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The Creality K2 Plus is one of a batch of next-generation 3D printers launched this year, and it’s already transforming the 3D printing landscape. Everything about these new printers leaps forward from the previous generation. While the K1 series that came before seemed like amazing machines, when compared with the new K2, the K1 now seems surprisingly dated.
The K1 laid much of the groundwork for this new K2 model, and the look and styling remain much the same. I think it’s one of the best-looking printers out there. The size of the Plus is large, which is reflected in the 350 × 350 × 350 mm build platform size, enabling you to create some of the largest models of any printer at this level. Once again, as this is Creality, the workflow and ease of use are exceptional, making this an ideal choice for any workplace, product design studio, or educational establishment.
There was so much about this printer that I really liked, and considering I thought the K1C was one of the best printers available, this K2 certainly raises the bar. Some of the issues with the K1 series have been addressed, most notably the fact that the K2 now facilitates the use of multifilament printing. Its integration, as you’d expect with Creality, is superb. Simply plug in the multifilament box, and you have four-filament printing. What’s more, you can stack another three of these multifilament modules, increasing the maximum material number to 16, making it one of the largest and highest-capacity multifilament 3D printers out there.
And you have to say, it’s really easy to use. Creality has really refined the Creality Slicer software, which is based on the superb PrusaSlicer. It does take a little bit of time to get used to, but if you’re familiar with PrusaSlicer, then this isn’t too much of a leap.
Once again, the print speed is exceptionally good, and using the standard settings, it produced superb-quality prints. I could kick out three Benchy models in around half an hour, or if you push it to the Max, you can get a printout in just 11 minutes, printing at 600 mm/s. However, at this speed, the quality does drop.
However, it is the multifilament printing that is really exciting, and this is where it truly excels. Whilst the print speeds are greatly extended, they are actually faster than many other multifilament printers. Overall, the print quality is exceptionally good, matching and slightly surpassing that of the K1 series. What you’re getting here is a printer that steps into the next generation of 3D printing, offering even more options, making it one of the de facto best 3D printers I’ve tested for professionals as well as for education.
Creality K2 Plus: Design
I like the fact that when it comes to the new K2 Plus, Creality has done several things. First and foremost, they’ve called it the Plus rather than the Max, so there’s no way you can mix up the two large-scale K-Series Creality 3D printers. Secondly, they’ve actually gone back in and redeveloped the design, taking all of the feedback they’ve had over the K1 and trying to rectify that for the new K2. The K2 Plus certainly sets a very decent precedent for the new range of printers that will inevitably follow.
There have been some major changes, such as the top of the machine being completely redesigned. This gives a little more headroom for the tool head, which always seemed just a little bit cramped underneath the glass plate on top of the K1. Then there’s the movement of the LCD screen from the bottom up to the top, which is something we’re seeing on quite a lot of these new machines. Placing the screen at eye level rather than lower down makes it easier to see in the studio.
But the biggest change is, of course, in the Combo version with the multifilament module. This sits on top of the printer itself, and what Creality has done here is really nice. Like some of the leading multifilament printers out there, it draws power from the machine rather than needing a seperate power source, which keeps the wiring minimal. It also utilises a very neat internal cutting system, so the channelling at the back for the filament to the machine is all very tidy.
Having spent more time with the Creality K2 Plus, I can see that it has separated itself from many of the other multifilament fully enclosed printers that have recently arrived. This shows that Creality is really aiming this at higher-end design studios and education.
There are many little details in the design that highlight a true understanding of how these 3D printers are going to be used, such as the actively heated chamber that supports more engineering and advanced materials. Then there’s the new stepper motor system, which offers fast and quiet stepper motors. There’s also a new extruder coupled with an easy-to-swap hot end, making maintenance nice and easy. Another point about this chamber is that at the back of the machine, there’s an air purifier system, so if you are using some of the materials that emit fumes, this air purifier will help filter VOCs that arise from the molten filaments.
