AnkerMake (United States) - Press Release: Hey Kickstarter backers.

Since our last V6 update in September, our dedicated V6 product development team has been working hard to overcome the challenges we've faced in the validation process.

We want to share all the latest news on the V6 project with all of you, and we've got some good news and some bad news.

The Challenges We Faced and the Progress We Made:

The V6 was developed with a totally new color printing technology. The team successfully conducted multiple tests, verified this solution with a lab prototype, and achieved no purge tower multi-color printing in September. However, during scale-up and mass validation in November, we ran into a huge challenge. Namely, different color filaments would frequently create misalignments at the joints on the model.

We also found that any small error during manufacturing or assembly would create color-change misalignments. The technical difficulty of harmonizing the right position during color-change far exceeded our initial evaluation. We need to control the position error of color-change within 0.02mm across three directions to ensure the printing quality of the multi-color model. The flatness of each axis and the error of each part increases the project's difficulty.

Starting right away in November, we tried to design new verification solutions in multiple directions to solve this problem. After 3 months of designing, proofing, testing, and verifying, we carried out several rounds of extensive modifications on the nozzles and finally determined a calibration solution in March—a separate automated calibration module.

This module helps with the calibration in the XYZ axes and allows color-change overlap within 0.02mm. This automated calibration module will be included when you receive your V6 to ensure a smooth printing experience.

We can't wait to share this printing process with you, but we can't just yet due to confidentiality concerns. We should be able to share more with everyone in the coming months, so please stay tuned!

After our last update, we saw that many of you were disappointed about the removal of the heating feature. Initially, we decided to remove the feature due to concerns about energy consumption. The V6 didn't have its own power supply and needed to be powered by the M5, and about 90W was reserved from the M5's power to support the heating feature and high-speed printing with V6. However, 90W of power was only enough to allow V6 to achieve a temperature rise of 20℃.

During this process, we re-evaluated the heating feature and modified the design of the V6 container, and added a built-in independent power supply to provide power for heating. With the added power supply, we expect the temperature of the V6 container to reach 55°C, which will produce the ideal heating effect. Therefore, we are happy to announce that when backers receive your V6, the heating function will be included.

What's Next?

The next step for V6 will be mold opening, trial production, and development verification for the nozzle module and the newly designed calibration module. But here's the bad news: due to the challenges we faced and the modifications made to the design, the shipping time for the V6 project will be delayed until September to October 2023.

The detailed timeline is as follows:

• March – April: The redesigned parts are remolded;
• May – June: The redesigned parts enter the 1st round of trial production;
• July: The redesigned parts enter the 2nd round of trial production;
• August: Material preparation starts;
• September: Mass production starts;
• September – October: 5,000+ units produced and shipped.

We will keep everyone updated regularly on the progress of V6 throughout this process, and we truly appreciate the patience and support that all of our backers have shown during this time.

Again, we completely understand if this delay makes you change your mind about V6; if you no longer want the V6, just email and we will offer you a refund.

Join the Community:

For more in-depth discussion, you're welcome to join the AnkerMake Community on Discord. This is a place where you can discuss product features, share model ideas, and get support from fellow makers. We can't wait to meet you there. And let's catch up on the next update.

Keep making,

The AnkerMake Team.