AnkerMake M5 3D Printer: The Speed and Ease You Need for Your Next Project

Anker Innovations has launched its latest 3D printer through its new AnkerMake 3D printing brand. The AnkerMake M5, which debuted with a successful Kickstarter campaign last year, is now on Amazon with a bold price and exciting capabilities. The AnkerMake M5 is able to reduce print time by a whopping 70 percent and is available at just $799. For customers in the U.S. and Canada, that price is made even more attractive with an Easter Deal. From April 3-9, the printer is available at a 15 percent discount.

Though Anker Innovations has been around for about 11 years as a major Chinese electronics manufacturer, the AnkerMake brand and its M5 3D printer are much newer. There’s significant competition in the desktop space, so it will take an impressive 3D printer and a low price for the company to make a dent in the market share of other firms. However, with the features AnkerMake has packed into the device—fast and stable printing, easy-to-use features, and more—the M5 could just have what it takes to be a high-value desktop 3D printer for industrial designers and engineers.

The AnkerMake M5 is meant to address some of the most problematic issues facing desktop 3D printer users—namely slow print speeds, constant supervision for errors, and needlessly complicated user experiences. The company claims to have developed a high-quality hardware design and software that is user-friendly for novices. A built-in camera allows for remote monitoring and error detection, as well, resulting in what is meant to be an easy and trouble-free 3D printing process.

For those who have been scared away by the complex operation, slow speed, and poor quality of printers in the past, you might want to take a look at this printer. It has been designed to improve your overall experience from the moment you unbox it. Even if you’ve never used a 3D printer before, you won’t need any special training to start your creative journey. Check this out:

Getting the Printer up and Running

The M5 can be up and running in less than 15 minutes thanks to easy assembly. Because the printer is meant to be user friendly, it comes with a number of features to streamline the printing process. Automatic bed leveling, for instance, means that you don’t actually have to waste time tuning the printer just to get started. Other features include a PEI soft magnetic printing bed, auto-resume after power outages, and printing notifications. All of this is designed to allow users to dedicate their time and effort to actually printing, rather than tinkering with the printer.

Printing with the AnkerMake M5

To actually get started printing, you can use the AnkerMake mobile app and AnkerMake slicing software to initiate a job from anywhere remotely. Thanks to the use of a built-in camera, it’s possible to monitor the build via live video, as well, with the M5 alerting you when the part is complete. An adaptive light-sensing algorithm even makes it possible to see printer output clearly at night.

Though you don’t have to constantly watch the build to ensure that it’s working, as the printer will automatically pause if it loses power. Moreover, the AnkerMake M5 will tell you when it detects an issue, such as failed first layer adhesion. Although users were not so happy with the AI detection feature in the early stages of the product, according to a source from the community, AnkerMake’s recent software upgrades have significantly improved the performance of first layer detection, and the company will continually improve this feature in future upgrades. That way, you can intervene early in the printing process to save time and materials. This feature is no longer limited to the AnkerMake Slicer, but can be accessed via Cura or Prusa, as well.

Such smart printing abilities were previously only available in higher-cost machines, so to see them available in a desktop printer at such a great price point means that AnkerMake is truly increasing the accessibility of the technology. You can easily imagine the M5 being used at an engineer’s desk or on the workshop floor, where you could print tooling, fixtures, or models while you go about your work, only checking the AmerkMake app occasionally for updates.

The AnkerMake M5 runs at a basic print speed of 250 mm/s, but is still able to deliver smooth and detailed prints. When desktop printers do boast such high speeds, this usually comes at the sacrifice of quality, as most machines can’t actually handle a print head that moves that quickly. This isn’t true of the AnkerMake M5. Thanks to a stiff, high-quality aluminum alloy die-cast structure, increasing the weight of the base and reducing the printer’s center of gravity, high speeds can be achieved without sacrificing quality. You can actually print mind-warping speeds, while the printer remains comparatively still.

Final Parts

Once a job is complete, you can easily remove the part from the print platform by taking off the magnetically attached bed and flexing it, popping the component off. The printer also generates time lapse videos automatically for analysis and record keeping.

The company is always making regular improvements to the product, as well. For instance, AnkerMake is planning to switch its entire software to the open-source PrusaSlicer and will be uploading each new version of its compilation process to Github after each stable release, so that the AnkerMake Community and developers can improve the performance of the AnkerMake Slicer. The company is also working on its V6 color engine for adding multi-color printing with the M5.

Additional Specs:

5X industry average print speed (250 mm/s in standard print mode)

2,500 mm/s² in accelerated print mode

Can reduce average print time by up to 70 percent

Print error detection with auto shut-off

Integrated HD cam with remote viewing

Supports WiFi and USB connectivity

Easy filament loading and extraction with heat assist

Magnetic base for easy removal and cleaning

Weight: 12.4 kg / 27.3 lb

Measurement: 502x438x470 mm / 19.76×17.24×18.50 inches

Price, Availability, and Customer Service

The AnkerMake M5 3D printer can be purchased from the AnkerMake Official website, as well as Amazon, at an MSRP is $799. The AnkerMake M5 comes with a 12-month warranty and what the company calls “hassle-free customer service.” This means that users can contact AnkerMake at any time by emailing support@ankermake.com and the company will respond within 24 hours.

Altogether, the AnkerMake M5 is definitely a 3D printer to watch in the otherwise crowded desktop space. It is clearly not just another clone on the market. In addition to becoming the “No. 1 Most-Funded 3D Printer on Kickstarter” in 2022, the product won Tom’s Hardware Innovation Awards 2022 and was an honoree at the CES® 2023 Innovation Awards. The product looks solidly built and comes from a well-established manufacturer. That doesn’t even include the V6 Color Engine, which enables multi-color 3D printing on such a low-cost machine. The AnkerMake M5 is truly impressive and could find itself climbing the ranks of the desktop market quite quickly.