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Worlds smallest 3d printer


Scientists Create the World's Smallest Boat

  • Dutch researchers have 3D printed the world's smallest boat.
  • Named for a popular (and tricky) 3D-printing test, "3DBenchy" measures in at just 30 micrometers, or about one-third of the thickness of a human hair.
  • The scientists created the boat in a bid to enrich their research on microswimmers, or small particles that move in liquid.

Smaller things are simply better—kittens, puppies, miniature horses, miniature golf, you name it. And it looks like the physicists at Leiden University in the Netherlands agree, as they've created another marvelous mini wonder: the world's smallest boat, courtesy of one very impressive 3D printer.

⚓️ You like badass boats (no matter how small). So do we. Let's nerd out over them together.

In their new paper, published in the journal Soft Matter, the Dutch researchers say they built the small boat to better study synthetic microswimmers, or microscopic particles that move around in fluids, such as water. Biological examples of microswimmers include sperm and flagellated bacteria, like E. coli.

"We want to understand how shape affects the motion and interactions of microswimmers," Daniela Kraft, an associate professor in soft matter physics at Leiden and one of the lead researchers, tells Popular Mechanics. "By creating synthetic microswimmers, we can single out the function that shape has."

She continues:

"Biological microswimmers have other active mechanisms [like] to change motion direction, our synthetic ones really just swim. In the paper, we describe a method how we can functionalize any 3D printed object in such a way that they can swim."

From prow to stern, the baby boat measures in at just 30 microns, which is about one-third of the thickness of a strand of human hair. In theory, then, the little tug could travel along one of your locks—and you probably wouldn't even notice. It's so minuscule, in fact, that you can't even see this thing with the naked eye, Kraft says.

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Kraft and her team decided to print a tugboat, rather than, say, a truck or some other random object because the computer-aided drafting file for the ship is a common test used in 3D printing, albeit usually at a much larger scale.

Known as "3DBenchy," the boat serves as a sort of benchmark to help determine the capabilities of a given printer, based on its ability to complete various "difficult-to-print features," Kraft says. One example is the inside of the cockpit, which features some unique geometries that are hard to print in general, let alone at this miniature scale.

This work proved the group's "Nanoscribe Photonic Professional" printer can fabricate even the tiniest 3D-printed objects. But it's not the kind of commercial 3D printer you'll be able to snag off of Amazon. Instead, it uses a laser, focused inside of a water droplet, to write the impossibly small structures, Kraft says.

Another Baby Boat
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On the official website for the Nanoscribe printer, marketing materials refer to it as the world's "highest resolution 3D printer," claiming the machine has helped teams complete at least 850 research projects in over 30 countries. The price isn't even listed—you have to contact the sales team for an offer—so you know this thing must be expensive.

Nanoscribe

Unfortunately, since the boat is too small to see, Kraft and her colleagues won't be setting out 3DBenchy on their desks as a quirky memento. However, they've used a regular old 3D printer to create gifts for members of the lab that leave, always in a theme that reflects their research interests.

If you ever visit Kraft's lab, though, you might spot a tiny Eiffel Tower that's just 2 millimeters in length. It's a standard design from the Nanoscribe machine that you can see, so it's a great way to quickly demo just how small the team can print.

Courtney Linder

Deputy Editor

Before joining Pop Mech, Courtney was the technology reporter at her hometown newspaper, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. She is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, where she studied English and economics. Her favorite topics include, but are not limited to: the giant squid, punk rock, and robotics. She lives in the Philly suburbs with her partner, her black cat, and towers upon towers of books.

Cubibot Claims to Be the World's Smallest 3D Printer

Cubibot 3D Printer

3D printing is no longer reserved for the highly affluent or highly technical. Just about anyone can experience the magic of this 21st century printing technique, thanks to the team behind Cubibot, And now that the barriers to entry have been eliminated, demand is clearly very high. Just half an hour after launching its Kickstarter campaign, Cubibot raised more than $150,000, and at this point, has already raised more than $500,000 from nearly 1,700 backers.

