MIT 3D inkjet printing origin (Sachs/Cima, early 1990s)

Historical origin of the term "3D printing" — inkjet head depositing adhesive into ceramic powder beds at MIT.

Another thing people used to do early on — and I'm talking the early '90s — was Ely Sachs and Mike Cima here at MIT. Ely in mechanical and Mike Cima in materials, who basically took an inkjet printer and started injecting a glue and making a ceramic 3D part. That was the first time I ever heard the term 3D printing. It was 3D inkjet printing. They took a two-dimensional inkjet print head, modified it so they could put a slurry — actually an adhesive — and then they would put a bed of ceramic down, print a two-dimensional object, then move it, put another layer of loose powder down, print that, and they could build up things. Now there are all kinds of 3D printing. The second thing was pharmaceuticals.