Anker unveils its first 3D printer: it looks fantastic and is one of the fastest in the world

The Chinese company Anker has several in-house brands that make quality headphones, power banks, chargers, or even home appliances. Now this bold manufacturer is also bringing its first 3D printer. via Kickstarter. It really looks great and will be intended for less tech-savvy users, too. It impresses, for example, with automatic bed height adjustment using 49 points.

Anker 3D printer currently only on Kickstarter

The new 3D printer is called AnkerMake M5, and its campaign is currently live via Kickstarter (a crowdfunding campaign). The price during the campaign is $499, but the manufacturer says the retail price will be several times higher—around $759. Besides high speed, this 3D printer also offers other features, such as an integrated camera, so you can monitor your prints remotely.

The manufacturer claims that the flagship 3D printer model will print up to five times faster than the competition. However, it’s not some hidden configuration or a “peak” performance. It’s a full-fledged printer feature—its factory default speed is up to 250 mm/s. It really is a fivefold speed increase compared with competing Ender 3 Pro or Prusa MK3S+.

The startup itself is also very simple: just eight screws, two cables, a power adapter with a USB-C charger—and you can start printing. And that’s exactly what so-called “hobby” printers for end users require: this kind of simplicity. The maximum print area is 235 x 235 x 250 millimeters, and thanks to its speed, you can enjoy your prints in less than 60 minutes.

We don’t yet know the details of such a surprising speed, but Anker says it moves the Y-axis motion platform using an efficient dual-belt motor instead of a single one. Two lead screws are also available instead of one. A removable and textured bed, like on competing Creality printers, is also included.

Aluminum construction, but also smart features

The AnkerMake M5 printer uses, on the basic construction level, a rigid aluminum alloy that ensures high stability during operation. In addition, the manufacturer includes advanced algorithms that align your design into the final result. We also can’t forget the automatic bed height adjustment using 49 points, which will be genuinely, very, very precise.

“I think 3D printers are exactly at the moment where they could become mainstream—if not, then definitely more than just a niche product.” — says Eric Villines from Anker.

But speed doesn’t have to be the only issue with 3D printing. You also need to think about detecting a broken filament or automatic heating that helps with smooth filament changes. Another advantage is low noise of just 50 dB, an integrated direct extruder, support for Wi-Fi connectivity for sharing posts—for example on social networks—as well as support for smart assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.

There’s also a mobile app which, besides transferring from the integrated camera, also provides timelapse videos of the printing process—videos that can be stored not only in the cloud, but also on the printer’s built-in internal storage. That adds up to 8 GB.

Powerful Dual XBurst processor

In the technical equipment, you’ll also find an integrated Dual XBurst processor (1.2 GHz) and XBurst 0 (2.4 GHz). Printing accuracy is +/- 0.1 mm, the maximum nozzle temperature is up to 260 °C, and the maximum bed temperature is then 100 °C. There are also the necessary safety features to protect against overheating or short circuits, and when it comes to filaments, the supported materials include PLA, TPU, ABS, and PETG.

http://kck.st/3NLlNIZ

Despite the impressive range of features, it’s important to emphasize that this is still a project within a crowdfunding campaign. The first units are expected to start shipping only after several months (no earlier than September 2022), mainly due to the preparation of the hardware, but especially the software features, which are not yet finished and ready for production. The new printer will support the GCode format, just like standard printers, and the company itself plans to offer replacement parts for its product line, AnkerMake.

“I want to say that the hardware is currently 75% complete and the software is at 2%,” says Villines and admits that the company expects the volume of calls to its customer service will also shift into a completely new category—3D printing.

More information about the product, as well as estimated delivery dates, and whether you can use this crowdfunding campaign, you’ll find directly on the Kickstarter.com page, on the following link.

This is how the product looks in the video:

Do you like the 3D printer from Anker? Are you considering buying this product? If you have any questions about this new release, feel free to write them to us below in the discussion under the article. Also follow our China Planet website, subscribe to our newsletter, and join us on Facebook as well as on our YouTube channel, where we’re preparing interesting video reviews for you.