Hi Makers!

• SnapDryer is a collaborative brand product with Polymaker & FabNotion, specifically optimized for compatibility with Snapmaker Printers.
• SnapDryer features detailed improvements such as the addition of a Filament Tube, Filament Entry Cover, Filament Tube Connector, Round Clamp, and Tape Measure. These improvements make it easy and hassle-free for users to adapt to Snapmaker machines.
• After-sales service is fully handled by Snapmaker, ensuring that users can rely on the product with confidence.

User Background

Martin Falk-Hansen Unboxing the brand newly released collaboration between Snapmaker and PolyMaker.

Before drying the filament was brittle and hard to feed without breaklng it. It printed with a lots of blobs and strings, and generally needed a lot of cleanup. After drying the filament felt a lot more flexible, more like when I bought it. The print has very fine strings still, but WAY smaller and finer than before. (OProbablya dirty nozzle). The print looks a lot cleaner, and is nearly ready straight off the print bed. Nothing else was changed other than drying the filament.

The post Trying Out SnapDryer: Practical, Affordable, and Worth It? appeared first on | Blog.

Snapmaker and Polymaker Announce Strategic Partnership and First Co-Developed Product: The SnapDryer

Snapmaker, a leading innovator in 3-in-1 3D printing solutions, and Polymaker, a global leader in advanced 3D printing materials, are thrilled to announce the launch of a strategic partnership. This collaboration combines Snapmaker’s expertise in multifunctional manufacturing tools with Polymaker’s cutting-edge filament technology to bring advanced solutions to the 3D printing market.

The partnership’s first co-developed product, the SnapDryer, marks a significant step forward in filament storage and usability. Based on a design by Polymaker & FabNotion to maintain filament quality and reduce moisture-related issues, the SnapDryer is an ideal solution for makers seeking higher precision and consistent printing results. This joint product showcases the companies’ shared commitment to innovation, quality, and user-friendly design.

By collaborating with Polymaker, Snapmaker aims to enhance its ecosystem by integrating superior filament management solutions directly into its product line. This integration ensures that users benefit from optimized printing conditions, leading to improved print quality and reliability. It also allows both companies to pool engineering, research, and development resources to set the stage for future cooperative projects.

The SnapDryer is fully compatible with Polymaker’s PolyDryer system, allowing users to seamlessly integrate both devices into their workflow. This compatibility offers flexibility and convenience, enabling users to maintain optimal filament conditions regardless of their existing equipment.

Users can expect the SnapDryer to feature efficient drying capabilities with 360° airflow, superior sealing to prevent moisture ingress, and a modular design that accommodates various spool sizes up to 1 kg. These features can revive old spools and ensure that filaments remain dry and ready for use, thereby enhancing the overall 3D printing experience.

The SnapDryer is available to order starting November 29th, 2024, as part of Snapmaker’s Black Friday Ultimate Savings Event, allowing customers to secure this advanced drying solution at a competitive price. The new product is set to redefine filament maintenance for users across various industries, offering reliability and quality that align with the standards of both Snapmaker and Polymaker.

For more information on the SnapDryer, please visit SnapDryer by Polymaker. Stay tuned as Snapmaker and Polymaker continue to innovate, delivering solutions that push the boundaries of 3D printing.

For More Information:

On PolyMaker: https://polymaker.com/

On Snapmaker: https://www.snapmaker.com/

On the SnapDryer: https://support.snapmaker.com/hc/en-us/articles/27872830362391-FAQ-for-SnapDryer

Note: SnapDryer is a collaborative brand product with Polymaker & FabNotion, specifically optimized for compatibility with Snapmaker Printers. It features detailed improvements such as the addition of a Filament Tube, Filament Entry Cover, Filament Tube Connector, Round Clamp, and Tape Measure, while the main functionality remains consistent.

Contact: Snapmaker Press Office

Email: blaynesapelli@snapmaker.com

The post Snapmaker x Polymaker Present: The SnapDryer appeared first on | Blog.

Yes, it’s true! Snapmaker is thrilled to introduce our first-ever infrared laser module—the 1064nm Infrared Laser Module. This blog is prepared just for you, ahead of receiving or even considering this module. Special thanks go to the five dedicated users Steven Theiss, Dave Jurgensen, October Grey, Florian Gor, and Linh Tran who took time from April 23, 2024 to May 22, 2024 to participate in this test and share their invaluable insights. Before diving into the specifics of the module, let’s briefly introduce our testers.

