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3D pens: original models and Chinese clones. What does the market offer?



About 3D-pens, that is, miniature 3D-printers, with which you can create small figures and inscriptions, the world heard not so long ago. Probably something similar existed, but such devices became popular after the appearance of 3D Doodler.

As soon as information about this device was leaked to the Network, enterprising residents of the Middle Kingdom immediately appeared, who created an analogue by launching it for sale even before the release of 3D Doodler.
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Since then, many similar models and outright clones have appeared. By the way, the most original analogue, in my opinion, is the one about which they wrote on Habré. Well, and the information on other modifications of 3D pens - below, here are considered the most famous at the moment device.

3doodler



This pen was already described on Habré, including the unboxing review, plus an interview with the authors of the project . Therefore, it is not worth repeating, we will only indicate the main characteristics of the pen, the functionality, well, and a couple of videos.

image
To create this, you need not only a 3D pen, but also very, very smooth hands, along with a lively imagination + many hours of training.

Functionality, design and features

The device uses 3mm PLA and ABS plastic sticks, heating them to 240 degrees Celsius. There are several function buttons for turning on / off the device, switching power modes with OFF, PLA and ABS modes.


Video with Kickstarter (by the way, in the first few hours the pen collected about a million dollars)

Perhaps the most interesting (and what is missing from the clones) is the mount for the bracket, as well as the 3-pin port. With this mount, you can attach 3Doodler to CNC machines for more advanced use of the device than in the case of a “manual” mode.


Plastic for 3Doodler

Specifications



Price and equipment


You can order a pen from the manufacturer for $ 99. In the Russian Federation, you can order a pen for 4990 rubles from Madrobots .

LIX Pen



www.jackermag.com

This 3D pen is positioned as the smallest plastic handle in the world. On Kickstarter, the device collected 731690 pounds instead of the planned 30 thousand. The campaign was completed on May 29, most recently.

Functionality, design and features

The handle is really very small, but, as far as can be judged, it is no less functional than its “adult counterparts.

LIX - the smallest 3D pen in the world for drawing in the air-1

Unfortunately, the material is only enough for 2 minutes of drawing, the plastic for the pen is divided into rods of small length (about 10 centimeters).

By the way, the pen is not connected to the network, but to the usual USB port of a computer or laptop.





Characteristics :



Price and order

The device should go on sale in September of this year. The price of the pen after its sale is about 140 USD . This is about one and a half times more expensive than 3D Doodler, and almost two times more than that of Chinese clones (about them below).

3Dsimo (not available)





An interesting project that could well be considered a worthy alternative (not a clone) 3Doodler. Why could it be? Yes, because the authors did not raise funds for the production of their device. The crowdfunding campaign raised only 6 thousand dollars instead of 20 thousand. And the project did not enter mass production.

Perhaps in the near future, developers will try again to put the project into practice, but now the device is not available for order, unfortunately.

Functionality, design and features

The device looks like a space reconnaissance laser pistol, but in fact, it is a tool for a creative person :)



The main difference from all other 3D pens is the ability to work with several types of materials. Here, not only ABS, PLA plastics, but also PVA (water-soluble material), as well as nylon.



In addition, the knob has a backlight mode, there is pre-heating, and even memory to save settings. The latter is necessary to facilitate the work of the owner, since the settings for each of the materials are quite different.

Specifications



Price

The total price of the device should have been about $ 100. As mentioned above, the device in mass production is not received, so buy it is not possible.

Creopop





This pen has already been described on Habré, and indeed, information about it was published on many sites. Now the fundraising campaign is still going on indiegogo , and already collected 105 thousand dollars instead of 40 thousand planned.

Functionality, design and features

The device works with a photopolymer, which quickly hardens under the influence of ultraviolet radiation (something similar is used by dentists).

It is also very interesting that the developers, together with the device, created a whole range of different types of “ink” photopolymers. Colored, luminescent, magnetic, elastic and even aromatic "ink" - all this is already there. Photopolymers can be very different, with very different properties, and the developers took this into account.



