The History of 3D Printing in Australia

The Evolution of 3D Printing: From Global Beginnings to Australia’s Modern Innovations

3D printing may feel like a modern breakthrough, but its origins reach back over four decades, shaped by global experimentation, pioneering inventors, and rapid technological change. While the industry’s earliest foundations were laid in Japan, France, and the United States, Australia quickly became an active adopter and later a leader in specialised applications, especially in medical and advanced manufacturing fields.

Today, 3D printing across Australia spans small creative studios, engineering workshops, research laboratories, hospitals, schools, and large industrial operations. This blog explores the global origin story of 3D printing, its entry into Australia, and the innovative milestones that shaped its evolution into the thriving ecosystem we see today.

Global Origins: The 1980s and the Birth of Additive Manufacturing

The documented origins of 3D printing date to 1981, when Japanese researcher Hideo Kodama sought a new method for rapid prototyping. His approach to building objects layer by layer using a UV-cured photosensitive resin became the conceptual foundation of modern additive manufacturing. Although he was unable to secure a patent, his research marked the earliest clear description of the technology we recognise today.

Only a few years later, a group of French researchers developed a similar concept, attempting to cure liquid monomers into solid layers using a laser. Like Kodama, their work was never patented, but it influenced the global movement toward automated, layer based production systems.

In 1986, American inventor Charles “Chuck” Hull filed the first successful patent for Stereolithography (SLA). Hull, who had been frustrated by the difficulty of producing small, custom plastic components for furniture prototyping, created a fully functioning system that could turn computer models into physical parts by curing resin layer by layer. Hull’s invention transformed prototyping forever and led to the founding of 3D Systems, one of the earliest and most influential companies in the industry.

By the late 1980s and early 1990s, additional printing processes emerged globally, including Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) and Selective Laser Sintering (SLS). These technologies expanded the materials available for printing, from plastics to powders, broadening the creative and engineering potential of additive manufacturing.

Although the technology was groundbreaking, early 3D printers were extraordinarily expensive and accessible only to large corporations, engineers, researchers, and architects. Their primary purpose was to produce prototypes, visual models, technical concept parts, and early mechanical test pieces.

These global advancements set the stage for the arrival of 3D printing in Australia.

Early Adoption in Australia: Late 1980s to Mid-1990s

Australia saw its first 3D printers appear in the late 1980s, although widespread adoption did not occur until the mid-1990s. At this stage, printers were still large, heavy, and prohibitively costly, limiting their use to specialised environments. Universities, engineering firms, industrial designers, and architectural practices were among the first to explore additive manufacturing as a tool for conceptual modelling and technical prototyping.

During this early period, 3D printing in Australia was far from mainstream. Only highly trained professionals understood how to operate the machines, and the idea of owning one at home was unimaginable. Yet even in these early years, Australia recognised the value of additive manufacturing as a tool for innovation, pushing local industries to explore emerging global trends.

The Open-Source Revolution: 2000s to Early 2010s

The early 2000s marked a dramatic shift for global 3D printing, and Australia felt the impact almost immediately.

Two significant developments changed everything:

The RepRap Project (2005): A UK-based open-source initiative that designed self replicating 3D printers, making the technology accessible to hobbyists and small businesses worldwide.
Expiration of FDM patents in 2009: Suddenly, manufacturers everywhere were free to produce affordable FDM printers.

This democratisation of technology led to a surge of Australian makers, entrepreneurs, early print service bureaus, and hardware innovators experimenting with new machine designs and materials.

By the early 2010s, 3D printing in Australia was no longer confined to engineering labs or research institutions. Small workshops, schools, and inventors began using desktop printers, and the rise of online communities connected Australians to global open-source knowledge. New materials, faster machines, and improved software fuelled local creativity, from custom parts to artistic printmaking, smaller batched manufacturing, and product development.

Medical Breakthroughs: Australia’s Most Influential 3D Printing Achievements

One of the most defining chapters in Australia’s 3D printing story is its contribution to medical innovation.

Throughout the mid-2010s and beyond, Australian researchers and surgeons began using additive manufacturing in groundbreaking ways:

3D printed spinal cages for patients suffering from chronic back pain.
3D printed plastic implants to improve patient outcomes in complex reconstructive procedures.
3D printed anatomical models from MRI and CT scan data, helping surgeons plan operations with far greater precision.
The creation of the first 3D printed prosthetic paw for a greyhound, restored mobility and quality of life.

These achievements positioned Australia as a global leader in medical additive manufacturing, showcasing how the technology could transform diagnostics, personalised treatments, and surgical outcomes.

Industry Transformation: Mid-2010s to Today

By the mid-2010s, 3D printing had shifted from a niche tool to a major player across Australia’s industrial landscape. Sectors including aerospace, automotive, defence, mining, manufacturing, and architecture began integrating additive processes to reduce costs, accelerate prototyping, and produce highly customised parts.

One landmark achievement came from Monash University, where researchers successfully designed and test fired a 3D printed rocket engine, demonstrating Australia’s capacity to contribute to aerospace engineering using advanced manufacturing.

More recently, the University of Adelaide’s ANFF-Optofab node acquired Australia’s first commercial 3D glass printer, expanding the country’s expertise beyond plastics, resins, and metals into cutting edge optical materials.

Alongside industrial progress, accessibility has expanded rapidly. Hobby grade printers are now widely available, and across Australia, maker spaces, schools, and start-ups have adopted 3D printing as a standard tool for learning, experimentation, and product development.

Australia’s 3D Printing Future: A Growing, Creative, and Technically Driven Ecosystem

Today, Australia’s 3D printing landscape is defined by its diversity. From consumer filaments and resin printers to industrial metal systems, bio printing laboratories, and experimental material technologies, the country has developed a rich and mature additive manufacturing environment.

For Australian brands like OzFDM, Global3D, and other innovators who contribute to materials development, design services, and production, the evolution of 3D printing represents not just a technological shift but an opportunity. Australia now has the foundation, talent, research capability, and creative market to shape the next generation of additive manufacturing.

What began in the 1980s as a resin curing experiment has grown into a global industry, and Australia has carved out its own chapter filled with medical breakthroughs, engineering achievements, and a thriving maker community. If the last four decades have shown anything, it’s that 3D printing will continue evolving rapidly, and Australia will remain one of the nations pushing its boundaries forward.

Sources & Further Reading

Research archive:
Additional supporting references compiled from the author’s notes and research files:
Google Docs Research Collection, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7