After showing us what can be achieved with 3D printing, the bright minds of the world felt the need to miniaturize the printers, and this is how the world’s smallest 3D printing pen was created.
LIX is not exactly the first 3D printing pen, as the 3Doodler and others preceded it. However, it seems to be the first one to do the things right. It has a sleek design, weighs only 40 grams and is extremely easy to use and power.
The manufacturers describe the product as follows: “LIX 3D printing pen has the similar function as 3D printers. It melts and cools colored plastic, letting you create rigid and freestanding structures. Lix has a hot-end nozzle that is power supplied from USB 3.0 port. The plastic filament ABS/PLA is introduced in the upper extremity of Lix Pen. The filament goes through a patented mechanism while moving through the pen to finally reach the hot-end nozzle which melts and cools it down. An interesting fact about this light-weight, engineered pen is that these structures can be formed in any imaginable shape.”
In terms of filaments, LIX works perfectly fine both with ABS and PLA, but there’s no word about the price of these. The functionality of the miniature 3D printer is somehow affected by the fact that it can only be powered from a USB 3.0 port. There are plenty of USB wall chargers capable of delivering an equivalent current, but what about people that want to 3D print on the road and they only have their old notebook with them?
At the moment, the developers of the LIX 3D printing pen are running a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, but the compensation tiers are pretty odd. Very early birds can get the device for $70, early birds for $120 and regular backers for $135. Unfortunately, both early bird spots are gone, so anyone wanting the 3D printing pen will have to pay the retail price. At press time, people backed the project with more than 5 times the initial goal, so there’s no doubt that the LIX pen will become a reality in December, when the manufacturer promises to deliver the product.
The LIX 3D printing pen only comes in two colors, Black Matte and Grey Matte, so hopefully one of them matches your style, in case you like the concept.
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