Name: S. Scott Crump

Born: 1953

  • In 1989, he was granted a U.S. patent for an “apparatus and method for creating three-dimensional objects.” He called this manufacturing process “Fused Deposition Modeling,” or FDM. Today, it is one of the primary technologies used in 3D printers.
  • The same year, he and his wife Lisa Crump founded the company StrataSys, which mass-produced the first FDM 3D printer.
  • After the FDM patent expired, the open-source hardware community embraced FDM technology. The Crumps’ work helped to inspire a 3D printing community that continues to thrive and innovate today.

Honors and awards

  • Inducted into the TCT (Time-Compression Technologies) Hall of Fame in 2017.
  • Named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in 2005.

Websites

  • FDM Technology at StrataSys
  • U.S. Patent US5121329A at Google Patents