3D printing from the tip of your pen
Since the 3D printer was scaled down and commercialised three to four years ago, its price has been declining fast, making it more affordable for big businesses and amateur enthusiasts alike. Due to this trend, 3D printing technology is becoming massively popular with modelers around the world. From engineers to action figure collectors, the 3D printer has certainly helped many people turn their creative visions into 3D models in the flesh (or plastic).
The 3D printing pen
Did you ever fancy drawing out a 3D object out of "thin air", so to speak? Did you ever want to create a simple wireframe for your next project? Well, now you can. A year ago, 3D printing pens were developed. With a 3D printer pen, you can create solid structures within seconds. And unlike the usual 3D printers, you do not need to connect it to a computer (though you might need to - to power the little brother) and load it with a 3D file. Right off the bat, you can draw the model you want.
Difference between the glue gun and the 3D printing pen
Technically, the 3D printing pen is similar to a glue gun. However, instead of a glue stick, the 3D printer pen uses PLA (Polylactic Acid – a type of bioplastic) filament or ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene – a polymer used in many plastic products such as Lego bricks). Unlike a glue gun, the melted plastic the pen produces hardens fast (within a few seconds), which can allow the modeler to create a solid model.
Cool features
The best thing about the newest 3D printing pen from Lix (which is set to hit the market in the near future) is that it's as small and lightweight as a real pen, and it consumes very little power. Take note that the 3D printer pens (mostly from 3Doodler) which you can buy as of now are a little too big to be truly classified as pens. And also much cheaper than a full-on 3D printer, 3D printer pens won't require you to learn how to use any complicated software.
Just like a glue gun, the 3D pen melts plastic and extrudes it in a stream from its tip. The heating mechanism of the pen can become as hot as 180 degrees Fahrenheit (82 degrees Celsius) all the way up to 300 degrees Fahrenheit (148 degrees Celsius). Fortunately however, it does not consume a lot of electricity – some 3D printing pen models can draw enough power from a regular laptop USB port. Also, since it uses PLN and/or ABS and extrudes small amounts at a time, the plastic instantly cools down and hardens a few seconds after it has left the pen's tip.
The 3D printing pen as a crafting tool
While proponents suggest that the 3d printing is a valuable companion to the 3D printer, many 3D modelers consider it to be a mere crafting tool. Nevertheless, the ability to instantaneously create solid intricate designs will allow artists to take their creative visions to another level. For mixed media artists and sculptors, 3D printing pens are valuable additions to their artistic tools. With the pen, sculptors can create wireframes of their artwork within minutes, while mixed media artists will find it much easier to create complicated works of art.
Is it a good idea to get one now?
If you want to have fun creating stick models, then getting a 3D pen can be worth the money. However, be reminded that due to the way in which these pens are designed, using them to create large models can become an arduous and painful task. Unfortunately, the ergonomic design of most of these pens leaves much to be desired. If this is something that you genuinelly cherish, it is highly recommended that you wait for the slimmer models to be released.
Photos by [3Doodler] and [Lixpen]
Tagged with: 3d printing
