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Creality’s new CR-10 Smart desktop 3D printer builds on a long history of 3D printing.
I recall years ago there was an upstart 3D printer that suddenly appeared on the market, the original CR-10. At that time typical desktop machines were still quite expensive, but the CR-10 broke through two important barriers: it provided reasonable quality prints and at a very low cost.
Immediately the CR-10 became hugely popular and thousands were sold around the world.
Since then Creality has built on that success and now is one of the larger manufacturers of 3D printers in the world.
But what of the CR-10?
Since its introduction, the CR-10 has undergone many upgrades. One of them, the CR-10S, we reviewed in our lab back in 2018.
This year Creality introduced the CR-10 Smart, the most advanced version of the CR-10 line yet seen. While the CR-10 line has been gradually increasing in capability, the CR-10 Smart is a bit different, and the word “Smart” hints at what that difference could be.
Let’s take a closer look at the new CR-10 Smart to see what features it holds.
CR-10 Smart Specifications
Like all the CR-10 machines, the CR-10 Smart is a large device, with a massive print volume of 300 x 300 x 400 mm. That’s a size more than enough to 3D print practically any typical model in one piece.
The CR-10 Smart has a single 0.4mm nozzle, fed by a 1.75mm filament Bowden extruder mounted on the side. There’s a heated carborundum glass plate as the build platform, which is able to handle a wide variety of materials by using appropriate adhesive solutions. Creality has certified the CR-10 Smart to use PLA, ABS, PETG and TPU materials
One interesting mechanical change I noted on the CR-10 Smart is the addition of diagonally-mounted “draw bars”. These stabilize the Z-axis frame, which is particularly important on a device with a 400mm build height. I’ve not seen draw bars on similar equipment, so this will make the CR-10 Smart produce higher-quality prints, particularly at higher Z levels.
But the key new features of the CR-10 Smart are less visible.
One is the addition of a WiFi module that allows the device to connect to the Internet. By connecting the CR-10 Smart to the Creality Cloud, you will be able to control the machine remotely through their smartphone app.
Creality has done some work to make the CR-10 Smart more eco-friendly. It now automatically powers off after prints complete, and also dims the 4.3” touchscreen after 30 minutes of inactivity.
The CR-10 Smart’s controller board has been upgraded with a powerful 32-bit processor, which can handle complex 3D models and faster print speeds.
The board also includes silent stepper drivers, a feature increasingly seen on desktop 3D printers. This makes the device far quieter than earlier machines. However, many machines using silent drivers fail to quiet the noisy cooling fan, but in the CR-10 Smart Creality has designed a “mute fan” that ensures the CR-10 Smart is truly quiet.
The CR-10 Smart includes an advanced auto-leveling system, the same one that was first introduced on the Creality CR-6 SE recently. This will increase print reliability and quality.
The CR-10 Smart is shipped in kit form, and requires assembly. Creality said the assembly process takes only eight minutes to complete, and that’s likely true: the process requires only mounting the gantry on the base, connecting the draw bars and finally plugging in the wiring. It is easy to do, as all complex components are already assembled at the Creality factory.
Creality lists the price of the CR-10 Smart as only US$499, which is a very good price for a device this large, and especially equipped with so many advanced features.
Via Creality
