We were already looking forward to bringing you the new Anycubic Kobra 3 Combo printer, a sensational machine with which making multifilament projects is going to be extremely simple.
And the gap between the Anycubic Kobra 2 and this Kobra 3 is considerable, only limited to the fact that for now we only have one model and size.
In case you don’t know, Anycubic, which is already a veteran in the 3D world, has a wide range of both FDM and SLA models that we invite you to discover on its website.
As always before continuing with the article, remind you that you can join 3DWork on our Telegram channel full of 3D printing deranged, or on our social networks Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter and Facebook.
Anycubic Kobra 3 Combo
Historically, in 3D printing, we always think of prints of a single type or color of filament given the complexity that change management usually has.
With the arrival of new manufacturers, technologies and advances wenow have multifilament printing solutions to take our creativity and projects to new levels of creativity.
Anycubic, a pioneering manufacturer in 3D solutions, could not miss with its vision of this type of technology and apply them to its new Anycubic Kobra 3 Combo.
The Anycubic Kobra 3 Combo is a very capable machine that, together with the improvements introduced with respect to previous versions and its multifilament possibilities, will be an excellent option for those users who are starting out in 3D printing or those who are already experienced in it and are looking for a machine that allows them to carry out their most incredible projects.
Below we are going to break down some of the functions and options of this new Anycubic Kobra 3 Combo.
Anycubic ACE Pro
We will start with the ACE Pro multifilament system, short for Anycubic Color Engine Pro.
The ACE Pro is an accessory that can store up to 4 spools of filament to feed our printer in an automated way and without user assistance.
Anycubic promises that soon we will be able to use two of these ACE Pros simultaneously, allowing us to use up to 8 filaments in our prints…
undoubtedly an advantage over other brands with similar models.
The operation of the ACE Pro is quite simple, it provides the filament of the installed spools through 4 PTFE tubes that reach the print head making the time between filament changes significantly shortened.
In addition, thanks to its sensors, it allows us to detect filament jams or lack thereof, which will allow us to manage our prints in these events in an agile and reliable way, even automatically continuing our printing using another spool of filament.
The ACE Pro also has an integrated drying system that will allow us to always keep our filaments in optimal conditions thanks to its double 200 W PTC heating system allowing up to 55 °C as well as compartments to put desiccant to maintain the filaments.
It also has an RFID tag reader system, for those compatible filament spools, which will allow the ACD Pro itself to adjust the profiles directly thanks to the information on these tags
.
Anycubic Pantone Filaments
Along with this Kobra 3 Combo, Anycubic has launched a new range of filaments using the palette of the Pantone institute to make our creations as faithful as possible to the original design.
As this range of filaments could not be missing, Anycubic Pantone have RFID tags so the ACE Pro will read information from the spool and automatically optimize the necessary configurations.
Speed, print volume, and other features
The Anycubic Kobra 3 Combo, thanks to its mechanical design and software, will allow us to print at speeds of up to 600 mm/s with up to about 20000 mm/s² of maximum accelerations…
although the recommended for optimal results are 300 mm/s depending on the characteristics of our parts and filaments of the project.
On the other hand, despite being a fairly compact machine, we have a print volume of up to 250 x 250 x 260 mm.
We have a self-leveling system, LeviQ 3.0, which will allow us to compensate for deviations in our bed, as well as an automatic z-offset adjustment…
Leveling has never been easier, simpler and more reliable.
The design of the print head allows a quick and easy nozzle change, which is very useful in case we want to work with different nozzle diameters for our projects.
Print recovery functions in the event of filament or current supply failures are options to consider, as they can allow us to finish prints satisfactorily that would not be possible on other machines.
We also find sensors, accelerometer, for vibration compensation, adjusting the machine in an optimal way to obtain the highest quality in our prints.
Below you can find a table with the details of its most important components and features:
Anycubic Kobra 3 Combo Kit Contents
In our case our kit consisted of the Anycubic Kobra 3 along with the ACE Pro, a normal filament from Anycubic and the Anycubic Pantone.
Everything comes perfectly packaged, we will also highlight that the Kobra 3 comes practically assembled, in addition to including all the accessories and material necessary to carry out the assembly, first tests and maintenance.