The hardware is really quite advanced. It has a durable direct drive extrusion system that pushes through a 40 mm³/s high-flow hot end, enabling those fast print speeds. This is able to print ABS at 280°C, which Creality states is 66% faster than the previous K1 design. As I mentioned, there’s a quick-swap nozzle that’s supposedly clog-free , and really, for any new printer, this is an absolute essential. No matter how much you want to avoid it, at some point, your nozzle is going to get blocked or will just wear out, especially if you’re using advanced materials. Hence, the ability to very quickly remove and replace a nozzle is essential.
AI, which we first saw in the Creality K1 printers (read my review here), has now been further enhanced. We have dual AI cameras that can smartly adjust the flow rate and alert the machine to any failures. During the test, this seemed to work exceptionally well as i purposely forced prints to fail to see what would happen.
Of course, the two big things about this new K2 Plus printer are the scale and its multi-material compatibility. When it comes to scale, this is a large-format printer. Whilst the print volume of 350 mm³ is impressive, the overall machine, because of that, has quite a large footprint. At 495 × 515 mm, it is already pretty large, but then when you start adding the multifilament modules, you’re quickly expanding the amount of space you’re going to need for this printer. If you go to the full 16 filaments, then you’re looking at a huge workspace that needs to be dedicated to this one printer, but then, this is designed as a professional-level machine rather than a consumer one.
Creality K2 Plus: Features
When it comes to features, I don’t think I have seen a printer that has packed in so much in an off-the-shelf machine. The machine that I’ve looked at is the K2 Plus Combo, which is essentially the machine itself and the multifilament add-on, CFS (Creality Filament System), which sits neatly on top . If you have one, then you can add a further three to max out the system. However, this does enable you to go from printing a single filament all the way through to printing up to 16 different filaments in any single print.
With any large-scale printer, rigidity and strength of the outer frame are essential to ensure minimum vibration and quality control. Here, a sturdy matrix die-cast aerospace-grade aluminium alloy frame has been used, and sure enough, as I tried to move this printer around the workshop, it was more than apparent just how sturdy and weighty it was.
Taking a look inside, you’ll also see that where in the past we have seen rods for the axes, these have now been replaced by precise steel X-axis rails, which are far less prone to wear or warping. This helps ensure longevity for the machine, especially one that prints at such high speed. Inside, the Z-axis is also supported by four linear rods, which help ensure that it is extremely steady as the print bed lifts and lowers, reducing the risk of layer shift. Finally, when it comes to the print platform, this is something we’re starting to see in this new generation of printers— a 5 mm thick aluminium alloy heat bed with a PEI flexible build plate that enables the removal of large-scale prints.
Creality is keen to point out that, actually, one of the big enhancements of the K2 is the fact that they have redeveloped the stepper servo motor system, which is now capable of 30,000 mm/s² acceleration. What’s more, they run exceptionally quietly, and this is apparent from the moment you start up and begin using the machine. One of the major advances of these new steppers is that even at 300 mm/s— which is the average print speed for most printers these days— the audio volume of the printer is just 45 dB, so relatively quiet.
One of the features that really starts to separate the K2 Plus from many of the other printers that I’m looking at at the moment is that Creality has incorporated a selection of features designed to keep the printer running at optimum performance over time. One example is the belt tensioning system— the machine has a pressure sensor connected to the belts so that these can be automatically adjusted rather than requiring manual tightening. For traditional printers, this wasn’t too much of an issue. When it comes to CoreXY, where precision is absolutely imperative, the fact that the printer handles this and not the user definitely takes off some of the pressure.
The tool head is where much of this new technology comes into play. The system uses a next-gen extruder, essentially building on everything we know about extruders and optimising it for these new ultra-fast flow multifilament machines. First and foremost, you have the dual-gear extrusion, which gives it multifilament compatibility. Then, a filament cutter is incorporated into the tool head. As part of the extrusion system, rather than as an external sensor, the filament runout sensor is positioned right next to the nozzle, giving greater accuracy when it comes to filament use and changes, leaving far less margin for Error and less waste.