Participants and Machines in Use

Without further ado, let’s take a look at the user’s experience from receiving the module to completing their engraving project.

First Look at 1064nm Infrared Laser Module

Steven: As usual, Snapmaker packaged the 2W IR module very well, with secure foam padding. Hard to imagine what it would take to damage one in shipping. The module is maybe 2/3 the size of the 40W laser.

Initial Setup Process and Feedback

Testing the 1064nm Infrared Laser Module

Comparison Results between Snapmaker 2W Infrared Laser and 10W/40W Blue Laser Processing

We will share comparison test results for stainless steel, PLA, and black slate.

Metal Engraving

Steven:

2W IR engraving is much cleaner and uniformly black. 40W engraving needed much more energy dumped into steel and had noticeable warping, unlike 2W IR engraving.

2W IR gives substantially cleaner engraving, with much better line resolution due to small spot size.

Florian:

October:

Linh:

Plastic Engraving

Black Slate Engraving

Steven:

Testing Plan: Engrave with the exact same black slate to show difference between 2W IR and 40W.

Test Material: Black Slate.

Settings:

Interval: 0.05 mm

Working Speed: 2000 mm/min

Power: 20% – 80%

The image engraving on black slate tiles (above) shows that the 2W IR laser can attain a fine gradation of different grey levels on the slate, unlike the 40W laser which seems to have a very binary effect on the slate of either not affecting it or being a uniform white color independent of laser power. The fine gradation of the IR laser allows much higher quality images to be generated on the slate.

More Test Materials

Aluminum

Steven:

The greyscale images on aluminum can only be attained using the 2W IR laser, as the 40W laser has very little effect on aluminum. As with the case of black slate, a nice gradation of grey levels can be obtained on the aluminum, resulting in high quality images.

The image was generated by dot-filled engraving on black-anodized aluminum, using an inverted image (negative) that has the brightest regions of the image corresponding to the highest laser powers.

October:

Brass

Steven:

The brass engraving above has nice contrast and very sharply defined edges. Attempting to use the 40W laser on brass resluted in significant warpage and unacceptable contrast.

On the more positive side, I was able to use the 2W IR laser to drill a 1mm hole in a 0.5mm piece of brass in about 40 mins without any distortion of the surrounding brass. The 40W laser mostly just dumps heat into brass, doing no real engraving but still warping the brass noticeably.

Ceramic

October:

Florian:

In addition, materials that can be engraved with a 1064nm infrared laser module can also find applications in daily life, such as:

Phone Cases

Leather

Cups

Florian & Dave:

Snapmaker 1064nm Infrared Laser Module Review: Is It Good?

Advantages

From the comparative tests and the material engraving results, it’s evident that 1064nm Infrared Laser Module offers several advantages:

• Enhanced Details: The 2W IR laser module produces higher details on various metal and plastic materials, leading to clearer and more distinct engraving outcomes. Compared to blue light lasers, 2W IR achieves better engraving results on materials such as 5052 aluminum, PCB, PLA, white and black acrylic, anodized aluminum, and silicone. You can see the specific effects in the video below.

• Reduced Heat Impact: Unlike blue lasers, the 2W IR has a minimal thermal effect on materials. This characteristic helps in reducing material deformation and burn, preserving the integrity of your projects.

Findings & Other Insights

DoF Testing

October:

The fact that Snapmaker’s IR has a much wider depth of focus, more collimated beam. While this decreases the energy dumped into the metal, it gives a lot more leeway in terms of focus. I did a test myself where I changed the focus height by 1mm in either direction and it didn’t seem to change the result, so the Snapmaker 2W IR has a DoF of ~5mm at least.

0 being in focus, and the -/+ are down/up in focus by 1mm. You can see the beam widen lightly at -/+2 as DoF changes.