Below you can see the contents of the Anycubic Kobra 3 Combo kit in detail:
Start-up Anycubic Kobra 3 Combo
Assembly and commissioning is extremely simple and in a few minutes we will be able to print our projects.
Although we have the manual printed, in addition to the assembly video below, we are going to guide you through the most important steps of the printer commissioning.
We’ll start by installing the printhead, connect the USB-C cable to it, and anchor it with the screws.
Next, we will anchor the head to the pre-installed support on the X axis of the printer with 4 screws.
The next step will be the installation of the control screen where we will anchor it with its anchor to the chassis on the right side of the printer.
Then we will connect the cable to the screen paying special attention to the orientation of the connector.
We will install the X-axis wiring, on the left side of the machine, it is an orange wire with a Molex type connector.
We will also take the opportunity to install the PTFE guide for the passage of filaments and the connection cable of the print head.
As a next step we will install the filament purging system on the right side of the X axis, we will need a couple of screws being a very simple process.
Now we will move on to preparing the ACE Pro, in this case we will follow the following steps:
- We will connect the control cable, black/dark gray, from the front connectors of our Kobra 3 to the back of the ACE Pro in the connector at the bottom of the two that counts.
- The next step will be to install the 4 PTFE tubes for filament passage on our printhead.
PTFEs have two markings so you can see that the wire was inserted correctly.
Once anchored, we will pass them through the PTFE guide that we installed in previous steps and we will connect in the same way as we did in the head to the back of the ACE Pro, in this case important to install the blue safety washers.
In principle the order is not relevant, although you do have to make sure that the PTFE has enough travel/distance so that the head can move without problems and the filament entry is as “natural” as possible.
We have 4 pieces for this to organize the PTFE tubes.
- As a last step we will check that both the headboard and the bed do not have play in their kinematics, wheels, and in case we detect something anomalous adjust the eccentric wheels to correct it.
We will take advantage of this step to manually verify the tension of the belts that we will correct with the tensioners that we have in the axis X and Y.
- Before proceeding to place the power supply of the Kobra 3 we will make sure that we have the voltage selection switch in the correct position for our case, this switch is accessible from the back of the printer.
Once checked, we can power the Kobra 3 and the ACE Pro as well as turn on both devices from the switch next to the power cable.
- With the ACE Pro already turned on we will proceed to install and load the filament spools, we advise you to place the desiccant in the available container to help keep the filaments in perfect condition.
The filament loading process is very simple, simply by inserting the filament into the inlet, the system will load it automatically.
In the following video from Anycubic you have the whole start-up process, it can be of great help to you although you also have information in the printed manual that you can find in the kit:
The following steps will be assisted by the instructions from the screen:
- We will select the language of the interface
- Set up our WiFi network
- Perform bed leveling and z-offset
- Resonance/vibration test to adjust settings
And now we can start printing, we recommend as a first impression one of the tests/objects that are included in the USB/memory to verify that everything works correctly.
In our case, as a first impression we made the typical Benchy that came out with a good quality despite using a filament that we had from other tests.
Anycubic Kobra 3 Combo Review
Before going into a deeper analysis of the experience and results obtained with this Anycubic Kobra 3 Combo, we would like to review in more detail some parts and functions of this kit.
Kinematics
The Anycubic Kobra 3 Combo features a traditional structure and kinematics with some interesting points to highlight.
The chassis is built in, apparently, aluminum with injected plastic parts with a premium finish of the whole.
In addition, this chassis allows to reduce vibrations during printing, improving the final finish of our prints.
We will have a print volume of up to 250*250* 260 mm, measurements that will allow us to carry out a wide variety of projects.
As for its kinematic capabilities, we can reach a theoretical 600 mm/s, although it is recommended not to exceed 300 mm/s, with maximum accelerations of up to 20000 mm/s².
With respect to the mechanics, we have some noteworthy points:
- Kinematics of the Z axis, we have the typical system of wheels and a single motor on that axis but it has a synchronization belt to move both sides of the axis with a semi-double Z axis system
- As for the X (print head) and Y (bed) axis, they are mounted on a system of metal wheels on a profile with a radial guide, which will allow us fast and precise movements.
