Jade, I have been an owner for over 5 years, and I’ve owned every machine except a Ray. I still own, and plan on keeping some of my Artisan and 2.0 machines. While I am happy with Snapmaker’s machines, I do believe they need some work, and some add-ons.
My top 3 add-ons would be
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A filament dryer/multi-material system for 3D printing.
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A CNC dust shoe with vacuum.
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An adjustable height brace for 4th axis bottle engraving.
However, there are a whole swath of add-ons/upgrades/improvements that I think Snapmaker could make in order to elevate the experience of use. I have owned, in total not concurrently, 15 Snapmaker machines (mostly 2.0), and I have gifted 10 of those to friends over the years so they can get into making. All but 2 of those friends have moved on, and I know the reason: Snapmaker is an incredible starting point because it can be a 3-in-1, but it’s not a high enough end product for someone that wants to take their hobbies to the next level. Anyway, my suggestions below are things that may make Snapmaker more competitive with other offerings today.
General improvements:
a. Use standard height M3 and M5 screws. Why the short head screws? I have to order those online, and I could get regular head screws in the store. Even if you stick with M4, use regular hardware.
b. Use stainless steel components with some pre-applied thread-locker. I think stainless would be great for the machine, and it vibrates enough that all the screws should have thread-locker applied. Just the blue stuff.
c. Release “dummy” STEP/STP/STL files of all the machines and components. For people that like to modify our printers, it’s really handy to know where holes/components will be without having to take the time to detail the whole machine and every add-on (which I have done).
d. A wireless pendant for controlling the motion. The Artisan is especially bad for this but trying to level or calibrate the machine while tapping the down arrow on the tough screen and moving back to the work area to see if it touched the calibration card is a pain. The 2.0, at least I can grab the touch screen and move it to where I am, but having a wireless pendant that’s only purpose is to control the machine remotely would be incredible.
e. IGUS or similar cable chains with appropriately sized cables. This is needed for the x-axis movement, 3D printing bed, and rotary module, but it would be nice to have cable covers for the whole machine. The 2.0 definitely felt like cable management was a second thought, but the Artisan is a great improvement.
f. ALL spare parts be made available from the store. Bolts, base plates, beds, extruder motors. All of it.
g. Bring back the roadmap! I miss knowing whether I should buy a product from another company or wait for Snapmaker to release it.
Gantry improvements:
a. For the 2.0, when using the quick-swap kit and the bracing kit, the build volume lost from the addition of these parts could be improved. Release another base for the machine that slides the z-axis back, to gain the additional 27mm of Y build volume back. In that base plate kit, include a standoff block with new gussets for the z-axis to get the 21mm of build volume back.
I’m actually about to machine my own base plate to fix these issues, but it would be cool to have a “Snapmaker 3.0” with these features ready to go.
b. For 2.0 having higher speed linear rails. I think this may also be a “Snapmaker 3.0” improvement, but the printing and laser speed is quite slow on these machines compared to the competition. I realize this may have to do with the lead screw drive system instead of belts, but maybe having a 2-in-1 that’s great at printing and laser engraving would be beneficial. I think this is why the F-350/F-250 didn’t do so well is they were just a (really well-built) slow 3D printer for the price of a P1S.
c. Beef up the bracing. The bracing kit is great, but I think the majority of the chatter from the machine comes from the small gussets on the z-axis. Make a second gusset that extends way further to the back of the build plate to beef up that rigidity. Add a brace across the top of the z-axis to help maintain space and prevent wobble up there when the x-axis is lower on the machine. Honestly, I’m doing the Snapmaker Stiffy Kit as my next mod, and I’ll bet this things rocks.
d. Automatically tram the gantry of the z-axis. I tell all my friends to manually run the x-axis to the top of the z-axis linear rails and to push each side up to the top. This small action has caused prints and CNC jobs to start level with the bed and has been a huge process improvement. Instead of having the z-axis split like the y-axis, have them independently check their heights.
e. Instead of rubber foot pads, have adjustable leveling feet. This seems to help with vibration and allows the printer to be placed on an uneven surfaces.
f. Putting threaded holes in the Artisan’s linear axis. I want to add a cable chain kit so badly, and I don’t like that the Artisan is lacking the holes that the 2.0’s linear axis had.
Enclosure improvements:
a. Please use standard 5-series 2020 or 4040 profiles. When I want to lengthen the enclosure or add some bracing across the top I cannot because the 24mm profiles are not something I can find anywhere. It would be great for makers who want to add a filament rack or parts storage to be able to add beams to the enclosures.
b. A small heater. Nothing major, but something that can reliably heat the chamber to 65C to help with ABS prints. I occasionally push boundaries and print materials that like enclosure temperatures of 85c+, but I don’t think that’s a normal case for most people.
c. A better seal for the 2.0 enclosure. The artisan enclosure was a major step up from the 2.0 enclosure, and that mostly had to do away with the accordion doors and it has rubber gaskets that seal the enclosure better. A kit for the enclosure that traps the air better would be great.
3D printing improvements:
a. A really solid single-extruder for 3D printing. Something like Bamboo Labs X1C or Rubido for Voron can auto calibrate pressure advance/linear advance. That has a run-out sensor that’s not just a switch but a hall effect one so it can detect jams as well like the BTT SFS V2.0. A hotend hat’s all metal, robust, high temperature (350C+), high flow, and has the newest technology ( Bondtech CHT nozzle, bi-metal heat-breaks, heat break supports like Slice’s Mosquito or VZBot’s Goliath ), even if that means licensing some of these. Large double gears like the Bondtech LGX or the Nextruder on the Prusa MK4s. Optical bed level sensing like the Dual extruder or Voron Tap, or an eddy current probe like Beacon (if it’s using an optical sensor, it should heat the nozzle and wipe it on a brass brush before starting the leveling process). Something with ample cooling using either a CPAP or dual 5015 fans where the ducts are on at least two sides like the Xol tool-head . Accelerometer based input shaping, and compensation to give great prints with no ghosting.