Snapmaker’s internal tests confirmed that engraving within a 3mm focal depth range is problem-free, effectively ±1.5mm from the focal point. This extended DoF means the laser can maintain precise focus over a broad range, which is crucial for:

• Improved Engraving Accuracy: Even if the material surface isn’t perfectly flat, the laser maintains high engraving precision, minimizing the blur or uneven effects caused by focal deviations.
• Less Frequent Adjustments: Users benefit from not having to frequently adjust the laser focus, which saves time and enhances operational efficiency.

Practical Applications

For example, Dave conducted tests: The quality of the engrave was not hindered when the height changed. The center of the utility knife has a piercing tool that raises the workarea by 5mm, and the engraving is still sharp! In the photo, and even looking at it in person, it gives an illusion that the tool is flat on that surface! It has given me a interesting design idea that I am excited to laser on it. Patterns like camo, illusion patterns, and geometric patterns all would look fantastic on this.

Similar items like this earphone case and mouse can also be easily engraved:

Color Engraving Capabilities

Steven:

I made many attempts to generate laser color on stainless steel, titanium, tantalum, and niobium sheets using the 2W IR laser. The image above is the best result I obtained. It is on stainless 304. The color seen is very strongly dependent on the viewing angle, and mostly just looks brown when viewed from straight on. I’m not sure why the 40W laser is able to produce better colors on this same steel, but part of the reason may be due to the small spot size of the IR laser in comparison to the 40W. My color experiments suggest that the degree of beam overlap between adjacent raster lines has a strong effect on generated color, which makes sense since the thickness of the metal oxide optical interference layer depends strongly on the integrated amount of laser power that any given area sees. A much tighter beam spot size requires much more closely spaced lines to get appreciable beam overlap, and the 30micron IR spot thus requires line interval spacings around 30microns or less. This is approaching the smallest interval spacings the laser gantry can move, so there isn’t much room to maneuver when trying for different colors. Additionally these small spacings result in VERY long times being needed to fill an area when compared to the 40W laser. My conclusion at this point is that the 2W IR laser module is not practical for full color laser marking on stainless steel.

October:

Florian:

It is difficult to photograph and the effect is not as strong as with the 10W or 40W but it works. The 2W IR module can also do color lasers.

Limitations in Material Compatibility

While the 1064nm infrared laser module excels in many aspects, it is important to note its limitations with certain materials. According to user tests from Dave and October, the module does not produce visible marks on several types of acrylic:

Additional thoughts:

Learn More from Original Post:

October: 2W IR Q&A Introduction

Steven: 2W IR Findings

Dave: A fun use of the 2W IR Laser

Florian: 2W IR Unboxing

Florian: First impressions of 2W IR

Florian: 2W IR laser can color laser

We greatly value the feedback received through our user testing program, which has provided invaluable insights into the performance and usability of the 1064nm Infrared Laser Module. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to enhance the Snapmaker user experience based on your valuable feedback.

The 1064nm Infrared Laser Module is available on the Snapmaker Online Store now! Learn more about it HERE.

You can also check out an independent review from 3DWithUs HERE.

Let’s make Something Wonderful!

Sincerely,

The Snapmaker Team

The post What Can the Snapmaker 1064nm Infrared Laser Module Actually Do? – User Testing Findings appeared first on | Blog.

Hi Makers,

Below are photos shared by 孤狼, showing the setup. 

Conclusion

• The first layer printing quality has significantly improved in some cases. [Based on the findings from Qin and Claire.]
• Please note that Snapmaker’s internal test did not show a significant improvement. It seems that the noticeable improvement in Qin’s and Claire’s 3D printing tests is likely related to varying degrees of sliders loosening on the X/Y/Z axes (while not adjusting the tightness of the sliders’) after 3 years of machine use.

Conclusion

• The surface quality and machining dimensional accuracy of the 50W CNC on hardwood has improved to some extent. However, the improvement is not significant since these tests used non-radical settings. Additionally, the Bracing Kit’s enhancement on Y axes is not as good as Qin’s and Feres’s DIY reinforcement solutions.