Price and order

A pre-order is still available for $ 89 , for which the customer receives a device + 5 cartridges with different color materials (orange, blue, blue, red, black). For $ 99 you can get the same, only not 5, but 15 cartridges, for $ 149 - 45 cartridges, already with fluorescent ink, plus a material that changes color depending on temperature. There are also higher price categories, with additional buns.

Questions and answers: mini-interviews with developers

1. How and when did the idea of ​​creating such a device come?

At one time, our team really liked the idea of ​​3Doodler. But having burned a couple of times with the hot nozzle of this 3D pen, we decided it was time to make our own safe version. Began to look for technology on the basis of which you can make a non-heating handle. The solution was very close: by that time, the company had already produced photopolymer inks for 3D printers. The use of SLA technology, which was previously used only in 3D printers, in a 3D pen and allowed to create a fundamentally new product. When developing the CreoPop handle, we got rid of several other inconveniences that were in the first generation of 3D pens: wired work, large dimensions, inconvenient color change, limited choice of consumables.

2. An example of the most successful / beautiful products made using Creopop

It is difficult to choose any one object, this is a matter of taste. For example, a rose was made in a special “pouring” mode of operation — a smooth layer of polymer is poured with a handle and then exposed to UV light. Multi-colored fish and an owl from a translucent polymer also turned out very attractive.





3. Do you plan to expand / supplement your project (for example, to create an already “big” 3D printer with the same working principle)?

Of course, we do not stand still. We are already developing a 3D printer, as well as a special device that would turn a 3D CreoPop pen into a printer. A kind of coordinate table, which would draw a 3D pen designed on a computer model. We also develop a 3D pen prototype that allows you to change color without replacing the cartridge - a special complex color mixing system so that each user can manage the color change from his smartphone - just like it is now when working in Photoshop.

4. What audience is the device intended for?

We try not to limit the number of users of CreoPop. Everyone finds the use of a 3D pen, which is interesting to him. Many letters from artists who want to use the pen to create art objects, from teachers who are going to use it in the classroom, just from fans of gadgets who are interested in trying everything new.

Chinese models of 3D pens. Clone army



3DYAYA



3dyaya-3d-printing-pen-6

It is this device that went on sale before entering the 3D Doodler market. The Chinese in some cases react very quickly, and this is exactly the situation.

3dyaya-3d-printing-pen-9

By the way, 3DYAYA received funding also as a result of the launch of a crowdfunding campaign, on its own website, in the amount of $ 5,100.

Functionality, design and features

On the characteristics of the pen - below, and the functionality of the device can be assessed by video, where using this device create all sorts of things:



English review:



For the user there are several function buttons. The first helps to manage the process of extrusion of plastic. The second button allows you to stop the extrusion process to replace the plastic thread. These two buttons are located on the front panel of the device.

There is a third button that controls the speed of extrusion of plastic, it is located on the opposite side. Well, there is also an LED that lights up red when the device starts up and turns on blue when it is ready for operation.

Specifications:



Price

During the campaign, it was possible to pre-order for $ 42. Now the cost of the device is 60 US dollars. This is less than Doodler ($ 75), but also - quite a sum.

RainSun





Actually, a complete analog of the previous device, the case is slightly different, but in principle, everything is the same. This handle is also filled with ABS or PLA plastic, 1.75mm thick.



sample color print 3d pen
The result of working with a pen. Mario looks a little sick, but overall happy :)

grasshopper made on 3D pen
Well, what to say, “a man painted” a person with fantasy and even hands

Functionality, design and features

Virtually no different from 3DYAYA. Buttons for stopping work, controlling the speed of plastic pushing, etc.

Specifications


Price

On Aliexpress, this device can be purchased for $ 50. The kit includes two hanks of ABS plastic of different colors (white and gray).

Myriwell





Functionality, design and features

There is a temperature adjustment, the pen goes into sleep mode after 5 minutes of idleness.

By the way, the body of the handle at the base is more subtle, which probably allows you to use it with greater comfort (especially for children, whose hands simply cannot properly embrace the body of previous devices). In general, the design is more interesting than in the two previous cases.



Specifications:



Price

On the same Aliexpress can be purchased for $ 60 (excluding delivery, of course). The kit, in addition to the handle includes a power supply and 10 meters of ABS plastic 3 colors


Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/228685/

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