Want to doodle in thin air? Can a 3D printing pen draw objects made of semi-rigid plastic wires in thin air? Yes it can and here is the proof.
At the touch of a button you can create freestanding wireframe type structures in a matter of seconds.
Doodling A 3D Print
Lix a start up venture based in London has unveiled an innovative doodler (pen) for 3D printing. It has so many possibilities for artists and designers to draw unique 3D structures which would be quite time consuming to produce otherwise.
The pen is about the same size and weight as a regular ballpoint or ink pen and it is just as agile. In fact it is 16.3 cm long, 1.4 cm in diameter and weighs only 34.9 grams. Mind you a steady hand and some creative drawing genius is always going to help.
A thin rod of plastic about 10cm is fed into the pen at a selectable speed. It is then heated to 150 degrees centigrade and extruded out through the nib giving about 2 minutes of drawing per refill. It is kind of reminiscent of melting bits of plastic all those years ago as kids where we would put screw drivers or other metal implements into molten plastic and draw it about, making lots of thin strands as the plastic solidifies.
The device will go on sale in September 2014 for $139.95 (£85). Lix are currently looking for funding on Kickstarter to build up and further develop their innovation.
The Lix pen for freehand 3D printing
3D Pen Features
- Quickly melts & cools coloured plastic, to create rigid freestanding structures.
- Powered from a USB port.
- Large 3D prints can be made by joining them.
- The 3D printing pen is made of aluminium.
- Uses plant-based filament + stronger forms of plastic.