Creality is one of the top brands in the 3D printer manufacturing industry. The brand has produced products such as the CR-10, the very popular Ender 3, and the Ender 3 Pro. This article is a review of the Creality Ender 5 3D Printer, a more recent production from the brand.
DESIGN
The Creality Ender 5 3D Printer features a design different from the other Ender products you know. It appears like a box – described as cubic by the manufacturers – with a 220 x 220 x 300 mm build volume and a 440 x 410 x 465 dimension. If you are going to get it, have one time in mind – you need space.
The printer has more room for the Z-axis which is in the middle while the measurement for the X and Y axis are just like the Ender 3. There is a dedicated stepper motor on each axis. When assembled, the printer presents a sturdy and stable appearance.
FEATURES
The Creality Ender 5 3D Printer has the following features;
- V-Shape Wheels: These wheels help the printer stays stable and also withstand wear and tear. They generate less noise when the printer is in use.
- Resume Print Function: This is common with Creality printers. The resume print function resumes your printing work if there is a power interruption. This feature helps prevent resources from being wasted.
- Removable Building Surface: Removing the printing models won’t be difficult as the Ender 5 building surface is removable.
- Movement Heating Bed: Just like DIY 3D printers, the heating bead of the Ender 5 follows a movement platform. This can improve printing stability.
- Fused Deposition Modeling: The FDM modeling technology is the technology on which the Creality Ender 5 3D printer operates.
- Brand Power Supply: The Creallity Brand Power Supply heats the heating bed to 110oC in no time – 5 minutes at most.
These features are impressive but notably, the Ender 5 3D does not feature the Meanwell Power Supply.
ASSEMBLY
Assembling the Creality Ender 5 3D printer will not be difficult. It is easier than assembling other Creality Ender 3D printers as the printer comes with pre-assembled axes. The little mounting work left to do can be done under 30 minutes.
The printer comes with a well-documented manual upon purchase which contains installation instructions. By following these instructions, you should have no trouble assembling this printer.
Also included in the purchase box are tools for assembly. These include some pliers, a screwdriver, a wrench, a USB cable, a spatula, a nozzle cleaner, and a spare nozzle. For your printing, there is an SD card and an SD card reader; 200 grams of PLA filament is included for you to run test prints.
SOFTWARE
The Creality Ender 5 3d Printer makes use of the Cura 3D slicing software. This software comes in an SD card along with the printer with 15 and 3.4.1 versions. However, this software that comes with the printer works only on Windows operating system. The software does work very on Windows though the versions are a bit old.
For Mac and Linux users, you may need to download the Cura Software directly from the developer website – Ultimaker. The download is free and you can download the most recent version. Windows users who need the most recent version can also download it from the website.
Beginners might find it difficult to make use of the Cura 3D slicing software as you have to fill in profile data and measurements. If you have other 3D slicing software installed on your PC, you can test it to see if it works with the printer.
Pros
- Easy to assemble
- Can deliver high-quality prints
- Can achieve higher print speeds (80mm/s without quality problems)
- Magnetic bed lets you easily remove the prints
- Hackable and upgradeable
Cons
- The magnetic bed is flimsy and not very durable
- Filament loading can be tricky
- The printer menu lacks some functions
- Manual print bed leveling
Conclusion
The Creality Ender 5 3D printer is a professional 3D printing machine. It has its cons but it performs very well which makes it an ideal product for purchase.