Continuing on these axes we have tensioners for the belts that undoubtedly facilitate the maintenance and adjustment of these.
Related to the kinematics/mechanics we have the LeviQ 3.0 leveling system as we mentioned before that we have already tested in previous versions of this model.
In the following video you can see how to adjust the eccentrics, belt tensioning or leveling process…
which are all the parts that will allow us to optimally adjust our kinematics.
Extrusion System and Printing Platform
One of the most visible changes with respect to previous versions of this Kobra series is found in its print head that has some interesting changes and improvements, many of them related to its new multifilament system.
As for the general appearance, we find a similar design in shapes but more modern and current where we can highlight the addition of a “splitter” for filament entry, a filament cutting system and its layer ventilation system and the detail of having an LED that allows us to see the printing area in low light situations.
With regard to the internal components, we have a nozzle that can reach up to 300 ºC with a quick extraction system as we mentioned before and that we can change the assembly in a few seconds.
It also has a control electronics, toolhead, connected via a USB-C connection in a firm way and preventing wiring to the head from being cumbersome.
Electronics
In the electronics section we have little information about it since Anycubic does not give many details although one aspect is clear, it uses a Klipper system in its innards.
The electronics are located at the bottom of the printer along with the power supply and a generous fan to ensure optimal cooling.
The electronics, a Trigorilla Spe B v1.1.1.5 in our test unit have integrated the host part of the control system and the control part of the printer.
According to what we have been able to see, we have, for the host part of the control system (Klipper), a Rockchip RV1106G3 MCU that mounts an ARM Cortex-A7 32-bit processor with 1G DDR3L accompanied by an 8Gb eMMC for storage.
These features are not cutting-edge but sufficient for the management of the entire system quickly and efficiently.
We also have USB connections to expand storage space or for the use of other compatible accessories and 2.4Ghz Wi-Fi connection.
For the
control electronics part of the printer we have an GD32F303 RGT6 MCU with an ARM Cortez-M4 processor up to 120Mhz.
We also have 3 silent integrated drivers.
We also have a third MCU, the print head for the management of the extrusion motor, fan and other components of this…
In this case we do not have much information.
As for the screen there is not much to highlight, with a correct brightness and viewing angle it has a simple and straightforward interface with quite a few options for adjustment.
Software
As for the management software part, we have the Anycubic ecosystem, which is improving and growing little by little, facilitating the remote management of the machine in a simple and comfortable way.
In this ecosystem we have:
- Anycubic mobile application, for iOS and Android, from where we can manage and monitor our machine in a comfortable way from which we can even navigate to find a multitude of 3D objects to print them directly thanks to its Makeronline portal
- Makeronline portal where you can find objects for your projects.
- we also have Anycubic Slicer, an OrcaSlicer fork customized by Anycubic, with quite a few options and configurations specially designed for Anycubic machines.
Anycubic, as we have already mentioned, is creating an interesting ecosystem with its machines that will undoubtedly be interesting for new and not so new users.
ACE Pro
If there is one novelty above all in this Anycubic Kobra 3 Combo it is the ACE Pro, a multifilament system with which we will be able to use up to 8 filaments in our projects, and we say even because currently the Anycubic Kobra 3 Combo only supports one ACE Pro (4 filaments).
The ACE Pro has a design that fits as it could not be otherwise with our Kobra 3 Combo and a very good construction of both external and internal components.
Among the functions of this ACE Pro, apart from obviously allowing us to have a multifilament system, it has a series of functionalities that we will not go into detail because we already explained it at the beginning of the article:
- 4 spools of filaments and the possibility in the future to use 2 (who knows if more) ACE Pro to have 8 or more filaments for our projects.
- Active heating system to actively remove moisture from the filament and always be perfect for printing.
- Compartment to be able to add desiccant for passive filament maintenance
- RFID readers for automatic detection of compatible coils
- Sensors for detection of jams or lack of filament.
We have to say that we have been pleasantly surprised by the system and its operation with printers for many hours with dozens of changes and without a single problem.
