In the world of 3D printing, speed matters. Praised for bringing one of the first high-speed 3D printers to Kickstarter, AnkerMake has positioned itself towards the top of the desktop 3D printing competition.
Both hobbyists and professionals are constantly looking to find a 3D printer capable of delivering high-quality prints in a reasonable time frame. Saving time and money is key to ensuring efficient production, and more and more machines are hitting the market that promise speed and quality.
The AnkerMake M5, developed by Anker, has recently emerged as a speed demon on the desktop 3D printer market. In its original iteration, with a print speed of 250 mm/s², the M5 staked a claim to reducing production time by 70% compared to others in its class. Now, the team behind this 3D printer have released new software upgrades that further unlock the potential of the AnkerMake M5, making it now even faster.
The recent speed improvements of the AnkerMake M5 desktop 3D printer, along with user-friendly features, makes this machine ideal for beginners and even more pro users. Read on to learn how the AnkerMake M5 is transforming the 3D printing experience with its lightning-fast speeds and other user-friendly features – all at a reasonable price.
(Source: Anker)
The AnkerMake M5 was already renowned for its incredible speed, printing at 250 mm/s, which was five times faster than most desktop 3D printers. However, the team behind the M5 decided to push the envelope even further. Now, with a new update, the AnkerMake M5 can print at a staggering 500 mm/s and acceleration up to 5,000 mm/s².
To maintain print quality at these accelerated speeds, the AnkerMake Slicer adjusts acceleration and speed settings for different parts of the model, including the first layer, outer walls, infill, and special features. This ensures that even when operating at maximum speed, the M5 delivers excellent results.
Interestingly, the AnkerMake M5 only operates at 1/10th of its potential speed. While it could reportedly achieve an acceleration of 25,000 mm/s², the company prioritizes stability and power preservation. However, with its latest software update, some restrictions have been loosened, allowing an acceleration of 5,000 mm/s². This increased acceleration leads to greater vibration in the printer and slightly lower print quality.
To address the mismatch between the X- and Y-axis movements and the E-axis extrusion at high speeds, AnkerMake has developed a new S-smoothing algorithm based on the Pressure Advance and Input Shaper algorithms found in Klipper firmware.
By using various measurement data from the AnkerMake lab, this algorithm has been embedded into AnkerMake’s existing Marlin firmware. The company has also focused on improving retraction, cooling time during high-speed prints, processing speed and acceleration for different model features, and matching new parameters and algorithm packages when printing at 500 mm/s.
In fact, AnkerMake took this unlock into the lab to test out its speed with everyone’s favorite 3D model: the Benchy.
When comparing the AnkerMake M5’s printing speed with other popular 3D printers, it’s clear that the M5 is a serious contender. For instance, the M5 can print a Benchy model in just 17 minutes and 40 seconds, while the Bambu Lab P1P takes 18 minutes and 24 seconds and the Prusa MK4 takes 20 minutes. This demonstrates that the M5 is not only fast but competitive with other high-speed 3D printers on the market.
(Source: Anker)
