The force behind My N Mi, a hobbyist YouTube channel for “technical experiments”, claims to have built the smallest and lightest 3D printer in 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 a video (opens in new tab) (via Tom’s Hardware (opens in new tab)), 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 (opens in new tab)
> 'Stupid mistake' caused 3D printers to take on a life of their own (opens in new tab)
> We’ve also listed the best home printers right now (opens in new tab)
While it’s true that 3D printers are slowly but surely being dragged into the mainstream, even the Original 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.
- Here’s our list of the best all-in-one printers right now