Conclusion

• Enhanced X-axis rigidity (applied in the 40W laser module scenario).
• Both DIY and official reinforcements significantly improve printing quality, reducing vibration/wave patterns.
• Special findings from Claire: First layer 3D printing quality from best to worst: Unreinforced + manual leveling (yellow – perfect) > Reinforced + automatic leveling (cyan – good) > Unreinforced + automatic leveling (pink – poor) [Troubleshooting Explained: Inaccurate leveling probe data. Problem occurrence: In the z-offset calibration, it may cause deformation due to the insufficient rigidity on the X-axis, leading to inaccurate probe data at that point, subsequently affecting the overall automatic leveling compensation calculation result, causing automatic leveling failure and first layer printing failure (pink). When the user probe data manually, this problem can be avoided, resulting in perfect leveling (yellow). Note: Since both the yellow and pink prints were printed with un-reinforced Y axes, it can be inferred that the primary influencing factor is the rigidity of the X-axis.]
• Special findings from Feres: Precise machining of 7075-alloy aluminum parts is achievable with the Snapmaker 2.0 50W CNC Module through the integration of the official Bracing Kit on the Z-X-axis and the SBR 16 reinforcements for the Y-axis. Please note that it requires in-depth user knowledge.

The post Unveiling Insights from the Snapmaker 2.0 Bracing Kit User Testing Program appeared first on | Blog.

Hey Makers,

The post What’s New in Snapmaker Luban V4.10.0 appeared first on | Blog.

Hi makers,

2.2 Enclosure Packaging

4.2 Enclosure Assembly

This also meant the pin connectors remained flush, and not under stress. There was little worry about movement to the cable going forward that might bend or even snap the connector on the LED strip off.

6.1 Test Burn Matrix

We designed a Test Burn Matrix that tests Work Speed, Laser Power (Half Diode only), and 100%, 75%, 50%, & 25% greys. We wanted to find out the best settings for different situations: Speed. Line Darkness. Cutting Depth. Burn Scarring. And I was pretty happy with the matrix design – it achieved all of the things.

7. Maintenance

Extra comment about the Wiki in regards to the Ray Enclosure Assembly Pages. It looks like one of the initial steps it tells you to connect it to the Ray Encloser Socket on the Controller – this is because it flows straight on in the instructions.

9. Others

Feedback from my Wife: She LOVES the color of the metal. Says it is beautiful, and give a real premium look to it. I’m a big fan;) Looking forward to putting some of our creations through the Ray and feeding back!

The post Snapmaker Ray early adopter feedback by Dave Jurgensen appeared first on | Blog.

The post Snapmaker Ray | Snapmaker’s 6+ years experience in designing premium laser products. appeared first on | Blog.

We are pleased to announce that Snapmaker J1 controller firmware is now open source! 

After nearly half a year of hard work, we have identified and fixed some known nasty bugs and J1 controller firmware is basically stable now. And we will continue to optimize its firmware and develop more features to improve print quality, ease your use, and help you create beautiful prints. To give back to the open source community, involve more people to solve problems, and eventually make J1 an even better 3D printer together, we decided to share the source code of the J1 controller. We can’t wait to see talented users from the community contributing to this project. As you might know, the firmware development of J1 is based on Marlin. Here, we sincerely thank all the contributors to Marlin.

Based on Marlin, we have made not a few changes, including but not limited to:

• First, Vibration Compensation. On an MCU platform with insufficient memory and limited performance, we implemented input shaping and precise sending of step pulses that are seen in Klipper firmware, and it supports up to eight input shapers. This solution makes it possible to realize high-speed, high-quality printing on many low-cost printers on the market. As we did in J1, through the optimization of input shaping and precise pulse control, we increased the maximum printer motion speed from 150mm/s to 350mm/s and the maximum acceleration from 3000mm/s^2 to 10000mm/s^2, while at the same time maintaining the accuracy and stability of motion mechanism.

• Second, Intuitive Touchscreen Interaction. Different from Snapmaker 2.0, we adopted a new communication protocol, rendering the communication between the touchscreen and controller more reliable and user-friendly.

• Third, Innovative IDEX Calibration Method. By utilizing electrical conduction,  it enables users to complete the calibration in 10 minutes under the Assist Mode. It reduces errors and arrives at better accuracy.

Among the above improvements, the vibration compensation feature was actually not added to the picture at the very beginning. We took the risk of project delay and decided to implement this feature when the software development for J1 was almost done. Looking back, it did take us lots of hard work and resources to achieve this success. But we also found it immensely rewarding to realize vibration compensation in J1. Thanks to input shaping, J1 is able to achieve better motion performance on the Marlin firmware.

