The K2 Plus is the latest evolution of the next generation flagship K series 3D printers. Plus means this model now comes with larger build volume of 350mm cubed. The K2 Plus has many new upgrades including active chamber temperature control, servo stepper motors for the Core XY motion system and dual motors for the Z axis. Additionally it has built in smart features such as the hands-free auto bed level system, input shaping and AI calibration, built in cameras, new extruder with built in cutter and fast printing with speeds up to 600mm/s. Along with the printer we’re also checking out the new CFS, Creality’s filament system for multi-color and multi material printing.
Key Specs:
- Build Volume 350 x 350 x 350
- Multi Color printing
- Die Cast Frame
- New updated Extruder
- CoreXY High speed 600mm/s
- Flow Rate 40mm/s
- Auto Leveling
- AI calibration
- Remote operation and monitoring
- Auto XY Axis belt tensioning
- New Door Hinge open 145 degress – reduce risk of breakage
- Active Temperature control / heating and cooling fans
- WiFi, Ethernet, USB printing
- Creality Print 5.1 Slicer
Unboxing and Assembly
The printer arrives in a large heavy box, there’s a bit of unpacking to do with everything neatly packed inside. The printer is almost ready to go out of the box and only needs a few steps to setup. Now this is a big heavy printer so you might need some help moving it around. You’ll also need to find a dedicated space for it. Due to its size and mass I found it best placed on a concrete garage floor.
Switching on the printer it takes about a minute to boot up and on the initial power up we need setup and configure the printer and run the self-check system. With the printer ready to go we can load a roll of the included filament. What’s good about these new rolls of filament is they have a RFID tag that contains the information about the filament.
So at the side of the printer just above the external spool holder we have the RFID reader, which allows us to swipe the spool and the info will automatically be updated to the printer showing the filament type and color. And for other filaments without RFID we can add the information manually in the slicer or on the touch screen.
First Print
For the first print we will begin with the high speed Benchy boat, that’s included as a pre sliced file on the printer. It’s a fast print for a Benchy boat and it’s a good first test print to check and confirm the printer is working well. The finished model printed in 14 minutes, and looking closely there is some visible layer lines and some of the corners aren’t as sharp as they could be, but overall it printed out well for a super-fast benchy.
CFS
The Creality Filament System (CFS) is designed for multi-color and multi-material 3D printing, holding up to four rolls of filament. It automatically selects and changes filament as needed, allowing for continuous printing with different colors or materials. The CFS can also function as a filament backup system, switching to a new roll of the same type when one runs out. It features an airtight unit with humidity and temperature sensors to keep filament dry and ready for use, with status monitoring via an LCD screen. Additionally, the CFS is expandable, allowing up to 16 colors by connecting multiple units.
First Multi Color Print
With the CFS setup and filament loaded, we’ll test out the color changes with the pre-sliced colored benchy model. This model prints with the 4 colors using the blue white red and black. Once the print starts there is nothing to touch and the color changes automatically. The finish model took 26 minutes to complete and all the color changes were smooth.
Software
Creality has upgraded its slicing software to Creality Print 5.1, which features a clean and intuitive user interface. The software offers default slicing presets that work well and can be customized for specific model requirements. After slicing a model into a g-code file, it can be sent directly to the K2 PLUS printer via Wi-Fi or saved onto a USB drive. The Wi-Fi option is faster than transferring files through SD cards or USB drives. The software also allows for controlling and monitoring one or multiple 3D printers, with the ability to track prints through the Creality Cloud app on mobile devices.
Dune Model Print
For the next print we’re printing the Dune model Kit at 120% scale, with lots of small parts it needs a good first layer to capture all the details and the auto bed level along with the PEI build plate create an excellent first layer. The finished print looks good and to complete all the parts are assembled to build the model.
Hot Wheels Logo
Next up we have this Hot Wheels Logo and this is printed using the CFS that automatically changes between the red, yellow and white colours. One thing I was interested to see was the filament color changes and how long it takes to complete the process. Changes ended up taking around 1:30min for each color, which was pretty good. The finished print looks clean and while it’s hard to see there is some slight yellow coloring in the white, but with increasing the size of the prime tower and the purge in the software should fix this.
Mandalorian Model
For this print were printing a Mandalorian model with Creality’s hyper black PLA. This model is designed to be able to print without any supports and it’s a fairly quick print to complete, taking about 2 hrs and 25minutes. The finished print had some fine webbing which was easy to clean off and the finished model turned out great with a clean and smooth surface finish.
Hue Forge Storm Trooper
For this next print, we printing a Hue Forge design of a Storm Trooper. The CFS will automatically change colours at set layer heights to give a detail painted look. And while we could do manual filament swaps with a layer pause, using the CFS makes the whole process easier to print. The finished print of the storm trooper turned out well and has a neat and interesting design that was easy to print.
Final Thoughts
The printer is easy to operate and setup, and it’s great for small or larger prints, prototypes, or production work, and with its fast printing speed it’s a huge time saver. Keep in mind this is a big, solid and heavy printer so will need to find a dedicated space to set it up. The K2 Plus is a really well built printer that works great and with the multi-color CFS combo it has everything you need in a profession workshop printer.
Product Links
- Ender-3 V3 PLUS a Large Open Frame Bed Slinger
- Hyper PLA filament
- Filament Dryer
- Unicorn Nozzle Kit
Watch the full detailed video review here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrB7lAfh8BA
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