Test and experience of using Anycubic Kobra 3 Combo
After a few days with the Anycubic Kobra 3 Combo we have to say that it has been a printer that with some good initial impressions we have been enjoying and improving the experience as we have used it more, being a printer totally recommended if it coincides with the type of printer by volume and use of multifilament in our projects.
Everything cannot be fabulous in the machine that although at the level of printing, quality, reliability and others it has behaved great, being two aspects that have weighed down the user experience the most.
Very nice multifilament but at what cost?…
this in itself is not a problem of the Anycubic Kobra 3 Combo but in general of all multifilament systems…
It’s very nice to get our projects out with different colors or types of filaments but this one has a price.
These systems generate a large waste of filament and although you have adjustments to reduce it, in the end it is inevitable and this expense can be considerable in many cases.
Adjust the purges by refining their volumes by color, make the most of them to print as many objects as we can in the same print, use the purges in filler/supports or sacrificial parts…
Yes, we have all these options but it’s still a big waste of filaments these types of system.
The second big problem with these systems is that each filament change will delay the completion of the print, adding a significantly high time for any print, no matter how small.
more electricity costs…
luckily this Anycubic Kobra 3 Combo uses a splitter system in the head and loading times are reduced a bit.
Points of failure, to take into account since these filament changes and the extra printing time at the end will generate more possibility of failure and that our beautiful project can end up in the trash.
Here again Anycubic has done everything possible with a print management with different systems and sensors to detect failures in filament supply or print recovery in case of electrical failure that although it will not ensure a correct recovery at least in a % of the time it can save us.
Finally, using the ACE Pro will require a lot of space dedicated to the printer.
Due to how the system and design of the ACE Pro works, it is difficult to place it in positions other than those recommended by Anycubic, being an important point to take into account when deciding on this kit.
Another aspect that, at least initially until we found the process to partially circumvent it, ruined the experience was having to use the Anycubic Slicer laminator that although based on PrusaSlicer lacks many functions and settings that allow us to have total control of the laminate and sometimes obtain better results.
Luckily during the testing phase we saw that there was a beta version of Anycubic Slicer, this time based on OrcaSlicer, which works considerably better although in this case we gained in options but lost the options to send our works directly to the printer.
In order to “simplify” the process and not have to be at this point with the pen drive up and down, we basically exported the gcode and from Anycubic Cloud we were able to upload our gcode and then from the App we could launch it to the printer…
yes, it is totally tedious but more comfortable than USB in our case.
Continuing with the slicer theme and taking into account that this new version is based on OrcaSlicer we exported the profiles to it and used the original OrcaSlicer obtaining excellent results except for the tedious process to upload directly to the printer.
As Anycubic has informed us, in future updates we will already have LAN mode available so that we can send directly from any laminator…
Thanks!!
Purging System Improvements
As we have already mentioned, an aspect to polish is the mechanical purging system that although we have not had problems with the system we would advise you to make the following mods to improve its operation.
As you can see, the system works like a “catapult” launching the filament, being a bit cumbersome and sometimes dangerous, as it can fall where it shouldn’t.
Searching in the 3D portals we find two perfect mods to install and solve, or at least minimize, this theme…
We opted for a small modification in the purge system as a baffle to guide the direction of the purged filament and a basket so that they are stored correctly.
Final rating Anycubic Kobra 3 Combo
As we have already said, the Anycubic Kobra 3 Combo has been a machine that has gone from less to more and that probably as it is on the market and Anycubic finishes polishing and improving some things like those mentioned above, it will be an excellent machine to take into account.
A well-built and reliable machine in our tests where its weak point has been to finish polishing the management software section as well as allowing some functions such as the use of any rolling mill in an easy and simple way.
We would also like that in the future we could have direct access to the machine to be able to customize and improve it by theoretically being based on Klipper.
The ACE Pro is an excellent multifilament system that I hope will help Anycubic to provide future models, and hopefully some old ones, with multifilament capabilities to be able to reach more users.
Where to buy the Anycubic Kobra 3 Combo
Anycubic has the Kobra 3 Combo in its online store where you can directly buy the printer, accessories, spare parts and consumables.
In any case, we provide you with some links to their and other reference stores:
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