World’s Smallest 3D Printer is 41mm Tall, Outputs Detailed Models
Most 3D printers are relatively large. Even the Ender 2 Pro, the perfect 3D printer for those with limited space, measures 421 x 383 x 465 mm (16.6 x 15 x 18.3 inches) and weighs 4.5 kg (10 lbs). But one manufacturer is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, producing sharp prints yet measuring just 18 x 31 x 41 mm (0.7 x 1.2 x 1.6 inches) and weighing just 17 g (0.03 lb). We are showing off a practical 3D printer that weighs only . This is the smallest unit we have ever seen or heard of, and very likely fulfills the inventor’s claim of being the world’s smallest 3D printer.
In a video on his YouTube channel, a user with the username My N Mi shows a small SLA 3D printer outputting a tiny translucent green robot model in just a few minutes. The tiny printer appears to be made out of a combination of wood and plastic, with a motor moving the build plate up and down and invisible LEDs imprinting light into the resin material in a tiny tank.
This is how all SLA (aka resin) 3D printers work, but on a smaller scale. At one point, you see My N Mi filling a tank with tiny drops of resin from a syringe. The printer is powered and receives data via the rear micro USB port.
In the video, My N Mi claims that their printer has a maximum build volume of 11 x 11 x 17 mm, an accuracy of 0.135 mm and a layer resolution of 0.005-0.3 mm. By comparison, the best resin 3D printer we tested, he Anycubic Photon M3 has a build volume of 163 x 102 x 180 mm and a Z-axis accuracy of 0.01 mm. However, the M3 weighs 7 kg (15.4 lbs).
My N Mi shows a roughly the same height matchstick versus a wider SD card to show how tiny a tiny 3D printer is.
Once the print is complete, My N Mi takes the robot model print out of the printer and holds it up to the light. You can see fine details such as the front plate with the machine and the ridges on the face and legs. This looks like an excellent output.
I don’t know how My N Mi built this printer, what parts they used, or if they have plans to take this device one step further. We will reach out to them on YouTube and update this story as we learn more.