3D Printing MK4 Kit

[cwbullet]

I received my printer kit and enclosure on Thursday. I opened my boxes and started building them today. I have built 7 printers before. I am used to the complexity and the number of parts.

The impressions so far:

1. Lots of parts but very well organized.
2. Instructions are easy to follow and very clear.
3. I love the quality of the printed parts.
4. The enclosure is nice but I hope Prusa makes a quick disconnect cable for that printer.
5. I love the new aluminum frame -? cast?
6. There is no specific instruction for the MK4 enclosure instructions. It still refers to the Mk3S+.
7. The PCB is high quality, and I really think the use of the frame and electronic enclosure as a heat sink is a great idea.

We are now about 75% done with the enclosure and 10% done with the printer.

 

[cwbullet]

Another hour or so down. I now have the X-axis halfway assembled. The Mk4 is much easier to build so far. I will get up tomorrow and try to finish this. I have read many reviews about the changes being good but too little too late. I hope to test this versus my othe printers next weekend.

 

[Huxter]

I'd be very interested in the results of comparing the MK4 to others. The 5.0.0 printer firmware now has a beta version too. I have had very little to no issues w that firmware. It works great w the input shaping and pressure advance. Cuts many time by 2/3!

 

[cwbullet]

I'd be very interested in the results of comparing the MK4 to others. The 5.0.0 printer firmware now has a beta version too. I have had very little to no issues w that firmware. It works great w the input shaping and pressure advance. Cuts many time by 2/3!

I have yet to print with it. I helped a friend get his P1P running, and he has been using an MK4 and P1P for a week. I am impressed with the quality from both printers. I will be able to go head-to-head myself soon.

The quality is great from the P1P. I need to test it with a hardened nozzle and with CF filaments. I have a box of parts to text on the way.

 

[cwbullet]

About 80% complete on the Mk4 build and 75% complete on the enclosure.

I had a conversation with a manager is Prusa about the quick-connect cable. It is coming in the next 1-2 months.

 

[cwbullet]

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One more tidbit: I like the all-metal heatbreak and the mechanism to insert. Slick design that seems well thought out. The thermistors and heat cartridges may be more durable.

 

[cwbullet]

Printer is 96% complere.

Findings so far:

• Its frame is stiffer.
• The wiring is better designed.
• I love the planetary gears and wish the front was transparent.
• The instructions are easy to follow and clear and concise.
• So far about 6-7 hours building.
• The enclosure by Prusa is very well designed.

 

[cwbullet]

I printed my first two prints last night. I printed a key chain and a bench. Now issue. I was shocked at how much quieter this machine is. I have not installed the alpha firmware to print fast yet. I will test it with a sound meter. I guess that it is about 30 decibels quieter than the P1P and it is about 10-20 decibels than the X1C. I have heard that the faster printing of the Alpha makes minimal to no chnage in noise but I have nto tested it personally.

 

[Huxter]

FWIW, I have had zero issues w the alpha firmware. Altho, I have only printed w PLA so far. I highly recommend it! MY MK4 seems a little quiter than the MK3, not by much tho.

 

[cwbullet]

FWIW, I have had zero issues w the alpha firmware. Altho, I have only printed w PLA so far. I highly recommend it! MY MK4 seems a little quiter than the MK3, not by much tho.

I will try it tomorrow.

 

[cwbullet]

Ok. I tested the Alpha 3 Firmware and have gone head to head with my Bambus. I am shocked. They are neck and neck. Some things print faster on MK4 and others on the Bambu. Not sure why.

I printed a small funnel that I made by shrinking another print. It printed in 8 minutes on my MK4 and was smooth. The P1P took under 15 minutes to print and has some surface imperfections. I did not print in on the A1C.

On another print, I could print it on the MK4 without supports, and the Bambus printed faster without supports.

 

[JohnCoker]

Ok. I tested the Alpha 3 Firmware and have gone head to head with my Bambus. I am shocked. They are neck and neck.

That's great! We're hopefully seeing the beginnings of a huge improvement in printing time which will spread across the board.

My Bambu X1C has made my other printers seem ridiculously slow and I'm hoping it will push the higher-end machines to speed up as well.

 

[cwbullet]

That's great! We're hopefully seeing the beginnings of a huge improvement in printing time which will spread across the board.

My Bambu X1C has made my other printers seem ridiculously slow and I'm hoping it will push the higher-end machines to speed up as well.

I had an online conversation with a Prusa engineer. He indicated to me that Prusa had been working on input shaping for a couple of years but failed to implement it until Bambu came out with it. I suspect more have been doing the same.

I wonder what effect the new K1 will have on Bambu. The K1 max could make quite an impact.

 

[Huxter]

I think the MK4 (and others) are making strides in making 3d printing a science instead of an art. The "Guaranteed First Layer" is a huge step toward that goal.