Part of the appeal of the Cubibot, of course, is its accessible entry price point of $149. But not only will it spare your savings account, it also won’t take up a lot of space on your countertop. Heralded as the world’s most compact 3D printer, the Cubibot boasts cloud-printing capabilities, a heated bed, and of course, a companion mobile app.

“We’ve been perfecting Cubibot for over two and a half years to achieve a smarter, safer and easier-to-use personal product that makes 3D printing accessible to the masses and it does not require 3D printing expertise,” according to Aria Noorazar, Co-founder of Cubibot, which is based in the San Diego Innovation Center. “If you can set up and use a regular printer, you can use Cubibot.”

The countertop device, which fits onto virtually any tabletop, boasts a host of features that make it suitable for first time printers and experts alike. For example, there’s a fully automated smart self-leveling build platform; the ability to print in PLAs, ABS, nylon, and other materials; an easily accesible web-based platform; a high-temperature nozzle; and plug-n-print capabilities, which means all you need to do to operate the Cubibot is plug it in and click on print.

The Cubibot prints in resolutions of between 50 and 300 microns, with print speeds of up to 80 millimeters per second. The machine comes loaded with CubiSoft, the web-based software that allows for an easy out-of-the-box experience. Simply design within CubiSoft and hit print for your design to come to life.

“We hope to give people the freedom to create their designs whether they’re already 3D printer pros or if they’re completely new to 3D printing,” Noorazar said. “We invite the existing 3D printing community and newcomers who would want to support our mission to bring easy-to-use, compact, safe, remote, smart, and affordable 3D printing to the masses. ”

Shipment is anticipated for February 2018.

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The World's Smallest 3D Printer Created

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As the 3D printing industry continues to explode, prices for 3D printers continue to drop. A couple of days ago, the talented guy Rylan Grayson released the Peachy device, which costs only $100. Apparently, the rest of the developers decided to follow his example, and began to create their own variants of 3D printers.

The 3dtoday portal presents to your attention the smallest 3D printer using the stereolithography method. The size of the device is 250x120x30 mm in the assembled state and the printer can easily fit in a backpack or case. Of course, the owner will not be able to print huge objects, since the print area of ​​this model is only 90x90x90 mm.

The purpose of LumiFold is to enable you to print products anywhere, anytime. The user will only have to “unfold” the device, connect a PC and install an ultraviolet source (the printer uses SLA technology). The sensor built into the device determines the UV power (as different sources may have different parameters) and adjusts the exact formation time of each layer accordingly.

The LumiFold printer-transformer was designed by Marin David. The printer uses SLA laser stereolithography technology, in which a photosensitive resin (photopolymer) is cured by an ultraviolet laser. Polymer resin for printing can be loaded into any container (then it is installed under an ultraviolet beam), the manufacturers themselves recommend using a plastic cup for this purpose. After loading the CAD file, the laser processes the consumable, turning it into a solid object. Note that the 3D printer is also equipped with an ultraviolet sensor, which allows the device to adjust to any projector, independently controlling the level of layer thickness.

One feature that sets it apart from the competition is the HoloDock, a 3D holographic display that shows the progress of the build and a preview of the model. The latter will improve the accuracy and efficiency of the printer.

LumiFold specifications:

  • The printer is equipped with a standard cheap 20x20 mm aluminum extruder
  • Easy to use and compact
  • Low power consumption (about 5 watts)
  • The maximum printable object size can be up to 90x90x90
  • Minimum layer thickness - 0.01 mm

David also developed unique software for Lumifold 3D printers. The developer plans to add a scanning feature soon. The cost of the 3D printer is $449.

According to the plans of the developers (page on indiegogo), the release and shipment of the first finished products is scheduled for December this year.

Article prepared for 3dToday.ru

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