William E. Urschel: The Forgotten Visionary Behind Modern 3D Printing When people think of 3D printing, images of sleek, high-tech machines building objects layer by layer come to mind, often in industries as diverse as healthcare, manufacturing, and construction. Yet few know that the roots of this technology extend back nearly a century to a largely forgotten inventor: William E. Urschel. In the 1930s, Urschel’s groundbreaking work in automated construction paved the way for today’s advancemen