3D Upfitters AnkerMake M5 User manual

AnkerMake Enclosure Kit
Installation Manual 1.0
April 2023
Copyright 2023 3D Upfitters LLC
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You Really Do Want to Read the Directions
Hey, we get it. You just got your new enclosure kit and want to start using it as fast as possible.
How hard can assembling a few plastic panels possibly be? It’s not that hard, assuming you’re
following the directions, but try to use brute force, and you’ll end up working your way through
your vocabulary of swear words. While the acrylic pieces in the kit are strong, they are still
plastic and will break if bent far enough. The ghosts of the broken panels that have gone before
you have become much stronger than you could ever imagine and are whispering into your ear,
“just be a little careful.” !
Before you Start
Is This Manual for Yo u r Kit?
This installation manual covers the enclosure design for the AnkerMake M5. !
Is your Printer Customized?
"
If your printer is stock, then no customization is needed. If you have customized the printer,
you should examine any modifications to ensure they don't block the panels. If part of one of
the panels is blocked, you can use a laser or drill to customize one or more panels. This
should be done before removing the plastic or paper covers on the acrylic panels.
Cutting acrylic requires great care as the plastic is prone to crack if mishandled.
Preparing the Printer!
Remove any filament from the hot end (which will require heating the hot end) and remove the
filament spool from the spool holder.!
Turn the printer offand unplug the power cable from the printer’s power supply. !
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Don’t Panic If You See This!!
"
If you can’t see through the plastic, please
don’t panic! What you’re seeing is just the
plastic or paper protective covering.!
When plastic sheets are manufactured, they
are covered by either a paper (brown
colored) or plastic (white) covering to protect
against scratches. Follow the directions
below to remove the cover and discover the
beautiful plastic underneath. !
To remove the covering from an acrylic
panel, lay the panel flat on a table. Then peel
up a corner of the covering and CAREFULLY
and SLOWLY pull horizontally to the sheet to
reduce the lateral forces that would bend the
acrylic. This video shows just what to do. $
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Type to enter a caption.

Everything You Wanted to Know About Screwing But
Were Afraid to Ask
The most confusing thing about assembling this enclosure will probably be which fastener or
screw to use. Luckily it's easy to figure out once you know the system. While the same screw
to use will be detailed in each section of the manual, you probably won't need to refer to it
once you know the secrets.!
The most common screw is the 12mm hex cap head screw. The 12mm screws are long
enough to attach things to the acrylic front, top, sides, and back. Each section will describe
exactly which screw to use, to read carefully, and use the specified screw for the best results. !
The actual length of the "long" screws to attach the fan and filter will vary depending on the
depth of the particular shipment of fans we happen to get that month. They will be easy to spot
since they'll be the longest thing in the bags.!
Finally, and we can’t stress this enough:!
D O N ’T O V E R T I G H T E N T H E S C R E W S
Leave the screws a little loose until the end adjustment phase. During that process, you’ll be
hand-tightening until the screws are snug, but you can easily use so much force on the plastic
pieces or the acrylic crack. Please don’t be that guy. $
Screw
Tool Needed
Usage
Relative Size
30-50mm
Hex Cap
Head
3mm Hex Wrench
Attach fan/filter, attach large
front latch mounts
12mm Hex
Cap Head
3mm Hex Wrench
Connectors, hinges
16mm Hex
Cap Head
3mm Hex Wrench
Knobs, small latch mounts on
some models
#6 3/4” Wood
Screw
Philips Head
Screwdriver
Attach magnetic latch to mount
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Assemble Panels
1. The Front Panel!
Each of the corners of the enclosure will be held together by the connectors pictured
below. Only two versions, L and R, can be identified by the letters stamped inside.
The opposite connectors are identical, i.e., the Bottom Right is the same as Top Left.
In all cases, the surface of the connector with the cutout pattern faces front or back.!
The front door is designed so that the latches are on the left. Attach the corner
connectors on the back side of the door frame using the provided cap head 12mm
screws. See the photos below. The top of the connector should be flush with the top
of the acrylic.!
"
There are also smaller connectors at the top and right sides when viewed from the
front.
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Top Left
Top Right
Bottom Left
Bottom Right

The front should look like the picture below:!