You might be interested in knowing why we added this feature near the end of the product development and how we did it. In the following, we will walk you through the development behind the scenes.

Just like all 3D printing enthusiasts, we have been following the open-source development in 3D printing. As you might know, Klipper incorporated vibration compensation for quite some time, and RRF (RepRapFirmware) also subsequently supported this feature. Because RRF is implemented on an MCU-based platform, we first integrated the input shaping and stepper control logic of RRF into Marlin and attempted to verify it on J1. However, the results were not as good as expected. After a detailed analysis of the code, we found that RRF does not perform input shaping on all movements. What it did was before the input shaping, it pre-determines whether the section of a movement meets the requirements for input shaping. If not, this section of the movement will follow the conventional trapezoidal motion profile to control the motor movement, which will lead to excessive vibration and layer shift when the print head runs in zigzags over short distances.

In terms of Klipper, it does not pre-determine whether a segment of a movement meets the requirements for input shaping. Klipper directly follows the theory of input shaping by convolving all the motions that the gcode inputs, thus achieving the result that movements of different features are shaped. However, there is no way for us to simply copy this processing logic of Klipper when only having one MCU since Klipper calculates the moment of step output by iteration, which requires a high-performance CPU. And, it also needs a large amount of memory to store signals of each step, which can not be achieved on our MCU. We thought the project might fail after some attempts, but there was still time left for us.

Thereafter, our engineers studied the paper on input shaping in-depth and looked for ways to implement it on an MCU platform. 

Eventually, we found a feasible solution for MCU. Similar to the motion profile of RRF: through analytic expression, we obtain the piecewise functions S=f(t) for the motion segments with different accelerations, which are functions of displacement with respect to time. These piecewise functions can be used in stepper ISR to obtain the moment when the step signal should be emitted in the corresponding motion segment, and thus we can know the time interval of the stepper ISR interruptions. If the specified axis does not need to be shaped (e.g. Z axis), then it directly splits the original motion into motion segments of different accelerations and obtains its piecewise function queue. If the specified axis needs to be shaped (e.g. X&Y axis), then after splitting their original motion into motion segments of different accelerations, these segments are input to the shaper, which convolves the queue of original motion segments and outputs the piecewise function queue. The following is a simple step-by-step description of the input shaping process. If you want to get down to the details, you can refer to the codes in the GitHub repository. Let’s start with motion segments with different accelerations:

1. First of all, the motion block queue in Marlin is broken down into a move queue, where each move represents a motion segment with the same acceleration, and its function is S=f(t) = S0 + V0t0 + 0.5 * a * t^2. Then the whole move queue is actually a series of S=f(t) functions, except that the domain of each function is finite. And because each move in the queue moves consecutively on the same time axis (the end time of each move is the start time of the next move), the domain of this series of functions is also connected back and forth on the time axis.

2. Next, perform input shaping on the original move queue. The position of the shaper output is calculated by convolving the positions in the original move.  

• First, a “shaper window” is created, which is a virtual time window on the time axis of the move queue. The window contains sampling points, each containing two important parameters: weight A and time T. The number of sampling points and weight A are determined by the input shaper configuration parameters. T is the time of the sampling point on the time axis of the move queue. And the time interval between each sampling point is also determined by the input shaper configuration parameters, so the window contains a fixed width of time. In addition, the “shaper window” moves from left to right on the time axis, and the right side is the direction of time growth.
• When the shaper window coincides with the time intervals of one or several moves on the time axis, the T of each sampling point falls within the time interval of a specific move. Then, the position of each sampling point corresponding to T can be calculated from the describing function S=f(t) of the move based on where T is located. The position of the original motion corresponding to T at each sampling point is weighted and summed using A corresponding to the sampling point to obtain the position after input shaping. The displacement function after input shaping can be expressed as: S’ = f'(t) = Σ [ Ai * Si ] = Σ { Ai * [S0 + V0 * Ti + 0.5 * ai * Ti^2] }.
  • In this equation, Ai represents the weight of the ith sampling point, Ti represents the T corresponding to the ith sampling point, and ai represents the acceleration of the move corresponding to T.

