With its latest update, AnkerMake has leveraged hardware and software to increase the speed of the already-sprightly AnkerMake M5 3D printer.
The newly released “Fast Mode” – now a setting in AnkerMake Slicer – enables the machine to reach speeds of 500 mm/s and acceleration of 5,000 mm/s², preserving print quality by applying different acceleration and speed settings to a print’s first layer, outer walls, infill, and areas with special features. That’s a marked increase from the M5’s previous “5X” top speed of 250 mm/s.
To achieve this, AnkerMake has addressed a “mismatch between X- and Y-axis movement and the E-axis extrusion at high speeds,” according to an update-focused blog post. It has also adjusted the AnkerMake App to support higher-speed adjustment of print files while printing and updated the M5’s firmware.
Technically, AnkerMake says, the M5 can reach its speeds with up to 25,000 mm/s² acceleration, but the machine has, until now, been throttled in the interest of stability and power preservation. The update removes some of those restrictions, upping the printer’s ability to fast-print – albeit at the cost of print quality due to increased vibrations. As stated above, AnkerMake Slicer takes steps to prevent this, but the general rule is the faster the print, the lower the quality. This update is no exception.
The results are nevertheless impressive, with the M5 now printing a Benchy model at 500 mm/s in just under 30 minutes, with only a slight decrease in quality from a print speed of 250 mm/s, which produces a Benchy in 44 minutes. Utilizing the printer’s full hardware potential – with maximum acceleration – allowed AnkerMake Lab to print a Benchy in 17 minutes, although the final product is so-so and results in a printer that is unstable.
For the full release notes, plus update instructions, check out the full write-up on the AnkerMake blog.
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