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Anycubic Kobra X
About the Anycubic Kobra X
The Anycubic Kobra X is a high-speed 4-filament Cartesian 3D printer. Its print volume is 260 X 260 X 260 mm. The direct extruder uses a hardened steel, toolless quick-swap nozzle that you can heat up to 300°C and it prints onto a removable magnetically-attached flexible steel textured PEI print bed. You can heat the print bed up to 100°C. The printer's maximum speed is 600 mm/s and its maximum acceleration is 20,000 mm/s². This printer's multifilament capabilities are built right into the extruder. There's no external filament feeder, the extruder motor itself pulls each filament in a straight path from each spool's position on top of the gantry. There are 4 independent filament paths in the extruder, each with its own drive gear; the extruder main drive gear switches between these to change filaments. The filament retraction distance during filament changes is very short, only 30 mm, which reduces purge waste and filament change time. The straight filament path and short retraction for filament changes makes this printer ideal for printing tricky filaments like TPU and PVA. In addition, the extruder lowers the extrusion force for softer filaments to avoid stretching them or folding them over. To print more filaments, you can add up to 4 ACE 2 Pro 4-filament feeder units with drying functions. This brings the total filaments up to 19 since the ACE 2 Pros use one of the 4 filament tubes leading to the extruder. The printer employs flow calibration and vibration compensation to ensure print quality. A 720p camera allows you to monitor prints, and AI uses the camera images to detect objects left on the bed and spaghetti (unadhered filament) during printing. You can control the printer using its 3.5-inch full color touchscreen, Anycubic Slicer Next on a laptop or PC, or the Anycubic app on your phone. It connects to your network using dual-band WiFi, but you can also print files off a USB drive.
Benefits of the Anycubic Kobra X
Modern mainboard features - Many 3D printer features relate to the version of the mainboard and firmware, including features like resuming prints after a power failure and support for silent stepper motor drivers for quieter printing. Newer boards also include safety features like thermal runaway protection which shuts the printer down if it detects issues with overheating.
Auto bed leveling - auto bed leveling will ensure your prints have perfect first layers every time and greatly reduce issues with bed adhesion. When using an auto-leveling system, the probe allows better tolerances for slightly warped print beds by measuring and compensating for any inconsistencies. Without this feature, you'll need to adjust the bed level manually using nuts on each corner of the print bed.
Has touch screen - having a touch screen isn't a deal-maker or breaker, but it is a convenient feature that makes it easier to navigate the interface when you are printing files and configuring 3D printing settings.
Direct drive extruder - Direct drive extruders are mounted right above the hot end, and push the filament directly into it, as opposed to a side mounted bowden extruder setup. We prefer direct drive extruders to bowden since they are less prone to jamming and typically require less maintenance. they also are much easier to use with flexible materials
PEI build surface has good balance of adhesion and part removal - PEI beds are one of the more premium build surface options, and for good reason. They offer great first layer adhesion with no spraysor other treatments, and can be flexed to quickly remove parts. You'll need to clean the bed with a solvent like acetone or IPA every so often to maintain the bed's adhesion.
Affordable - This printer does not include a lot of frills, but offers a good experience for a low price point. While this low price means you won't be getting the most premium features, you can still get a lot out of these machines if you are willing to put up with some missing quality of life features.
Wireless printing - In addition to the standard USB and SD card connections, you can connect wirelessly to this printer to print from your computer or mobile device.
Linear rail motion system - Linear rails provide added stability to the moving parts of the printer, allowing higher printing speeds without sacrificing quality. Keep in mind that the most important factor to consider when optimizing for print speed is the flow rate of filament, which depends on the hot end and nozzle size moreso than the motion system.
All-metal hot end - An all-metal hot end allows for printing at high temperatures up to 300C, while standard hot ends are capped at 260C before the PTFE material begins to degrade. All-metal hot ends are also less susceptible to jamming, and do not degrade as fast.
Dual gear extruder - A dual gear extruder grips filament from both sides and can exert much more force on the filament before slipping. It helps with all filaments but especially with flexible, slippery TPU.
Where to buy the Anycubic Kobra X
Brand Summary: Anycubic
Anycubic is a budget 3D printer brand known for offering Creality Ender 3-like clones with more features at lower prices. Established in 2015, they focus on their Kobra series, providing ease-of-use features and attractive pricing for beginners. With a large online community, Anycubic offers after-sales support, but their Trustpilot rating is low. Recommended for users on a budget, Anycubic's printers balance affordability and functionality. However, their reputation for poor support, the use of less durable plastic gears in the Kobra's extruder, and the cosmetic appearance with many plastic components may deter some users.
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