3. When the window moving on the time axis of the move queue, the T of the sampling point corresponding to the move will keep changing, which causes the displacement function corresponding to the position of the sampling point to change as well, and we will get a series of S’. This series of S’ is the queue of piecewise functions after the convolution described earlier in this article. Now, all we have to do is to recompute the coefficients of each variable in S’ whenever the move corresponding to T changes at any sampling point in the window. We know from the previous step that S’ is actually also a function of displacement with respect to time t. If we have a known S’, we can likewise calculate the corresponding t by S’=f'(t), which is the next step to be done in stepper ISR.

4. Each time entering stepper’s ISR, we first send the step signal planned last time (if it exists). Then we use the piecewise function S'(t) for each axis to obtain the moment sending out the next step, because we only need to add one step to the current position and then insert it into the function to calculate t. Then we pick the minimum t of all the axes and configure the interval between the minimum and the current moment into the stepper’s timer, so that we can send the step signal precisely according to the planned time. We can then send out the step signal precisely at the planned time (due to limited performance, we can’t be absolutely precise on this, but that’s our goal).

The above is a brief introduction to the vibration compensation feature. If you are interested in the details, you can refer to the code in the repository. Basically, it contains two important parts; one is input shaping, which is the key to cancel vibration; the other one is to send the step signal at a precise moment.

It is very important to send the step signal at a precise time. Learning from our previous tests verifying RRF, we already knew that RRF’s step signal control is very different from that of Marlin: RRF strives to send the step signal for each axis exactly at the moment calculated by the piecewise function so that the motion of the toolhead can follow the path described by gcode as perfectly as possible. Klipper is also the same in this respect. 

After deciding on the solution, we quickly verified the prototype and tested it thoroughly. The test results were exciting: a J1 with vibration compensation implemented only on the MCU platform was basically comparable with a J1 with Klipper control (Linux host + MCU). Therefore, we were able to add the vibration compensation feature to J1 right before the product launch. It wasn’t an easy task. But we decided to go all out simply because we want to keep making something wonderful!

GitHub Repository of J1 Controller Firmware: https://github.com/Snapmaker/SnapmakerController-IDEX

Learn more about Snapmaker J1.

The post Snapmaker J1 Controller Firmware Open Source Release appeared first on | Blog.

Hi Makers,

As we all know, 3D printing is still fundamentally slow. This attribute manifests itself more evidently in FDM technology. Depending on the complexity and dimension of models, and the user’s need for accuracy, some kinds of prints take hours or even days to finish. The underlying logic is a trade-off between quality and time. 

Snapmaker J1 is a brand-new product that successfully secures quality and speed simultaneously for its users. Compared to major IDEX 3D printers in the market, one of the shining features of J1 is high-speed printing. It is usually not easy for an IDEX 3D printer to speed up. On the one hand, two independent extruders mean more weight, which increases the inertia. On the other hand, the X-axis has to carry more weight while moving two print heads. Under this circumstance, achieving accurate movements is more challenging. Given this structural challenge, we still effectively improved the printing speed performance of J1, retaining the 0.1 mm layer height at the speed of 350 mm/s. 

It’s made possible by four firmware- and software-based solutions. The first is vibration compensation, also known as Input Shaping. High-speed movement is prone to excessive or residual vibration, particularly at the end of a movement, leaving unwanted ringing or ghosting effects on prints, thus compromising quality. Input shaping is a preemptive approach to counter vibration. Based on specific resonant frequencies, the input shaping technique yields the command signal sent out several waves one after another. The amplitude of multiple waves will be ultimately superimposed on each other, and thus, the vibration can be perfectly canceled out.

Below is a screenshot documenting the degree of vibration when input shaping is on and off in J1. As you can see, the uneven part of the line shows free vibration, which occurs when the print head once changes the direction of its movement.

3D-printing sharp corners at a fast speed will easily disrupt print quality. Therefore, second, we optimize cornering speed by analyzing moving directions ahead of time, which can improve print quality at corners.

Third, the print head running in zigzags over short distances often accelerates and brakes in alternation. And this process could be pretty jerky and noisy when the entire machine shakes with it. Thus, we also adjust the maximum possible print speed when the print head zigzagging at high frequencies.

