<p>Another opinion received:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>That’s the result of MakerBot and others promoting the tech to the general public for the first time after the patents expired. They were just running up stock prices to make a lot of money</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-03-25T06:53:32.603Z
2021-03-25T06:53:32.603Z
Megidd
<p>A great story on the history of 3D printing is published by <a href="https://www.3dsourced.com/guides/history-of-3d-printing/" rel="noreferrer">3DSOURCED</a>. It shows that the patents for FDM and SLA expired a few years earlier and the <a href="https://reprap.org/wiki/RepRap" rel="noreferrer">RepRap</a> 3D printer self replicating project became very popular. Also, 3D printer manufacturers emerged and electronics, software and parts became available at a larger scale, so that it was more affordable for a hobbyist to dive in.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-03-06T13:57:44.810Z
Could the same happen to 3D scan field? I mean, regarding patents for example.
Megidd
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-03-06T14:52:50.350Z
once the patents run out, possibly, but I don't think to the degree of 3D Printers, as there is less "fun" application in scanners - and sharing scanned items might come with a legal backlash that sharing self-made designs might not because you much easier violate copyright.
Trish
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-03-07T15:48:21.213Z
It’s not even just fewer ‘fun’ applications for a 3D scanner, there are arguably fewer practical applications as well. 3D printing slots into the usual engineering development loop rather nicely as a way to speed up prototyping, and that’s a large part of what helped make it so generically popular, but 3D scanning is far less universally useful in such a setting.
Austin Hemmelgarn
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-03-25T07:34:47.030Z
History, Anthropology and Archaeology use 3D scanners, merged with 3D model generation it slots in nicely there (as in re-creating damaged artifacts etc)
Trish
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-03-06T13:00:43.043Z
2021-03-06T16:02:42.950Z
2021-03-06T16:02:42.950Z
0scar
<p>Comparing trends show that 3D printing stepped over to another level around 2012~2013. Why?</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/9tFj9.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/9tFj9.png" alt="3D printing vs 3D scanning" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/N488f.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/N488f.png" alt="3D printer vs 3D scanner" /></a></p>

<history>
What happened around 2012~2013 in 3D printing field
Megidd
# What happened around 2012~2013 in 3D printing field

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-03-06)

Comparing trends show that 3D printing stepped over to another level around 2012~2013. Why?

[![3D printing vs 3D scanning](https://i.sstatic.net/9tFj9.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/9tFj9.png)

[![3D printer vs 3D scanner](https://i.sstatic.net/N488f.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/N488f.png)

**Tags:** history

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2021-03-06. Score: 15 | Accepted answer

A great story on the history of 3D printing is published by [3DSOURCED](https://www.3dsourced.com/guides/history-of-3d-printing/). It shows that the patents for FDM and SLA expired a few years earlier and the [RepRap](https://reprap.org/wiki/RepRap) 3D printer self replicating project became very popular. Also, 3D printer manufacturers emerged and electronics, software and parts became available at a larger scale, so that it was more affordable for a hobbyist to dive in.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Could the same happen to 3D scan field? I mean, regarding patents for example.  
> **username_2**: once the patents run out, possibly, but I don't think to the degree of 3D Printers, as there is less "fun" application in scanners - and sharing scanned items might come with a legal backlash that sharing self-made designs might not because you much easier violate copyright.  
> **username_3**: It’s not even just fewer ‘fun’ applications for a 3D scanner, there are arguably fewer practical applications as well. 3D printing slots into the usual engineering development loop rather nicely as a way to speed up prototyping, and that’s a large part of what helped make it so generically popular, but 3D scanning is far less universally useful in such a setting.  
> **username_2**: History, Anthropology and Archaeology use 3D scanners, merged with 3D model generation it slots in nicely there (as in re-creating damaged artifacts etc)  

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### Answer by username_0 on 2021-03-25. Score: 0

Another opinion received:

> That’s the result of MakerBot and others promoting the tech to the general public for the first time after the patents expired. They were just running up stock prices to make a lot of money


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