- Bed Levelling — This is hands down the biggest issue for FDM printer users. Many have given up on 3D printing just for this reason, as bed leveling is time-consuming and frustrating. The CR-6 is self-leveling, which at this price point is unheard of, and that alone may be cause for you to purchase this as your first printer.
- Silent Motherboard — You will not be kept awake as your printer churns through the making cycle, as an upgraded motherboard keeps your motors quite so that you can sit back and enjoy the slight white noise it gives off.
- Easy to Build — My Ender 3 took me about an hour to build, but Creality claims that the CR-6 can be built in five—yes 5—minutes! I look forward to seeing that!
- New Extruder — The extruder is an integral part of a 3D printer and can literally make or break your print. Most users ditch the stock extruder before even attempting the test print (I am one of those people) due to the plastic cracking under stress. I often purchase aluminum extruders simultaneously with new printers. I am looking forward to trying out the new extruder in hopes of finally getting a good stock solution.
- Running Out of Filament — I have spent hours staring at my spools trying to decide when best to replace them. I have also spent an insane amount of time trying to decide if I have sufficient filament to print and object. The CR-6’s photoelectric filament sensor and resume printing function may just put an end to that. The CR-6 will keep track of how much I use and how much is left, which I could not possibly value enough!
These are just a few of the upgrades that the CR-6 offers over other printers in the sub-$350 price range, and I can assure you that any one of them qualifies for cracking open my wallet to save time, energy, and aggravation to give me more time enjoying my prints and less time trying to birth them into the world.
Revamped aluminum body
The CR-6 SE has a modular aluminum body, with sealed dust-resistant coupling points, which can be disassembled and packed away for easier transport. A sturdy gantry structure also allows users to carry the printer without disassembly. The initial assembly of the 3D printer takes only five minutes, with detailed instructions aiding the intuitive process.
The mechanical components of an FDM printer are constantly moving around, generating inertia which can send vibrations through a print, shaking it on the build plate. As a result, printed parts could potentially have very visible layer lines, especially on taller models. Creality has taken extra care with the design of the CR-6 SE’s frame, ensuring smooth and stable motion regardless of the dimensions of the print job.
The frame has been given a wider, fortified foundation with dual linear Z-axis rails, topped off with a timing belt to dampen vibrations and improve motion balance during printing. The theoretical result is 3D printed parts of visibly higher quality as the placement of the nozzle should be more precise as it moves in the XYZ planes.
Inside the body of the printer is Creality’s new Trinamic motion controller with an Atmage2560 chipset, which is capable of voltage control via thermal runaway protection firmware – keeping temperatures low and enabling sub-30dB printing. A 4.3 inch HD full-color touch screen provides a gateway to most functions, with English and Chinese language options. The printer’s frame also features a foldable filament holder, a tool storage drawer, and an adjustable belt tensioner to mitigate the slack that can form on the conveyor belts over time.
Modular printhead redesign
Poorly designed printhead assemblies are the root cause of nozzle clogging and oozing. Creality’s crowdfunded system aims to combat this with a redesigned modular printhead structure that allows users to replace and substitute components with ease. The heat sink, heat block, Teflon tubing, and hotend are all deconstructable, encouraging maintenance and tinkering. A set of powerful cooling fans enables superior control over filament extrusion and retraction. The printhead also houses an in-situ filament runout sensor to pause prints when required – especially useful for those multi-day prints that burn through spools like butter.
Intelligent leveling-free system
The system boasts a number of clever features, claiming to fix common problems typically found in consumer-grade machines, which includes the age-old issue of bed leveling. A level print bed is crucial to achieving consistently successful prints on a machine. Without it, rafts and skirts often fail to adhere to the bed, moving around as the nozzle attempts to extrude subsequent layers to no avail.
The CR-6 SE’s in-built innovative “leveling-free device” utilizes a smart pressure sensor to constantly automatically level the bed so the user doesn’t have to. The machine also comes factory pre-leveled so if it all works as intended, print adhesion should be greatly increased without the user even having to think about it.
To add to this, the smooth glass bed is coated in carborundum, a microporous composite material with desirable thermal properties. The carborundum coating promotes rapid heating, stronger adhesion, and easier part removal as the microstructure contracts in a cooler state.
All of this sounds good anyway, Lol
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The CR6 will be a good choice I hope. Some have made it out to reviewers so YouTube is your friend there. Good luck!
