Snapmaker U1 High Temp Changes

U1 Toolchanger
1

Hey there

I was thinking to buy this printer and i’m not a good at klipper, all of my printers are from BambuLab, but i’m really excited about this one, so i usually print with engineering materials, like ppa-cf/pps-cf and i have a few questions:

  1. Is printer capable of running 65 degrees chamber? (I’m talking about components, especially fans and electronics, if they can handle such temperatures)

  2. Would it be possible to replace hotend thermistors, so it can reach 350 degrees max?

  3. I would like to also change belt and pulleys/idlers to smaller pitch to reduce VFA that is so prominent on review units.

I understand that there is a lot of work i need to do, but having open source firmware is nice, so is it possible with this printer? And are these modifications would be kept after update? Because as i understand, any changes would be reverted back after firmware update.

2

Interesting questions ;), I am curious, too.

Anyway, to your questions:

  • about Klipper: IMHO, it is better FW for printers and there is no reason to be worry about it;
  • Fans can be (usually) easily changed, electronics is separated on right side, but motors can be problem;
  • 350 °C: I am almost sure no, it is not possible. The whole hotend is integrated as one part (inc. nozzle);
  • Pulley: probably yes, it depends on diameters of used pulleys;
  • IMHO, open source is crucial, there is no vendor-locked-in scenario possible.

If you are looking for printer for engineering materials, Snapmaker J1 is IMHO better choice than U1. Yes, it is “IDEX only”, but it is very easy to mod hotends for 350 °C (separated nozzles, “traditional” heated block, NEMA 17 motors which can be cooled with water, full aluminium frame, electronics under the printer…). IDEX printer is IMHO sufficient for engineering materials (one head for main filament, second for support). Additionally, I expect a lot of second-hand J1 printers on the market. Many owners will change their J1’s (probably) for new U1 ;).

@Mechanikus has rebuilded his J1 to Duet electronics, check https://www.mechanotronikum.de/39147-snapmaker-j1-auf-eine-duet-umbauen-teil-1.html (in German, but deepl.com helps).

3

Thanks for your answer!

4

The chamber is passively heated to 50°C (, I guess the ambient temperature in the enclosure easily reaches your target temperature of 65°C but it’s not stated as this..

Here a few links:

Snapmaker U1 Color 3D Printer: 5X More Speed. 5X Less Waste., via @Kickstarter https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/snapmaker/snapmaker-u1-color-3d-printer-5x-more-speed-5x-less-waste?ref=android_project_share

https://support.snapmaker.com/hc/en-us/articles/33344279396759-FAQ-for-Snapmaker-U1-3D-Printer

May @Sherry jumps in, please?

5

Hi! Thanks for your patience and excitement about the printer.

  1. The chamber temperature still needs more testing, so we cannot confirm 65°C support at this stage.

  2. Replacing the hotend thermistors to reach 350°C is not supported.

  3. You can change to 1.5 pitch belts and pulleys, but the belt width cannot be changed.