Anker, Bambu, Prusa, Creality: 3D printers suddenly have a need for speed


An enclosed box of a 3D printer, with a printed object and a print head on rails with a fan visible inside.
The $599 Creality K1. | Image: Creality

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 era is over.

On March 29th, Prusa announced the $799 Prusa MK4, its first new printer in four years. The company boasts it can print a “draft mode” 3DBenchy boat in under 20 minutes, four times faster than the 80 minutes it took with the previous generation.

Image: Prusa
The Prusa MK4 has a new mainboard, firmware, quick-swap nozzles, load cell sensor for a “perfectly smooth first layer without user interaction,” LCD screen, more precise stepper motors, and more.

On April 8th, Anker responded by doubling the speed of its already fast 250mm/s printer to...

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