The History of Additive Manufacturing and Its Use for Prototype Production

At MultiSource Manufacturing LLC, we provide a wealth of manufacturing services, including extensive, precision-based, prototype fabrication. Our prototype capabilities range from single components to full assemblies with rigorous testing and full diagnostics of the final product. When you work with MultiSource, you gain the benefits of a state-of-the-art prototyping program that promises quality from the very beginning. Our prototyping technicians utilize additive manufacturing technologies to build unique components and assemblies for a broad range of industrial applications.

 

Additive manufacturing today is synonymous with 3D printing, and while it’s a newer industrial process, it has a rich, albeit short, history starting in 1974.

 

Additive Manufacturing Timeline

 

1974:  David E. H. Jones published a conceptual overview of 3D printing in his column in the New Scientist journal.

 

1981: After the development of early additive manufacturing technologies in 1980, Hideo Kodama, working at the Nagoya Municipal Industrial Research Institute, created two ways of additive manufacturing with a thermoset polymer.

 

1984: The stereolithography process was developed and patented by Olivier de Witte, Alain Le Méhauté, and Jean Claude André. Soon after, Chuck Hull from 3D Systems Corporation patented his own stereolithography fabrication system that used ultraviolet light lasers to cure photopolymer layers.

 

1988: Fuel deposition modeling (FDM), the type of 3D printing used by most commercial consumers, was developed by S. Scott Crump. His well-known company, Stratasys, marketed the first commercial FDM machine in 1992.

 

1995: The Fraunhofer Institute introduced selective laser melting processes.

 

2009: Any original patents for FDM machines and the FDM printing process expired. Because the industry was now open to competition, the development of this and other printing processes rapidly increased. In the 2010s, various metalworking forms of 3D printing were introduced, though limited, as were 3D printing of other materials than polymers, such as ceramics.

 

2012: Filabot, a 3D printing and filament company, developed ways for FDM and fueled filament fabrication (FFF) printers to utilize a broader range of more durable plastics.

 

2014: Dr. Manos M. Tentzeris and Dr. Benjamin S. Cook, working at the Georgia Institute of Technology, displayed the first use of new 3D printing software technology. This was a vertically integrated printed electronics additive manufacturing platform (VIPRE) that allowed the 3D printing of electronics with operational capacity up to 40 GHz.

 

Since 2014, software programs and 3D printing tools have been developed to even greater capabilities, and commercial consumer 3D printers have saturated the market. At MultiSource, the use of 3D printing is a key tool in the manufacturing of precision-based prototyping.

 

To learn more about our uses of additive manufacturing and prototyping capabilities, contact MultiSource Manufacturing LLC at (952) 456-5500 today. Or request a quote or more information online to get started with us today.

 

 

Meeting Industry Standards for the Manufacturing of Food Production Equipment

Since 2006, MultiSource Manufacturing LLC and Forpak have partnered to provide innovative solutions for food packaging systems. This partnership has resulted in unique packing equipment, including conveyors, autotransfers, stacking systems, sorting, laning, and custom products designed for specialized operations. When you work with MultiSource and Forpak for your food packaging needs, you can expect the best in food production equipment. All of our equipment manufacturing processes and components, or full assemblies fabricated, adhere to the strict standards of the USDA, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), NSF 3A Standard for meat and poultry, and Baking Industry Sanitation Standards Committee (BISSC) standards for baked goods. Our BISSC certification ensures safe packaging solutions for fresh, frozen, and raw flour-based food products.

 

The BISSC was founded in 1949 to establish voluntary standards for packagers of baked goods in the rapidly growing national food industry. In 1966, the BISSC formed its Office of Certification to expand the use of BISSC standards and offer a more formalized recognition of companies adhering to the BISSC values. These standards are specific to the equipment used in the preparation, packaging, and storage of all commercial baked goods, including bread products, pastries, breakfast products, dessert goods, and much more.

 

Our certification with the BISSC expands even more so through partnerships with the American Society of Baking (ASB), American Institute of Baking (AIB) International, and the overall development of American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards specific to the baking industry. Meeting these standards means our manufacturing of food production equipment has a mark of excellence in all areas, including the following.

 

Understanding of Sanitation: From the prototype to the final product in use, all of our food production equipment meets extremely high standards of sanitation. This includes sanitary materials that resist corrosion and prevent potential growth of mold or bacteria during use, effective sealant from operational materials like lubricant or cleaner, designs that offer ease of cleaning, limited risk of contamination with long-term use, and much more.

 

Support of the Workers: In addition to sanitation, our designs aim to support the employees working on the floor for hours at a time. Our food production equipment limits chronic pain from leaning, lifting, or repeated motion; prevents the risk of injury; and overall promotes a safe, healthy, and comfortable work environment for production floor employees.

 

Efficiency of Process: Whether on a food preparation, food packaging, or food storage production floor, our equipment designs work to improve the efficiency of the process. Our food production equipment is easily integrated into the majority of facilities and it offers a streamlining of the process with increased opportunities for automation and decreased risks of human error.

 

To learn more about our fabrication of food production equipment and our certification with BISSC, contact MultiSource Manufacturing LLC at (952) 456-5500 today. Or to partner with us, request more information or request a quote online.