The above improvements were inspired by the open-source firmware Klipper. The great news is that in addition to J1, vibration compensation will also be realized in Snapmaker Artisan and Snapmaker 2.0. Please stay tuned for future firmware updates.

Fourth, we introduce a nonstop switching mechanism into IDEX printing, bringing the advantages of IDEX into full play. This mechanism applies to the scenario where the two print heads work alternatively, as in bicolor printing. Usually, only when one extruder finishes printing and then parks aside will the other extruder start heating up from the standby temperature to the initial printing temperature and then be switched back and resume printing. 

Now, with our improvements in software and firmware, the non-operating extruder will preheat to the initial printing temperature while waiting and head to the goal position right after the operating extruder leaves for the resting position. In this way, the two extruders switch to each other seamlessly, providing a nonstop experience for J1’s users. Watch the video below and see how it works!

Apart from software- and firmware-based improvements, the hardware components of J1 also lay a solid foundation for faster print speed and better print results. J1’s body comprises an upper frame, a base made by one-piece die casting, and four aluminum alloy bars. J1 is so rigid and reliable with minimal wobble and deformation possible. The industrial-grade linear rails are made by CNC grinding at the micron level, ensuring smooth and steady movements. 

We briefly explained how J1 achieves both high-efficiency and high-quality IDEX printing in this blog. What do you think? Leave your thoughts below!

The post How does Snapmaker J1 achieve both high-efficiency and high-quality IDEX 3D printing? appeared first on | Blog.

Hi makers,

In the previous article, we announced the return of Snapmaker’s early founding team members with their J1 IDEX 3D printer. Today, we will further unveil many more exciting features of J1, which bring infinite possibilities and make 3D printing a simple joy!

Up to 350 mm/s printing speed and up to 10000 mm/s²  acceleration

J1 brings you prints of high resolution while increasing the printing speed to 350 mm/s. It is made possible by the optimization of the vibration compensation technology. This technology reduces the vibrations caused by high-speed movements, minimizing ringing to enhance print quality. With the maximum acceleration of 10000 mm/s², you can realize small models packed with details with efficiency. Overall, the usual printing time is reduced by ⅔ while impeccable details are still within reach. [1]

IDEXcel in dual-material printing

Compared with a multi-material unit on a single extruder, IDEX dual-material printing requires less time in filament changing and creates less waste. Plus, IDEX offers the cleanest two-extruder solution that prevents cross-contamination. It creates a clean interface between two materials, embracing hassle-free removal and avoiding stains and weird blending along the seam.

Breakaway supports & dissolvable supports for effortless removal and accurate details

Building and removing support can look like rocket science sometimes, but we’ve done the math for you–steady support, clean interface, effortless removal, and minimal post-processing needed to maintain high dimensional accuracy. 

Breakaway filament offers the same support as normal materials but is much easier to remove without the need for further post-processing. J1 supports PVA and other dissolvable materials. Soak the print, and the supports dissolve, leading to a smooth surface and excellent dimensional accuracy. If you are looking for complex geometry, hollow structures, and exquisite details, this is for you. 

Choose different settings for two extruders to maximize the performance of individual filaments. For example, you can combine the strength of nylon with the flexibility of TPU for functional parts that can stand daily wear and tear impressively. Or, you can produce bicolor prints and add a splash of personality to your concept models, miniatures, party essentials, gift items, and home decor. Even more, you can have different materials on the walls and the infill. By printing infill with economical materials plus a large-diameter nozzle, you can now spend most of your time and money budget on working the exterior to perfection. 

Copy Mode & Mirror Mode double your productivity

IDEX is the only extrusion system with two separate extruders moving independently on the X-axis, enabling you to run two prints simultaneously. With Copy Mode and Mirror Mode, you can halve your wait time and double your productivity. Copy Mode is especially suitable for batch printing, empowering studios and enthusiasts. If one of the prints runs into an issue, you can stop that print without affecting the other. This mode is a lifesaver for a promised delivery on a tight schedule. Under Mirror Mode, J1 directly mirrors your model and prints the original and the mirrored one in one go. For a symmetrical model, you can import half of it and print it in Mirror Mode to cut your wait time by 50%, perfect for quick drafts and concept models. Like in the Copy Mode, you can stop one print without affecting the other.

