A new video shows a smartphone 3D printer from Kickstarter funded company ONO producing a 3D print from resin.
The 3D print has a “volume of 126 x 74 x 52 mm” and was 3D printed “in just 2.5 hours using a mid-range Android phone.” In the video a smartphone is inserted into the base of the ONO 3D printer frame, a resin tray is then filled and during the time lapse a geometrically complex 3D print is pulled from the resin.
Gif shows a timelapse of the ONO smartphone 3D printer.
The video will raise some eyebrows, in particular from anyone familiar with the SLA 3D printing process. Specifically, the apparent absence of UV shielding prompted speculation that the video was staged in some manner. A company spokesperson explains, “The printer was set up so that most of the ambient light was blocked out and the camera was set with a longer exposure time (10 FPS) to take in more light.”
More smartphone 3D printers coming soon?
At 3D Printing Industry we’ve closely followed ONO from their early days, or OLO as the company were originally known.
During a visit to Shanghai in 2015 I saw a similar idea demonstrated by Professor Jeng Ywan Jeng. Professor Jeng is Dean of the College of Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology. His research looks at, “multi-disciplinary technologies spanning opto-mechatronics (maskless lithography), additive manufacturing (AM) alongside the more consumer-centric 3D printing, femto-second laser material processing, and patent engineering.”
When I met Professor Jeng he had with him a smartphone 3D printer and several resin 3D prints. Professor Jeng also holds the “honorary fellowship of the New Kinpo Group Professor and wears the hat of a consultant-at-large at the XYZ Printing company.” It may be that the ONO 3D printer is the first to market, but will be joined by other similar 3D printers in the near future.
Over $2 million in funding
When the project was launched in March 2016 it took only 33 minutes to reach full funding. The San Francisco company’s original target of $80,000 was surpassed in an impressive manner as Kickstarter pledges exceeded $2.3 million. Early bird backers bought the 3D printer and 100g of resin for $79. The non-Kickstarter retail price will be $129.
ONO had originally announced a shipping date of September 2016, and the company are the latest in a long line of start-ups to discover the truth in iPod engineer Tony Fadel’s famous proclamation that hardware is hard. Understandably a number of backers have grown frustrated with the delay.
An update from ONO at the beginning of February announced that, “Every backer will have their printer(s) in hand by the end of March!” The company are now working at a facility in hardware center of the universe Shenzhen to make good on this promise.
While the build volume is below higher priced models, ONO have a range of resins including a castable material. This is likely to find application with jewelry makers and the 3D printer may also be of interest to those in the dental industry.
At 3D Printing Industry we’re looking forward to receiving our ONO 3D Printer and will let you know more once we’ve had first hand experience with the device.
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Technical specifications and pricing
Dimensions: 180 x 128 x 185 mm, 7 x 5 x 7.2 in.
Weight: 780 gr, 1.7 lb
Build Volume: 72 x 124 x 52 mm, 2.8 x 4.8 x 2.0 in.
Phone Screen Size: up to 5.8 in.
Z resolution: Layers as thin as 0.036 mm (or 0.12 mm in “Quick Print” mode
X-Y resolution: Up to 42 micron resolution, depending on the phone screen resolution
Print Speed: “With an iPhone 6 OLO can build 1 cm in approximately 46 minutes, or 1 inch in approximately 1 hour and 55 minutes.”
Auto-leveling: Sensors reset the Z height before every print
Removable resin tank and build plate: Makes removing the part and cleaning the printer easy
Reusable printing film: Film can be used for up to 10 prints in the same location
USB charging cable, rechargeable battery packs.
Price: $129 (announced retail)
Featured image shows the ONO 3D Printer. Photo via ONO.
