Charles W. Hull (AKA Chuck Hull) is credited for inventing StereoLithoGraphy and is considered to be the father of 3D printing which has shaped the technology to what it is today. Hull knew it would probably take about 30 years before the technology reached the homes of everyday people. The concept of SLA printing emerged to Hull when working for a small business that made tough coatings for tables using ultraviolet lights. He quickly realized that this same process could be used to create three-dimensional parts. He created his printer back in 1983, but it was not until 8th of August 1984 that he coined the term stereolithography in his patent apparatus for the production of three-dimensional objects by stereolithography.