3D printers can take hours or even days to produce simple parts, but it only took two weeks for the biggest names in consumer 3D printing to declare that the era is over.
On March 29, Prusa announced the $799 Prusa MK4, the first new printer in four years. The company claims it can print a “draft mode”. 3DBenchy boat in less than 20 minutes, four times faster than the previous generation’s 80 minutes.
On April 9, Creality – creators of the famous Ender 3 – announced the new $599 K1 and K1 Max printers with standard speeds of 600mm/s, claiming they can now print a Benchy in just 13 minutes.
Speed ​​isn’t everything. It doesn’t matter how fast your printer can throw its extruder around if the result is a bunch of junk – or really somewhere below the level of quality you need.
“Input shaping” and “print progress” are the buzzwords in fast printing
But each of these companies suggests (if not outright promising) that improved components and updated algorithms will allow their printers to maintain these speeds. Input formatting changes How they throw the tool head around, pressure displacement ensures a good flow of plastic, and auto-leveling features literally get your part started on the right foot. They all have filament run-out sensors to pause your print if you run out of plastic, and some have a computer vision camera that claims to automatically detect errors.
Plus, many of these companies promise that kind of printing experience right out of the box. While you’ll still have to shell out $1,099 for a Prusa MK4 fully assembled, the $599 Creality K1 is a monolithic machine that’s claimed to be completely ready to go, housing and all. The Bambu and AnkerMake each claim a 15 minute install whether you are attaching AnkerMake’s tower to its base or freeing the parts of the Bambu from their confinement and connecting the LCD screen.
And I can tell you, after months of testing the AnkerMake M5, those claims are not far-fetched. Here’s a 3DBenchy printed on the AnkerMake at 250mm/s and another at 500mm/s, using Anker’s default slicer settings.
They are far of perfect. But my old Ender 3 Pro would have produced a pile of plastic spaghetti at either speed.
This printer made these parts practically out of the box.
I’m working on a full review of the AnkerMake M5 and spoiler warning: I can’t recommend it unreservedly. (For starters, I’ve found its “AI camera” absolutely useless so far.) But I’m so glad there’s more competition in the space, because the competition is clearly doing its job.
I can’t wait for the day when you can just buy a 3D printer, load up some filament, choose a 3D model to print, and expect it to just work.
Janice has been with businesskinda for 5 years, writing copy for client websites, blog posts, EDMs and other mediums to engage readers and encourage action. By collaborating with clients, our SEO manager and the wider businesskinda team, Janice seeks to understand an audience before creating memorable, persuasive copy.