!
Locate the magnetic latches and use the wood screws to
attach them to the latch mount shown to the right. The
magnetic metal strips should be facing out of the enclosure.
Hand tighten only enough, so the magnetic latch doesn’t
move, as the latch will be later adjusted front-to-back to
ensure the door is flush with the frame. !
Each latch mount is attached via three screws. Use the
30mm cap head to secure the latch mount inside the door
frame. You’ll use 2 M4 12mm screws to attach the latch
mount to the right-side panel later in the assembly. !
Attach the hinges to the outside door and door frame using
M4 12mm screws and nuts. There will be some play in the
hole size so that you can adjust the door to swing freely.!
Attach the doorknob by first inserting the square M4 nut into the
slot. Use a 16mm cap head screw to attach the door.!
Now that the latches are mounted, it is time to connect the strike
plate. Each plate has a squishy adhesive covering the same size as
the plate. Carefully attach the adhesive side to the acrylic at the
location of each latch. Then, adjust the width of the metal strike
plate so that it is held on by the pressure of the two sides of the
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plate. The adhesive covering will keep the metal strike plate from scratching the
acrylic. !
2. Left Side Panel
Attach the left side to the front forming an L-shape that will
stand up on its own, then attach one L and one R
connector at the back. The design technically doesn’t
need a door but allows additional side access to the
extruder. The latch mounts are smaller than the front,
although the magnetic latch attaches in the same way with
wood screws. The parts for the side door will be in a
separate packet.!
Attach the door hinges, latch mounts, strike plates, and knob;
the assembly will resemble the above illustration. Don’t forget
the mid-panel connectors at the back, left, and top.!
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As with the front door, adjust how the door hangs by loosening the hinge screws, using
the strike plates to hold the door to the latches, and then tightening the hinge screws.!
Note that the left side will also be the location of the fresh air intake vent, but that will
be installed after the enclosure is placed over the printer.!
3. Back Panel
The back of the enclosure is shown below. The four corner connectors are mirror
images of the front. The large hole is either for an air filter (purchased separately) or
can be covered by the included plastic disc using M4 12mm screws. On the top and
each side are “mid panel corner connectors,” which are simple L-shapes.
!
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!
If you haven’t purchased an air filter or vent kit you’ll want to
install the fan at this point. If you have purchased one of
those accessories you can skip this step.!
Ensure the fan is blowing air out of the enclosure and NOT
into it. Confirm the fan's direction by plugging it into a USB
power supply before attaching the filter. The round label
should be on the outside.!
The fan should be attached to the outside of the
enclosure.
The fan should be oriented to pull air OUT of the enclosure. !
Use the long screws included in the fan packet to attach the fan. The length of the
screws may change depending on the depth of this
particular shipment of fans.!
The back panel also contains the removable grommet
cable portal. Locate the grommet and insert it into the
grommet holder. This is where you’ll insert the power
cable, USB cable, and wires you want to run in or out
of the enclosure.!
Insert the grommet holder/grommet combination into
the U-shaped hole in the right-side panel. This will enable
you to slide the enclosure offand onto the printer without
unplugging the cables.!
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4. Right Panel
Attach the right panel as shown below at each of the four corners. !
You can now attach the front latch mount (circled in red) to the right side using 2 M4
12mm cap head screws.!
!
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5. Top Panel
Before attaching the top, now is an excellent time to insert the support beam. It is a
tad wider than the enclosure so that it doesn’t fall out when moving the enclosure.!
!
Next, use access through the front and side doors to attach the top of the enclosure
using M4 12mm screws. You’ll also connect the top on the four corners to each mid-
panel connector. Note that if you purchased the model with the 6mm front and
3mm sides, there will be a front and back to the top! The front lip is slightly longer
to fit over the 6mm front, so carefully check for fitment and flip over the top if
necessary.!
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6. Install Vents
Before installing the front vents it would help if you placed the enclosure over the 3D
printer at this point.!
The front fresh air vent is inserted from the outside and attached using M4 12mm
screws. This will bring cold air to the air intake vent of the case, cooling the electronics
inside. It’s essential to keep the fan on the back panel running to help draw air through
the case’s vents and outside when printing PLA and PETG. !
