Asiga launch teeny tiny new 3D printer at Euromold
Okay, maybe it's not tiny compared to, say, microbes or hundreds and thousands or even, as shown in the picture, Coke cans, but it's small by 3D printer standards, with a 22cm footprint and weighing just 10kg. The Pico's build size is 30mm x 40mm x 76mm - so this isn't the printer you'd use to build a car or aeroplane with, but for small components like nuts and bolts or keys it might be ideal.
The Pico has two build modes: 37.5 microns and 50 microns XY resolution, with Z thicknesses of anything between 1 micron and 200 microns. It's designed for creating high-resolution objects that also need to be small: jewellery, say, or parts for medical apparatus like hearing aids.
The printer also incorporates an ultraviolet LED, which means it can print in pure white and transparent materials - and the LED has a lifespan of up to 50,000 hours, so will never need replacing.
Ray Ericsson, CTO of Asiga, reckons it's a revolutionary device. “There are many industries, including dental, hearing and jewelry, where the CAD design software is mature. The missing link that has prevented small businesses from fully engaging with these productivity enhancing tools is the high cost of tooling-grade resolution 3D printers. The Pico makes tooling-grade digital manufacturing affordable for everyone.”
The RRP for the Pico is $6990 (about £4400) and you can find out more about it at Asiga's website.