I’ve been using a a custom Bondtech LGX/Slice Mosquito setup on my 2.0 printer for years now, and I get much better results. I have ample cooling, and I have great, consistent extruder pressure with a high-flow, hardened CHT nozzle that I mostly use to print GF-ABS, but it works well on all filaments. I still have to manually level my bed, manually calibrate my extruder E-steps, manually calibrate linear advance, and adjust for flow for every filament. It’s worth it to do this, but imagine how inedible it would be to have this streamlined, and part of the standard Snapmaker ecosystem.
b. A really nice bed for the 2.0. Like really nice. A bigger, thicker magnet to hold the build plate better. A PEI dual sided build plate (good job on making this for the Artisan) with a thick piece of spring steel. The underside of the bed should be insulated to help it warm up faster, and maybe even get hotter. Honestly, if you released a bed that required a second PSU that could get to 120C or higher, that would be fine by me.
Right now I use a Fulament Fula-Flex 3.0 sheet some stick-on insulation on my 2.0 to help it heat up more quickly. I do think the bracing kit has solved most, if not all, of my problems with leveling the bed, and that’s something that I’m quite pleased with.
c. An MMU system like the Bambu Lab AMS or the Original Prusa MMU3. This would allow for great multi-color prints with more than 2 colors.
d. A filament spool holder and dryer. I’m thinking a serious one that can hold at least 4 filaments (assuming it’s also the holder for the AMS materials) that can get to 85C or more. Make it using that classic Snapmaker aluminum so it’s heavy duty. Give it the option to stand alone or be bolted to the enclosure of the Artisan or 2.0.
I use the PrintDry PRO3 right now, and it’s helpful, but it also needs to be improved.
CNC improvements:
a. Make a nice aluminum dust shoe that’s compatible with a standard vacuum. Maybe offer a vacuum that could handle that level of use and offer it as a set.
b. Z-probe. Changing tools mid carve (roughing to finishing) would be a lot simpler with a probe where z-height alignment could be guaranteed between bits.
c. A misting cooler for cutting aluminum and brass would be great. You could use the air pump included with the 40W laser module and just add a water dropper somewhere.
d. Better chip collection in the bottom of the machines. Like a big rubber blanket or something along those lines that was attached to the y-axis. This would keep the base plate and tabletop cleaner. If the misting tool became a thing, it would also prevent damp chips from accumulating on the linear rails.
e. Make a good tutorial for machining aluminum and offer real aluminum settings and bits. I use Amana, and I’ve slowly figured out how to machine aluminum, but making that a standard with the manual would be great.
f. A vice for clamping aluminum. Right now, the MDF waste-board is insufficient for clamping harder materials, and an honest to goodness vice would solve that problem.
Laser engraving improvements:
a. When using the rotary module, please give us the option to engrave something that’s not a perfect cylinder. Make it so the g-code can adjust the height of the laser as it’s passing over a work-piece that’s not perfectly cylindrical.
b. Carry a laser etching spray like this in your store so we can easily engrave on glass.
Rotary module improvements:
a. Having a bottle holder “module” or upgrade for engraving on tumblers or glass bottles would be fantastic. Right now, clamping in the 3-jaw chuck isn’t always the best, and I’ve had work-pieces sag before when I don’t use the tail-stock. A simple part that bolted to the MDF waste-board with an arm and two rollers that could have the height adjusted would be perfect. See example.
b. A block that could fit under the rotary module and the tail-stock that could increase the maximum radius from 68mm to something closer to 120mm would be optimal. I want to laser engrave BIG things, and right now, I just use a 3D printed spacer.
c. Create a longer base for Artisan so that the tail-stock can be placed further away from the 4th axis head. I would like the ability to CNC things that are longer, and the Artisan has plenty of room for a longer base with more holes for the tail-stock.
d. Have additional chuck options for larger work-pieces. I currently use the RATTMMOTOR Chuck 4 Jaw Chuck, but it’s just an Amazon find. I recommend making one similar, and another that would use rubber jaws to clamp to glass work-pieces.
e. Maybe make a version that can spin faster than 45deg/second? I primarily use this for laser engraving, and I understand that it was built to work with CNC as well, but I think the rotational speed could be improved. I don’t engrave on the y-axis all the time (vertical lines in Luban instead of horizontal lines for b-axis) because I’m afraid the resolution isn’t fine enough in the b-axis.
Other add-ons:
a. Make a 5th axis module or add a rotary axis to the tool-head. I want to be able to CNC cut at an angle or bevel pieces with the laser.
Snapmaker is marketed as a high-end product using high end materials, and they charge high-end prices. I believe to maintain a business where the the draw is how incredible the hardware is, it needs to be a couple steps better in performance to retain people. I think Snapmaker needs to focus on creating a nearly perfect ecosystem that includes incredible hardware couples with a software package that’s focused on quality of parts. Right now, people lave because Snapmaker hooks them on making, so they get premium tools, and I think they would stay if Snapmaker’s tools were at the the highest end.
Just my opinion, and I hope you know I still fully support the 3-in-1 mindset.
Best.
~mech