds.

0:29.2

Hello and thanks for downloading witness history with me Claire Bowes on the BBC World Service.

0:39.0

As doctors and nurses around the world struggle to treat COVID-19 patients, often without

0:44.9

enough protective equipment. A lucky few are receiving masks made and donated by individuals

0:50.6

with their own 3D printers. I've been speaking to Chuck Hull who invented the 3D printer in 1983.

0:58.0

New York streets are empty but the hospitals are full as the city's mayor warns they only have a week's

1:03.9

worth of medical supplies left. The European Union sets sharp restrictions on the

1:07.5

export of protective medical equipment such as masks. After doctors

1:11.5

warn they're still not getting the protective equipment they need to treat patients

1:15.1

with coronavirus.

1:16.1

Well, I know how the NHS are like risking their lives for other people who have the

1:21.5

coronavirus, so I thought that like maybe in

1:24.6

sudden risk in their lives I could just help out. Nala is eight years old and

1:29.3

from London she's been making masks for nurses and doctors in the UK with her family's 3D printer and this is how she does it.

1:39.0

So you need to have your PLA plastic filament and you need to put it into this white tube that's in the 3D printer and then you need to press print and after that it's pretty simple and it's just like a normal printer

...

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