Ender-5 S1 3D Printer Review | Disk Tech

Sharing is caring!

Creality has simply launched its third instalment of the Ender 5 collection, the Ender-5 S1. Compiling all one of the best options of its predecessors, the S-1 seems fairly good. This machine boldly claims to print at speeds 5x sooner than your common 3D printer, with acceleration as much as 2000mm/s², however is that this truly a great factor?

Building

The Ender-5 S1 is a regular Cartesian printer, with the printing platform shifting within the z-axis; this gives some completely different execs and cons, which I’ll undergo later. Due to this huge dice body design, developing the printer is a bit more advanced, although the brand new commonplace of delivering printers semi-constructed is a large plus. Saying this, customers nonetheless require a considerable amount of area to unpack and assemble this 425×460×570mm large. Regardless of its dimension and the facade of complexity, the directions clarify merely assemble the Ender-5 S1.

Design

Regardless of virtually being 0.5m³ in dimension, the Ender-5 S1 solely has a slightly bigger construct quantity than the Ender-3 S1. I will probably be evaluating these two machines continuously on this evaluation as they’ve very comparable specs however a few £200 value distinction.

Because the person constructs the printer, it’s straightforward to see a number of the further helps added to assist reinforce the construction towards the forces created by the 2000mm/s² acceleration. Moreover, there’s further assist to assist the soundness of the construct platform, which is suspended from the again of the printer by a threaded rod and two linear rails. Nonetheless, the platform continues to be solely supported on one facet, not like the Ender-3 S1, which is supported by two linear rails at both finish of the gantry.

Having the printhead hooked up to the gantry on the prime of the body, solely shifting alongside the x and y axis, is what helps the Ender-5 S1 attain its spectacular speeds.

Furthermore, a pleasing high quality of life addition made to the S-1 is the small contact display used to manage the machine. That is turning into a regular function of latest 3D printers, and it’s good to see them. It helps the person navigate the controls simpler and permits them to be displayed in a extra accessible method.

Upon the printing platform is a regular PC-coated magnetic spring metal base. You’ll have seen these earlier than; nothing too fascinating other than the 2 notches minimize out to line up with two screws, making it simpler to place it again in the proper spot. It’s a pleasant thought, however I’d nonetheless suggest changing it with another higher materials, like glass.

Direct Drive “Sprite” Extruder

Seemingly to turn out to be Creatlity’s new commonplace, The Ender-5 S1 has a Direct Drive extruder. Although, as I’ve talked about in different evaluations about the sort of extruder, it comes with varied execs and cons in comparison with its Bowden counterpart.

Firstly, a direct extruder may be smaller and provide extra power than a Bowden design due to its proximity to the nozzle. By eradicating the gap and friction from the equation, the extruder may be smaller and lighter.

The proximity additionally permits for higher filament retraction, serving to enhance the standard of prints general.

There are a few drawbacks from a Direct Drive design, although. Firstly, having an extruder mounted to the printhead will increase the load of the shifting components. This implies extra power is required to maneuver the printhead round and might trigger artefacts within the print when utilizing excessive acceleration.

Furthermore, artefacts, errors, and different failures can happen from the load of the spool being pulled together with the printhead. As a result of there’s nothing to take the load of the filament spool while the pinnacle is shifting, it means all the load will get utilized to the pinnacle.

A Direct Drive extruder may be simpler to supply for starter machines just like the Ender-5 S1. However I’m unsure if it was truly the proper alternative for this fashion of printer.

Auto levelling

Auto levelling is turning into a regular function of latest 3D printers, however all of them appear to make use of barely completely different strategies. Nonetheless, Creality appear to have settled on the CR Contact auto-levelling system, personally one in all my favorite strategies.

The Ender-5 S1, just like the Ender-3 S1, has a small deployable pressure gauge probe to dictate the platform’s evenness. It does this by probing the floor of the printing platform in 16 locations. This enables the printer to regulate for any discrepancies within the top while printing.

As well as, customers can stage the printer manually, utilizing the dials within the corners beneath the platform. Making this course of somewhat simpler is a useful function that strikes the printhead to all 5 zones on the print mattress.

One remaining function worthy of observe is the power to regulate the z-axis in increments of 0.05mm and 0.01mm. I had beforehand expressed my distaste for another printers, which solely offered the choice of 0.05mm. Typically with this limitation, it was laborious to get the extent good.

Really useful Settings

Accompanying all printers are advisable settings that permit the person to make use of the printer because it’s designed. Each time testing printers I initially use these settings to know how the machine works and handles issues. As per the directions, the Ender-5 S1 can apparently print at 250mm/s, which is 5x sooner than a regular printer and with an acceleration of 4x occasions than the Ender-3 S1. The print velocity doesn’t imply an excessive amount of, although, as a result of a printer not often reaches these speeds in the event that they’re set too excessive. Crucial components of the “velocity” of a printer are the acceleration and jerk (breaking) settings.

For my part, 2000mm/s² is just too quick for this printer just because there’s not sufficient assist for the printing platform on the z-axis. The vibrations brought on by the acceleration and speedy modifications in motion trigger the print platform to wobble and flex barely. As well as, due to its dimension and weight, the entire platform acts like a tuning fork and places ripples and ghosting all through the print.

Initially, I used to be not sure if the errors have been a filament-based challenge, so I attempted a distinct color and temperature, which additionally yielded the identical outcomes. One other challenge I discovered was the extruded strains of filament have been very skinny, and the mannequin was general very mild, to the purpose the place it was virtually see-through.

I tried to fight this by printing at 120mm/s at 150% stream. Although on the outer partitions, this appeared efficient (they print at 80mm/s), on the infill and higher layers, the strains have been nonetheless wafer skinny.

Struggling to know if this was a filament or extrusion-related challenge, I used the G-code created for the Ender-3 S1. This has a print velocity of 150mm/s and an acceleration of 500mm/s².

As clearly displayed in these photographs, the one foremost change in these two prints is the excessive acceleration, which negatively impacts the print high quality.

Value and Various Choices

The Ender-5 S1 is offered for £489, and you should purchase it straight from Creality. Within the US it’s priced at $469.56.

Conclusion

General, the Ender-5 S1 is an effective step in the proper course for the Ender Sequence. Upgrades to the heating chamber, auto levelling and UI are all incredible, however is it value it?

The Ender-3 S1 is smaller, cheaper, and lighter, with higher settings and extra expandability. I do know which one I’d fairly purchase.