Microlight3D, a specialty manufacturer of high-resolution micro-scale 2D & 3D printing systems for industrial and scientific applications, has produced the world’s tiniest Statue of Liberty. It is a superb replica measuring 1.8mm high by 0.6mm wide, to show that with Microlight3D’s system, customers can now 3D print minute structures up to 10mm high, while maintaining micrometric resolution. Previously, the height of objects was limited to 0.3mm.
Breaking the height limitation means that Microlight3D has addressed the demands of researchers and industrial developers working on applications in mechanical micro-parts, meta-materials, medical devices etc. who need to make objects a few millimeters high.
It is now also possible to make alignments on a pre-existing pattern and print exactly where you want, as indicated in the photo, with the statue located on the word ‘Liberty’ on a United States one-cent coin. With this level of accuracy, Microlight3D believes users will marvel at the ability to align the laser and print on the tip of optical fibers for micro-optics applications.
Two innovations
Microlight3D introduced two new 3D microprinting elements to produce the statue:
- OrmoGreen, a special polymer doped with silica nanoparticles that the company developed
- Long-range Z, a feature enabling Microlight3D’s µFAB3D-Advanced 3D-microprinter to go beyond the microprinting height limits of earlier models, achieving structures up to 10mm in height
Precision & Substrate Compatibility
The statue, which was printed directly onto the coin, demonstrates that Microlight3D’s technology is compatible with very different printing substrates, notably metallic and opaque substrates. Microlight3D says scientists and researchers are looking to work on metallic or silicon wafers.