Ultimate rigidity from the one-piece casted parts, high-precision linear rails, aluminum alloy frame

J1’s body comprises an upper frame and a base made by one-piece die casting, and four aluminum alloy bars. Making the body with just a few highly integrated parts—an approach long adopted by the automotive industry—facilitates precision assembly. J1 is so rigid and reliable with minimal wobble and deformation possible that you can do a large-print marathon and get all the prints with uncompromising quality.

The industrial-grade linear rails are made by CNC grinding at the micron level, ensuring smooth and steady movements. A significant rise in precision, rigidity, and durability for you to savor a fast, accurate, and steady-making experience. The repeatability measures ± 0.03 mm (X/Y) and ± 0.02 mm (Z). [2] Expected Lifespan is over 10 Years.[3]

J1 inherits Snapmaker’s iconic all-metal design which is highly valued by users for its rigidity and durability. It provides better heat dissipation with the main board and power supply spread out on the base and aluminum alloy as its main material. 

Print with advanced materials like PA, PC, and TPU, and deliver fabulous results

Extruders are redesigned to deliver a superb performance consistently with demanding, advanced materials, including nylon, reinforced nylon, PC, TPU and PA-CF. First, 300°C All-metal Hot Ends enable you to print with high-temperature filaments, like nylon, reinforced nylon, PC and PA-CF. With silicone hot end socks preventing heat loss, filaments melting and heating up are much faster. Anti-clogging designs make the flow as smooth as possible.

Second, dual direct drives have excellent extrusion accuracy and are highly responsive, making deposition faster, smoother, and more accurately controlled. It is built in with a filament sensor to inform you and pause the print job in the case of filament runout, nozzle clogging, and other abnormalities that fail filament loading. 

Third, the compact extrusion path of a unique design allows you to print seamlessly with TPU and many other flexible materials. 

Fourth, the enclosed space provides stable ambient conditions to facilitate the consistently reliable performance of high-temperature materials. For instance, it keeps ABS and many other materials from warping.

4-minute intelligent calibration with no calibration card 

We utilize electrical conduction to locate the two hot ends and the heated bed and measure the distances between the three entities—a creative solution to complex IDEX calibration. This time saver enables you to complete the calibration in 4 minutes under the Assist Mode. It reduces errors and arrives at better accuracy.

When the two hot ends touch the square opening on the heated bed, it sends out electronic signals to suggest their exact locations, and J1 calculates the offsets between them. J1 then auto-compensates the offsets during printing to ensure perfect XY alignment that avoids layer shifting and improves the success rate of dual-material prints.

A level print bed lays the foundation for successful 3D prints, but the bed leveling of IDEX printers can be very time-consuming. Using a PEI glass plate of high flatness, J1 can downsize from a 3 × 3 (9 points) or 4 × 4 (16 points) leveling to a 3-point one with no compromise on levelness and downtime dropped by 70–80%.[4] Turn the leveling wheel as guided on the touchscreen, and the bed is leveled for tip-top first-layer adhesion.

Using electrical conduction, J1 can calculate the distances between the hot ends and the heated bed. Thus, we were able to cut the step of moving the calibration card back and forth while adjusting the Z offset. Simply turn the thumb wheel as guided on the touchscreen and you are now the Z offset calibration guru!

In this article, we have shared lots of great things about this brand-new 3D printer of Snapmaker. We hope you have enjoyed it! We made every decision in the product development for one purpose–print better, better prints. Advancements in extruders, materials, structural designs, linear rails, and many other aspects are made for you to work to the fullest for every project. 

From Oct 27 to Nov 17, we will recruit makers worldwide to review Snapmaker J1. You can enter to win the chance to try out and review J1 for free! Stay tuned.

[1] The data is estimated based on where regular IDEX 3D printers print at 50 mm/s to 80 mm/s and J1 prints at 350 mm/s for the same model. It may vary depending on the testing conditions and product iteration, and is for reference only.

[2] The data may vary depending on the testing conditions and product iteration, and is for reference only.

[3] The data is estimated based on the usage of printing at 100 mm/s for 24 hours per day. It may vary depending on the testing conditions and product iteration, and is for reference only.

[4] The data may vary depending on the testing conditions and product iteration, and is for reference only.

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