[Three-in-One] Snapmaker Artisan Review — 3D Printing Function

 
Following our previous article — Snapmaker Artisan Unboxing and Assembly Introduction, we will now delve into the hands-on review of its functions. Each function will be covered in a new article. This time, we will introduce the 3D printing capabilities of the Artisan, as tested by All3DP and Tom's Hardware, similar to the previous article. Read on to find out the test results!

Previous Articles
1. Unboxing
2. Laser Engraving and Cutting
3. CNC Mill

 

 

To perform 3D printing, you only need to install the 3D print toolhead, the heated bed, and its removable glass print plate!

PEI coated side: Suitable for most materials, easy to remove prints;
Plain glass side: Suitable for printing ABS or prints that require a smooth bottom.
 

The Snapmaker Artisan features an all-metal hotend that can handle PETG, ABS, and Nylon. The direct drive design should also be able to handle TPU, but the Luban configuration still needs further adjustments.
 

Calibrating the Snapmaker Artisan

The Snapmaker Artisan requires calibration each time the 3D print toolhead is installed. The machine can automatically detect the installed toolhead and prompt for the corresponding calibration. Each step is displayed on the control screen. For 3D printing, the Artisan uses a "smart" probe mounted on the left nozzle for leveling. The print bed is fixed and cannot be adjusted manually. The probe will move to 25 points, then ask you to set the Z offset for both nozzles with a piece of paper.

Dual nozzles also require a third calibration to ensure X and Y axis alignment. The machine will automatically prompt for a test print.
 

Loading Filament on the Snapmaker Artisan

Loading filament on the Snapmaker Artisan is very simple. The machine has a reverse Bowden tube that guides the filament from outside the enclosure to the toolhead. The machine can detect if filament is loaded and will prompt you to load it after changing the toolhead.
 

 

The initial loading process is entirely guided by full-color photos on the touchscreen. If you need to change colors, click "Control" → "Filament" to use the temperature adjustment knob to set the heating temperature for each nozzle. Once the correct temperature is reached, the "Load" and "Unload" buttons will activate, feeding the filament through the Bowden tube to the top of the toolhead. Press "Load" and apply pressure to the filament, and the gears will grip and feed it to the hotend. To unload the material, simply reverse the process.

 

Hands-on Tests with Different Materials

PLA

After calibration, Tom's Hardware conducted its first print, choosing a pencil holder design from the Snapmaker Luban library. This pencil holder demonstrates how to create seemingly impossible prints using the provided breakaway support material. It took 4 hours and 54 minutes to complete, using the default "Normal" settings, a layer height of 0.16mm, and a speed of 100mm/s. Although the breakaway support material was a bit stubborn, it was ultimately removed cleanly. This print used Snapmaker's black PLA and white breakaway PLA.
 

 

Next, an IDEX jar designed by Bugman_140 was printed in two colors. The print result was excellent, with no mixing between the colors! Using Snapmaker's black PLA and Inland's red PLA, this jar took 6 hours and 30 minutes, with a layer height of 0.16mm and a speed of 100mm/s.

The Artisan's massive print bed is perfect for printing cosplay pieces, so a Mandalorian helmet was printed. This wearable helmet measures 225 x 276 x 242mm, which is a bit large for a typical Ender 3 type printer, but for the Artisan with its 400x400mm print bed, there was plenty of room to spare.

The default support settings were very robust, and Tom's Hardware's testers were somewhat perplexed about how to remove them, but believed that the final support marks would require sanding and polishing.

If the supports covered the entire eye opening, the print would be cleaner. Tom's Hardware believes this part was their fault, as Luban has a paintable support feature, and adding more could have removed unnecessary supports from the middle of the helmet, saving 9 hours of print time and at least 300 grams of filament. The layer lines were a bit rough, but this was running at full speed: 0.2mm layer height, 160mm/s speed, taking a total of 54 hours and 26 minutes, using Inland white PLA and Protopasta colored recycled PLA 005.
 

ABS

When performing high-temperature printing, some RC demolition derby car parts were printed using ABS, which needed to be very sturdy. Printing larger ABS parts is usually more difficult, so the enclosure needs to be kept warm, the fans turned off, and a homemade ABS slurry used to make the parts adhere. The slurry is made by dissolving ABS scraps in acetone, and after the acetone evaporates, a thin film of ABS is left for the print to adhere to. These parts printed cleanly at 255°C hotend and 100°C print bed without any issues. The print time was 11 hours and 30 minutes, with a layer height of 0.2mm and a speed of 100mm/s.
 

TPU

TPU performance was somewhat disappointing and did not meet expectations. The Artisan's direct drive fed the material well and handled it excellently, but the default settings resulted in a lot of stringing between the ears. The print time was 6 hours and 39 minutes, with a layer height of 0.24mm and a speed of 30mm/s, using Inland TPU.

3D Print Experience Improved, Not to be Missed!

All3DP believes that the Artisan's 3D printing experience is superior to the Snapmaker 2.0. Although the speed is not the fastest, there has been significant improvement. Currently, 3D printing speed is a hot topic in the market, especially with the emergence of Bambu Lab. Compared to it, the Artisan may have some shortcomings, but it also has its unique advantages.
 

Since Artisan's parts need to withstand CNC machining pressure, speed is naturally somewhat limited, but this also means it's more durable. In our multiple tests, although some prints required post-processing to reach display quality, the dual extrusion performance was quite good. The new printing core system is impressive and allows for smarter printing strategies.
 

Only 0.4mm cores are provided in the box. For Artisan's large print volume, this configuration means that large-scale prints can take several days. This is indeed a challenge, but Snapmaker's zoned heating feature designed for Artisan is impressive, meaning smaller items can be printed faster while saving energy.
 

Both hotends can heat up to 300°C, enabling printing of more challenging high-temperature materials, and the Artisan's enclosed structure effectively retains heat. However, the nozzles provided are brass, so they are not suitable for abrasive materials. The built-in calibration procedure makes synchronizing the two print cores effortless.
 

 

Overall, the Artisan is a 3D printer worth considering, especially for users who have high demands for print quality and versatility. If you are looking for a printer that can balance both speed and precision, the Artisan is undoubtedly your best choice!