Today, it is now possible to acquire
almost any object you wish to print in 3D form through 3D printing service Singapore. 3D printing has created a huge noise after
being introduced in the market. As years pass by, people continue to test the
capability of the 3D printer by producing objects with intricate details, large
or small sized. And guess what? These machines never failed the curious minds
of humankind.
3D printing has showcased that it is the
perfect technological advancement to use if you aspire to create something
unique, whether it is an ordinary household item, a piece of jewelry, a
practical object or even a car. Using this technology you can produce one of a
kind product in a cost effective way. Maybe you have seen those large items
printed in 3D. Now, let’s check out the smallest objects that were incredibly
reproduced in 3D form.
Sculptures
Ever wanted to see a really tiny woman?
How about a pile of little mannequins? Not a problem! There are 3D printed
sculptures that are smaller than the forehead of an ant. It’s not hearsay.
London-based artist Jonty Hurwitz created a series of seven nanoscopic 3D
printed sculptures which are extremely small, so small they can fit in the eye
of a needle. Since these pieces are so tiny, Hurwitz needed to use an electron
microscope to see them.
Hurwitz used a 3D printed photosensitive
material to produce these tiny pieces. The largest of his sculptures, inspired
by 18th century sculpture “Psyche Revived by Cupid’s Kiss” by Antonia Canova,
is approximately the width of a human hair whilst the smallest is less than
half of that width.
Movable
Windmill
Another small object printed in 3D form
is the movable windmill by Klaus Stadlmann. It is fabricated by two-photon
polymerization in organically modified ceramics. The windmill is about the size
of a dust particle, which means you need to use a microscope to see it. Oh
great!
Working
Drill
If you think tiny 3D printed objects are
of no use. Think again. Lance Abernethy, from Auckland, New Zealand, created
the world’s smallest working drill. With his background as maintenance engineer
repairing machinery in a factory, it is not a big surprise how he was able to
produce a functional drill.
Abernethy started by designing the outer
shell of the drill using his “normal” size drill as a reference. When the
design was completed, he used his Ultimaker 2 3D printer to produce the object.
The process was meticulous setting the printer to print very slowly, at about
10mm per second. It took approximately 25 minutes to completely print out the
3-piece drill without any support. The drill uses a hearing aid battery for
power and a miniature motor to function. If you wish to create your own tiny
power tool, you can hire a 3D printing service
provider to realise the plan.
Working
Circular Saw
So, Lance Abernethy
wasn’t contented with one 3D printed power tool as he revealed another
creation. This time, he unveiled a miniature 3D printed circular saw. He went
through the same processes as the miniature drill but the printing process took
less than 1 hour to complete in total.
The tiny saw was printed in 4 pieces,
including 2 halves for the main housing, a saw guard and a blade holder, just
like a typical full size circular saw. It is powered by the same hearing aid
battery that powers the miniature drill, and it has a button on the handle that
turns it on.
Do you want to have your own tiny 3D
printed object? There are printing services in Singapore you can find that can reproduce your
desired object.
