News

Inside the Test Pilot Program: How 19 Beta Pilots Helped Shape the Snapmaker U1

The Snapmaker Team

19 Sep 2025 — 4 min read

Hi Snapmaker Community,

Over the past month, our U1 Test Pilot Program has been in full swing. We shipped 19 beta units to experienced community members and past Snapmaker video contest winners. They have provided detailed feedback that has been invaluable in refining the U1 before full-scale production.

This blog shares their stories, feedback, improvements made, and some of the amazing creations they've produced.

Why We Launched the U1 Test Pilot Program

“You’ve got to start with the customer experience and work back toward the technology, not the other way around.” — Steve Jobs

The start of every great product is understanding what our users need and solving their problems.

Through our early user interviews, we learned that while multi-color 3D printing is exciting, people wanted faster prints, less waste, and lower cost.

The Test Pilot Program lets us co-create with our users, iterate rapidly, and validate our product before full-scale production.

Polish before mass production: Identify potential issues in hardware, firmware, and software early.
Co-create with our users: Pilots don't just use the printer; they help shape it.
Rapid iteration: Feedback goes directly to engineers, enabling fast improvements.
Authentic user experiences: Real feedback shows how the U1 performs in everyday scenarios.

How We Found the Right Pilots

Our greatest asset is our community.

Top Contributors – Community members who are skilled, experienced, and actively using 3D printers.
Passionate Content Creators – Winners of our video contests, who earned guaranteed spots in the U1 Test Pilot Program.

Quick Numbers

Beta Pilots: 19 users.
Average print time per tested unit: 128 hours (median 111 hours, max. 500 hours).
Average total number of toolhead changes: 25049 (median 23450)
Average print success rate (excluding highest and lowest values): 90.8% (median 90%).
- Note: Our Beta Pilots tested an early U1 pre-release. With firmware, software, app, and hardware updates since then, internal tests now show a 95% print success rate.

Top Surprises from Beta Pilots

Print Quality: Out-of-the-box accuracy is excellent, and multi-color prints are reliable.
Speed & Efficiency: High-speed printing without sacrificing quality, and minimal filament waste.
Multi-Color & Multi-Material Capability: Switching colors or materials is effortless.
Automation: Automatic filament loading/unloading, and multi-toolhead calibration.

"Even though I had been told and was expecting it, seeing with my own eyes how little time multicolor printing takes with this technology compared to the another system was truly exciting." — Serena Gallizioli (@Robota)

What We've Fixed and Improved

We've addressed and improved hundreds of items, and while we won't list them all here, here are some highlights:

Mechanical & Hardware Tweaks:

Filament feeding reliability significantly improved for PLA, PETG, PC, and TPU 95A, while TPU 90A still requires further testing.
Improved fit for toolhead swapper housing and printer side panels
Stronger door magnets for better closure
Increased silicone brush lifespan (~300,000 wipes at 300°C)

Firmware Updates:

Features: Backup mode, timelapse management, device usage statistics, reprint from touchscreen, batch filament loading/unloading
Optimizations: Faster bed auto-leveling, quicker extrusion calibration, improved timelapse lighting, enhanced LAN monitoring

Snapmaker Orca (Nightly Build):

Machine filament auto-assignment with official RFID filaments, merge and delete functions, LAN mode support
Bug fixes inherited from OrcaSlicer

Snapmaker App Updates:

Timelapse video management, device exception status, enhanced monitoring interface

Some Challenges Remain

Beta testing isn't always smooth—and that's exactly why we do it. Here are the main issues reported so far:

Large File Upload Failures via Orca
We're fixing this: The stable release will resolve this issue.
Some Third-Party Spools May Fall Off
We're improving this: Official 3D-printable adapters are being designed, and we plan to add the model to the touchscreen's built-in library.

What We're Working On

We're addressing the remaining issues to ensure a smooth experience when you receive your U1:

Software & connectivity stability
Core functions & UI/UX polish

Real Stories from the Community

U1 Beta Pilots have been sharing their experiences with us. Some have even recorded videos. Here are some highlights:

Wombley's First Prints – See what it's really like to start using U1 - Watch the Video
Wombley's Six Color Printing on the Snapmaker U1 - Watch the Video
Barry's Borderlands 4 Mask made with U1 - Watch the Video
Chris' Virtua Fighter 1 diorama - Watch the Video
Serena's Unboxing & First Project - Watch the Video
Danny's (@NeoKoiPrints) TPU Hueforge 0.04 layer heights - Watch the Video
Danny's (@NeoKoiPrints) TPU Benchy with PLA raft - Watch the Video
Rudi occasionally hosts U1 printing livestream - Watch on Discord