Most 3D printers are relatively large. Even the Ender 2 Pro, the best 3D printer for people with limited space, measures 421 x 383 x 465mm (16.6 x 15 x 18.3 inches) and weighs 4.5kg (10 pounds). However, one maker is pushing the boundaries of what's possible, showing off a working 3D printer that outputs sharp prints but is just 18 x 31 x 41mm (0.7 x 1.2 x 1.6 inches) and tips the scales at a mere 17g (0.03 pounds). That is the tiniest unit we've ever seen or heard of and very likely meets its inventor's claim that it is the smallest 3D printer in the world.
In a video on their YouTube channel, the user who goes by the username My N Mi shows the tiny SLA 3D Printer outputting a tiny, translucent green model of a robot within just a few minutes. The tiny printer appears to be made from a combination of wood and plastic with a motor that moves the build plate up and down as an unseen LED imprints the light on resin material that sits in a tiny tank.
This is how all SLA (aka resin) 3D printers work but at a tiny scale. At one point, we see My N Mi fill the tank with tiny drops of resin from a syringe. The printer is powered and receives its data via a micro USB port on its back.
(Image credit: YouTube: My N Mi)
In the video, My N Mi claims that their printer has a maximum build volume of 11 x 11 x 17mm, an accuracy of 0.135mm, and a layer resolution of 0.005 to 0.3mm. By comparison, the best resin 3D printer we have tested, the Anycubic Photon M3, has a build volume of 163 x 102 x 180mm, and its z-axis accuracy is 0.01mm. However, the M3 weighs 7 kg (15.4 pounds).
To give you a sense of how small their tiny 3D printer is, My N Mi shows it contrasted with a matchstick, which is about the same height, and an SD card, which is wider than it.
When the print is complete, My N Mi takes the print, a robot model, out of the printer and holds it up to the light. We can see fine details, such as a front plate with machinery and ridges on its face and legs. This looks like excellent output.
(Image credit: YouTube: My N Mi)
We don't know how My N Mi built this printer, what parts they used, or if they plan to take this device a step further. We have reached out to them on YouTube and will update this story if we get more details.
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Avram Piltch is Managing Editor: Special Projects. When he's not playing with the latest gadgets at work or putting on VR helmets at trade shows, you'll find him rooting his phone, taking apart his PC, or coding plugins. With his technical knowledge and passion for testing, Avram developed many real-world benchmarks, including our laptop battery test.
