Say hello to the world’s smallest 3D printer

Could this hobbyist project predict the 3D printing future?

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The force behind My N Mi, a hobbyistYouTubechannel for “technical experiments”, claims to have built the smallest and lightest3D printerin the world.

At 18 x 31 x 41mm (0.7 x 1.2 x 1.6 inches), coming in as about as tall as a matchstick and as wide as an SD card adapter (per My N Mi’s own comparisons), and weighing just 17g (0.03 pounds), this isn’t just bluster.

Showing off the build in avideo(viaTom’s Hardware), there are some drawbacks to the build as a result of its size. My N Mi notes that the project has a maximum build volume of 11 x 11 x 17 mm (0.4 x 0.4 x 0.66 inches).

Compact 3D printers

Despite the smaller scale, this printer works like any other. A motor moves a build plate as a well-obscured LED imprints light on resin material stored in a tank.

My N Mi managed to print a small (and admittedly very detailed) robot figurine with their printer, but for all its compactness, you wouldn’t be printing a great deal with a machine like this in practice.

3D printers could make you seriously ill>‘Stupid mistake’ caused 3D printers to take on a life of their own>We’ve also listed the best home printers right now

While it’s true that 3D printers are slowly but surely being dragged into the mainstream, even theOriginal Prusa MINI+, a 3D printer TechRadar Pro recommends for being compact and light, comes in at 33 x 33 x 38 cm (13 x 13 x 15 inches), and weighs 4.5kg (10 pounds).

So, even if you could find an ongoing use for a device like this it’s worth noting that you’ll probably have to wait a long while before 3D printers of this size become widely commercially available.

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Luke Hughes holds the role of Staff Writer at TechRadar Pro, producing news, features and deals content across topics ranging from computing to cloud services, cybersecurity, data privacy and business software.

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