Once you’ve secured the vents as shown above, place the lids on top. The lid fits right
into the vent slots, helping to form a seal. Slide the 3D printer towards the front up
against the vent.!
!
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If you forget to turn on the fan when printing PLA, your printer will probably clog. !
If that happens, use a 3D printer needle (available in many places online) to remove the
clog. This technique is easy and works most of the time. !
It is acceptable to turn offthe fan when printing ABS or ASA to bring the temperature
into the ideal range, but be sure to turn the fan back on when you’re finished,
especially if you are venting or filtering the air to remove VOCs.!
7. Tighten Gaps
Once the enclosure is completely put together, it is time to ensure that each panel is
held tightly to each adjoining panel. The connectors are designed with a small amount
of play, allowing you to make minor adjustments for the perfect fit. !
1. Loosen screws on the panel to move.!
2. Push that panel into place. You may need a friend to hold it tightly in the right spot.!
3. Re-tighten the screws to hold the panel. Only tighten enough to hold the pieces
snuggly. DO NOT OVER-TIGHTEN! These parts are sturdy, but they’re still all made of
plastic.!
Repeat the process, going around the enclosure to ensure all panels are flush.!
8. Assemble Spool Holder
The filament feeds into the extruder through the gaps in the side doors. You can
place the spool holder on the table besides the printer or on top of the enclosure.!
Slide the AnkerMake M5’s aluminum spool holder into the slot, then use the 4 M4
screws to attach it to the base securely. Note that there are two lengths of screws; the
shorter screws got on top, and the 2 longer screws are on the bottom.!
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9. Temperature Gauge
The optional thermometer will let you know the temperature inside the enclosure. It
attaches to the left side of the door piece using the same hole as the topmost corner
connector, as shown. It comes with a longer screw to fit through everything.!
!
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10. Managing Enclosure Temperatures
There's not much to a 3D printer enclosure. Although ours look fancy, they're similar to
putting a card box over the printers since both designs are passively heated by the
heated beds.!
We generally get two types of customers:!
1. Those interested primarily in air quality.!
2. Those interested mainly in print quality.!
The problem is that those two goals use two different techniques in terms of airflow.
For the best air quality, as much air as possible must come into the enclosure and then
be vented or filtered out. All of our enclosures come with fans, and we've chosen the
CFM ratings to match the cubic size of the enclosures. This ensures enough airflow for
filament types like PLA, which don't like the heat, to keep the temperatures in the safe
zone. !
At the same time, you want the internal temperatures higher for filaments like ABS.
This happens naturally because the recommended bed temperatures are much higher
than for PLA, typically in the 105-120C range. With the fans turned on, we shoot for
internal temps between 35C and 40C for 3D printers that use E3D hot ends because
E3D recommends that temp range to avoid clogging. Keeping the temperatures in that
range puts the least stress on the equipment and follows the manufacturer's
guidelines.!
This works great for people either interested primarily in air quality or risk-averse
people who don't want to risk clogging their hot ends or decreasing the useful life of
their printers.!
More experienced 3D printer owners, though, for whom a clogged nozzle is an
acceptable risk, might want to run the temperatures higher for less warping of ABS
parts or to print nylon. In those cases, you can turn offthe fans or even print one of
the vent covers and not vent at all. We do the latter for our internal print farm on a
couple of machines where the temperature when printing ABS gets as high as 46C.
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They've been running like that for years with no clogging, and even with no venting of
the power supplies, we've never had a power supply fail either. Your mileage may vary
as it depends on many variables, such as filament quality and the quality of the power
supply in your printer.!
If you're looking for the highest possible temperature, try turning the bed heater
on for an hour before printing. !
The other part of the equation is the printer design. Those printers where the hot end is
at the top of the enclosure make it easier to achieve higher temperatures because the
hot air rises to the top, and the vertical hot end position is fixed. Those printers with
the hot ends at the bottom will always have more problems managing temperature
simply because the temperature is more likely to vary as the hot end goes from the
bottom to the top of the enclosure.!
If you're looking to achieve a particular temperature with your enclosure, let us know,
and we'll give some advice on how to manage, but it's not that hard: !
Lower Temperature = More Air Flow!
Higher Temperature = Less Air Flow
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