Anet A6

Anet A6 3D Desktop Printer Kit

Anet A6 is the new 3D printer of the brand, a clear successor that inherits many of the features of the popular Anet A8 and has created a large community on the network with many designs and articles. A cheap 3D printer in a DIY mounting kit for the real handyman. We review all its features and a quick comparative Anet A6 vs A8.

This type of equipment requires a little patience for its first use, since they usually come disassembled and require some basic knowledge. But do not panic, there are assembly instructions and recommendations of the Anet A6 printer in the kit itself and in the network. Although it may be a small handicap, especially when compared to domestic paper printers, it has a positive effect on the price and will remind us of evenings with LEGO. The mounting kit includes tools and additional parts like any IKEA furniture. Anet A8 left us with very good feelings for its robust construction, the precision of all the pieces and the choice of materials; a formula that repeats again with the Anet A6.

A printer with these characteristics requires a dedicated space and enough space to work comfortably. These requirements are given by its measurements of 48 x 40 x 40 cm and an approximate weight of 8.5 Kg. Given the enormous number of pieces, it is best to have a large surface for assembly and carefully follow the instructions; in a couple of hours we will start with the first models. In addition, the Anet A6 printer already includes the firmware pre-installed at the factory and with support for future updates.

Inside the package we found a microSD card reader with a small memory with all the tutorials and some additional tools. Once the assembly part is finished we will need some 3D modeling programs. As we have already mentioned, the firmware comes pre-installed in the equipment and allows the printing of models without the need for a PC, directly loading the models from a microSD in the Anet A6. These models have been created from numerous applications such as SketchUp and with a subsequent configuration through Cura. A program that allows you to configure some printing parameters depending on the materials used, temperature of the hot bed, diameter of the thread, etc. In the network there is a strong community of 3D printing, with free models, printing templates and even designs of additional pieces to improve the 3D printer of Anet.

The LCD screen allows you to configure some parameters of printing and personalization of Anet A6 equipment. This is not tactile but it is helped by a selection wheel for navigation, in a simple and fast way. The size of the engraving area is 220 x 220 x 250 mm and a hot base is used for its adherence during printing. Supports most printing materials such as ABS, HIPS or PLA; with a diameter of 1.75 mm and a printing speed that varies between 40-120 mm per second. The thickness of the layers of our models are between 0.1 and 0.4 mm, so the precision and good finishes are more than assured. And in addition, at a much more affordable price than other 3D printers on the market like the BQ Witbox GO.

The LCD screen is larger than the one used in the Anet A8 model and the navigation becomes through a selection wheel, much faster than the navigation buttons. The structure has also undergone some changes with the lane of the X axis that comes pre-constructed and does not allow a change or further improvement as it did with the A8, since this was also done with a printer. If we look, the extruder rail becomes horizontal displacement in the case of the Anet A6 (assembly parallel to the X axis), which allows to achieve greater stability during 3D printing. The assembly of the Anet A6 is somewhat faster since it has some pre-assembled parts,streamlining the tedious task of assembly. We leave you with the rest of the specifications of both Anet printers in the following table with some variations such as the printing area and a new motherboard.

SPECS