3D printing engages us as it constantly surprises us. From bioprinted livers to scanning on one planet to 3D print on another, it’s certainly not just 3D printing journalists asking themselves ‘What surprises does 3D printing hold for us this week?’ For me, one of the biggest surprise in home 3D printing so far has been the “3D printing pen” concept. The first was phenomenally successful. It seemed to come from nowhere. Now these pens growing in number and there is a new contender and seem to fit at the very entry level of the 3D printing market – but are they 3D printing at all? So what can the Cloudio2go pen offer us that the other pens out there cannot?
First there was the breakthrough idea of the extruding pen, which earned a cool two million during its crowd funding campaign and placed the name ‘3Doodler’ in the consciousness of many. Since that success story we have seen cheap pens, cheaper pens, even cheaper pens and finally pro pens. The Cloudio2go looks to take a ranking above those even increasingly design sparse and quality bereft extruder pens, but certainly in a different league from the Lix pro pen, which thus far resides in a niche all by itself.
The Cloudio2go: There are clear considerations of ergonomics. It’s colourful. There are considered design features. The team behind the Cloudio state that they believe that their product is useful for ‘Painting workers, product designers , hobbyists , children, students,’ etc.
What with the Lix now available, my guess is that product designers aren’t going to make up much of their market. Hobbyists will be interested, this pen is far better than most of its rivals. Students, I’m unsure. Many an art student could find many a use for this device, potentially, but whether the cash-strapped student will be willing to part with a week’s beer and turpentine money (only the former of those for drinking…) only time will tell. Kids will have fun with this. Ultimately though, parents may look at this and ask themselves whether their kid is old enough to hold a soldering iron. The safety considerations are similar. Extrude onto your skin and you’ll likely be left with a scar. So this is of course a matter of parental observation and choice. It’s a family toy. Adults will be able to have fun creating with the pen almost as much as children. Teenagers may even enjoy it. Some specifications for you:
Spinning speed : Adjustable
Heating temperature in the range :160- 250 degrees
Device operating voltage : 12V 3A
Nozzle directly :0.4-0 .7 mm
Material: Plastic shell
Weight : 0.4kg
Weight : 0.45kg
Package Size: 22cm width 17cm height 6.3cm
Insert Image: cloudio_2
I agree with the team behind Cloudio2go that ‘Currently on the market there are several 3D stereoscopic pens, but the basic is bulky, heavy weight , is not conducive to hold control operation.’ If you check out those links to cheaper 3D print pens, why anyone would honestly wish to draw in 2D, let alone the additional difficulty of holding a bulky pen out in front of them I’m not quite sure. I’m going to use a direct quote from the 3Dmedifab team behind the 3DP pen, as the team make some valid points here, I’m sure you’ll forgive them for putting the effort into writing in English when accustomed to German:
‘If the design and operation of three-dimensional defects pen on the market , we believe , must be to urgent since when as a three-dimensional pen , allowing users to operate when arbitrary. Unfortunately, however, the current products on the market , or no speed control function , or file is a simple switch for speed dial , or even just the speed control switch as an ornament, no practical purpose. Even if there is a file with a speed dial , you must advance or use your other hand to control . It lost the true meaning of the governor ‘s . We have had practice and exploration , design added variable speed feature, the user during use , you can freely according to their movement to the hand speed , allowing users in the creation of real time three-dimensional painting done arbitrary, Millia.’
The team tick many boxes with their market research, and create the impression of people who have put this product together with a genuine effort to put a product out into the marketplace that both fulfils the required functional niches and manages it cost-effectively. Where can you buy it? I’ll tell you in just a second I promise.
I have intentionally not referred to this a 3D printer pen. I believe that this is an important distinction as there have been a number of machines and devices claiming to be 3D printers recently when they are, in fact, not. This merely adds confusion to what 3D printing actually is.
This is an extruding pen that can create things in three-dimensions. A 3D printer is a 3D printer. Yes, we are looking at the same principle of moving an extruding device around to leave a solidified material, but if you were to wet some clay and squeeze it through a tube of plasticyou can deposit a material in three dimensions. That doesn’t make it a 3D printer.I wouldn’t even call it printing, but as there is at least a relationship with 3D printing, I’ll accept that much. So, in my writing at least, this is a 3D print pen, and it’s lucky to get that. Although that doesn’t by any means stop it being good at what it does.
How much will it cost you? USD$89 for the Early Bird special on Kickstarter, with thirty ABS or PLA mixed colour twelve inch filament strips.I’ll leave you with the video from the crowdfunding campaign, which has almost a month to go and can be found here.
