The Best Micro 3D Printing Solutions On the Market

3D microprinting, also known as micro-scale printing, is a micro-fabrication technique that allows the design of very small sizes, at the micrometer scale and below. Particularly popular in the electronics industry, it is growing steadily, with more solutions available on the market. Micro 3D printers are therefore able to deposit successive layers of material to form a part that is both tiny and highly detailed. In addition to the electronics sector, where they are used to miniaturize devices, these machines are increasingly used in the health and optical sectors. This is a review of the 3D microprinters on the market, including the most popular, whether they are based on resins, powders or glass.

Boston Micro Fabrication – 2μm Series Printer

With a very high resolution, Boston Micro Fabrication’s 2μm series is compatible with numerous materials. The 3D printer is particularly suitable for the development of prototypes that are true to CAD and have maximum likeness to the final product. The printer’s name is derived from its movement platform which offers a resolution of up to 2μm. In addition, the step-and-repeat method enables printing on a large area. Other attributes of the printer include real-time image monitoring, exposure compensation and autofocus. You can choose between the microArch® S130 and the microArch® S230. The difference between the two is, firstly, the build platform. The latter is larger, coming in at 50 x 50 x 50 mm, whereas the microArch® S130 is 50 x 50 x 10 mm. The microArch® S230 can print with ceramics in addition to light-sensitive resins.

Nano Dimension Offers a Micro DLP Solution With Fabrica 2.0

The next printer belongs to a company that even has Nano in its name, showing its overall commitment to micro 3D printing. However, it might come as a surprise to know that the Fabrica 2.0 3D printer does not originally come from Nano Dimension at all. In fact, it was developed by Nanofabrica, which was acquired by Nano Dimension in 2021 and renamed Fabrica Group. Though now the Fabrica 2.0 is purely under Nano Dimension, it was made using Fabrica’s resin micro 3D printing technology. The solution uses Micro DLP AM and according to Nano Dimension allows for speeds that surpass other micro manufacturing processes thanks to printing rates that are 5 to 100 times faster. It is ideal for high-mix, low-volume batches, such as for tooling, and has a resolution of 1.9 µm with a layer thickness going between 1 to 5 µm. The print dimensions are not overly large at 50mm x 50mm x 100mm, but the company puts a focus on its precision, considering it to be “additive manufacturing micron by micron.”