 

[Bill S]

Looks impressive. How do they do with reducing the visibility of layers? That's the thing that always turned me off non-resin printers; the print lines.

 

[JohnCoker]

I had an online conversation with a Prusa engineer. He indicated to me that Prusa had been working on input shaping for a couple of years but failed to implement it until Bambu came out with it. I suspect more have been doing the same.

I wonder what effect the new K1 will have on Bambu. The K1 max could make quite an impact.

Yeah, competition can be very good. This is a nice example of a new entrant forcing existing players to up their game.

A speed race between the vendors could be a good thing, if only to determine the bounds of what's possible. I'll still only be interested in machines that have a "just works" orientation, but it sure is an exciting time.

 

[SmurfTacoSupreme]

@cwbullet I agree with most of your points. I'm up to the Nextruder assembly and it's really been smooth sailing so far. The idlers are a little tight on mine...one spins freely, but the other is a no-go. Might have to reprint the parts to ensure both are nice 'n free. Lots of little custom bits for the Nextruder...which certainly helps to achieve the compact size.

 

[cwbullet]

@cwbullet I agree with most of your points. I'm up to the Nextruder assembly and it's really been smooth sailing so far. The idlers are a little tight on mine...one spins freely, but the other is a no-go. Might have to reprint the parts to ensure both are nice 'n free. Lots of little custom bits for the Nextruder...which certainly helps to achieve the compact size.

Yes. There are a couple key instructions in the assembly of the extruder that I would review to make sure you did it right (since it is not spinning freely). We had to loosen a screw that was over-tightened.

 

[WoShuGui]

There is no specific instruction for the MK4 enclosure instructions. It still refers to the Mk3S+.

Were there any MK4 specific parts needed fot the enclosure? My plan is to swap the MK4 into an enclosure previously built for an MK3+. I have seen the frame brace used to replace the PSU uses M4 bolts on the MK4 instead of M3 bolts and can be printed.

 

[cwbullet]

Were there any MK4 specific parts needed fot the enclosure? My plan is to swap the MK4 into an enclosure previously built for an MK3+. I have seen the frame brace used to replace the PSU uses M4 bolts on the MK4 instead of M3 bolts and can be printed.

There are a few differences. You do not use the quick connect cable. Also, No PTFE tubing. I will review the build to night and add more if there are any.

 

[WoShuGui]

Finished assembling my MK4 kit this weekend. Like other Prusa kits, the instructions were well considered and easy to follow. Agree MK4 is quieter and smoother than the MK3+. PLA printing with input shaping firmware 5.0.0-RC is a little over 2x faster with slightly degraded print quality versus firmware 4.7.2. The MK4IS configuration bumps the nozzle temperature by 10 degrees to get the higher extrusion rate for PLA, so I expect there will be print rate limitations using higher temperature filaments. Overall, I have been impressed so far.

 

[cwbullet]

Finished assembling my MK4 kit this weekend. Like other Prusa kits, the instructions were well considered and easy to follow. Agree MK4 is quieter and smoother than the MK3+. PLA printing with input shaping firmware 5.0.0-RC is a little over 2x faster with slightly degraded print quality versus firmware 4.7.2. The MK4IS configuration bumps the nozzle temperature by 10 degrees to get the higher extrusion rate for PLA, so I expect there will be print rate limitations using higher temperature filaments. Overall, I have been impressed so far.

I have to agree with you. It is impressive.

 

[Huxter]

I saw up speeds up to 3x faster then the MK3. I did not see any degradation in finish.

5.0.0-RC - RC = Release Candidate? I need to remember to update the MK4 firmware! Spock: "Remember"

 

[WoShuGui]

There are a few differences. You do not use the quick connect cable. Also, No PTFE tubing. I will review the build to night and add more if there are any.

One thing I like is that the QSM-M5 fitting is directly compatible with the MK4 extruder so filament changes are more reliable. The filament doesn’t hang up like it does with the MK3S+ using the QSM-M5 adapter in the modified FS-cover. It seemed on like every other filament change I had to unscrew the QSM-M5 fitting and hand insert the filament into the MK3S+ extruder and then reattach the fitting.

 

[WoShuGui]

Has anyone tried using different nozzle diameters or the nozzle adapter on the MK4? I would think the 0.6 mm is well tested on the XL platform, but wonder about smaller sizes. Also I hear the adapter is best suited for brass nozzles but tends to leak on hardened materials because of differential thermal expansion. I am thinking the adapter should be fine with the Olsson Ruby.

 

[cwbullet]

Has anyone tried using different nozzle diameters or the nozzle adapter on the MK4? I would think the 0.6 mm is well tested on the XL platform, but wonder about smaller sizes. Also I hear the adapter is best suited for brass nozzles but tends to leak on hardened materials because of differential thermal expansion. I am thinking the adapter should be fine with the Olsson Ruby.

I have used a 0.25mm and 0.6mm. Both worked well. I have not tested either with input shaping.