Creality is delaying the deliveries of their latest flagship 3D printer, the K2.
The K2, successor to the popular and well-regarded K1 line, was announced back in April of this year. The K2’s key feature was a huge build volume of 350 x 350 x 350 mm, larger than most devices on this market.
There’s another feature that makes the K2 quite interesting: multicolor 3D printing. This is accomplished with a new optional accessory, the Creality Filament System (CFS). This device is similar to that used by several other 3D printer manufacturers, as it pulls and pushes filaments into the single hot end during operations. The CFS handles up to four different spools during a single job.
The K2 was offered for pre-order in June, and offered varying discounts on the first 2500 units ordered. The MSRP for the “combo” unit that includes both the printer and a CFS is US$1499. These pre-orders were to be delivered later this year.
This week Creality sent a bulletin to some buyers, explaining that there would be a delay in shipments. They wrote:
“Due to global supply chain issues, we have encountered some unforeseen challenging that have led to delays in production and logistics. We are fully aware that this delay may cause inconvenience for you, and for that we sincerely apologize.”
and:
“Based on the latest shipping estimates from our logistics provider, we anticipate arranging shipments gradually starting from November 8, 2024, with an estimated delivery time of 7 days after shipment. The actual delivery time may be affected by various uncertain factors such as weather conditions, transportation methods, and logistics provider scheduling, thus the following dates are provided as a reference only. We will make every effort to deliver the goods to you at the earliest opportunity.”
It seems that the company has run into a bump in their supply chain, which isn’t too surprising these days. It’s hard to get parts, and much, much harder when you have to organize the massive quantities of parts required for huge numbers of K2 machines.
It seems that pre-order customers will wait longer for their K2, but it’s not all bad. Creality is offering a gift for those affected:
“As a token of appreciation for your patience and understanding, we will upgrade you to a lifetime VIP member, where you will permanently enjoy a 10% discount at Creality Store.”
That’s actually quite a good perk for what is really a minor delay for most customers. Ten percent off any Creality purchases for eternity is a pretty decent benefit. I can recall many, many other 3D printer launches where there were very significant delays and no free gifts were offered. In some cases buyers didn’t even receive the machines — ever.
If Creality is encountering parts supply issues, I’m wondering if other 3D printer manufacturers might also be having similar challenges. We should watch for shipment delays — and free gift offers.