When it comes to bed levelling, which has come on leaps and bounds over the last few years, the head now includes a strain gauge for levelling, further increasing the precision of that first layer extrusion. As these printers continue to increase in speed, we also see a high-flow hot end, which is capable of 40 mm³/s and is powered by direct drive extrusion. As previously mentioned, there’s also a quick-swap nozzle feature, so it will take just a couple of minutes to replace a blocked nozzle if needed. This is a significant update compared to some older designs, which could take over an hour if not more, to change or update.
One of the interesting features we’re starting to see on quite a few of these machines is an actively heated chamber. This enables the inner build area of the machine to reach a temperature of up to 60°C, which is essential for some of the more advanced materials, such as ASA and PPA, which require a heated chamber for stronger prints by effectively annealing the plastics. The new nozzles have been completely redeveloped and feature a complex build of copper alloy, titanium, and hardened steel. They are capable of reaching up to 350°C, again designed for use with advanced materials that would usually cause excessive wear to many older-style nozzles.
Specs
Print Technology: FFF
Build Area: 350 x 350 x 350mm
Minimum Layer Resolution: 0.05
Maximum Layer Resolution: 0.3
Dimensions: 495x515x916mm
Weight: 35kg
Bed: PEI
Print Surface: textured
Software: Creality Print
Materials: PLA/ABS/PETG/PA-CF/PLA-CF/PET/ASA/PPA-CF
Print Speed: 600mm/s
When it comes to reliability, this is where the K2 Plus really builds on the performance of the old K1. For starters, there’s now a new thermal system with hot-end, chamber, and heat-bed temperature sensors. Then there’s the motion system, with the stepper servo, Z-axis photoelectric levelling, and vibration sensor. The extrusion system also has an RFID tag reader, runout sensor, filament cutter, and vibration sensor. Finally, we have dual AI cameras— one for the tool head and the other for the chamber— that monitor exactly how your print is progressing and adjust the printer as needed to achieve the best print quality.
Two further additions to the technology include pressure advance tuning and flow rate calibration. These can be used with a tester to optimise the printer for different materials. When it comes to professional use, this will essentially replace experienced operators who previously needed to fine-tune printers manually to get the very best results from the materials.
When it comes to materials, we obviously have the ability to print up to 16 different filaments, but what I really like about the filament box is that, like a few others we’ve seen come to market, this is also a dry box system. The internal chamber of the box ensures that the filament inside is kept at the correct temperature and condition to optimise print quality.
Alongside the printer, there’s the workflow. Once again, we see Creality Cloud and Creality Print 5.0, which have been completely rebuilt from the previous generation. The slicer software is now based on PrusaSlicer, which provides a boost to the performance, enabling far greater functionality. It also better supports multifilament printing and provides all of the exceptional print qualities that previously required switching to PrusaSlicer to achieve.
Creality K2 Plus: Performance
Starting with the printer, it doesn’t take long to unbox and get it all set up, although you will need at least two people to lift it out of the box— this is a heavy machine. It also takes up far more space than many other printers, with a large footprint that occupies a considerable amount of workspace. You also have to contend with the CFS that sits on top of the printer, and even more space will be needed if you have the other three CFS systems to maximise the number of filaments you can print with.
As I mentioned earlier in the review, this is a substantial and professional printer, and everything about it, from the features to the design, is tuned for professional use. Whilst the price actually makes it affordable for enthusiasts, I have to say that because of the size and scale, this is a great option for anyone into modelling who wants to produce larger prints.
It’s also great for anyone involved in vintage automotive restoration who needs to reproduce car parts, as it has both the material support and the scale to print objects that would otherwise be impossible on some of the smaller printers.
When it comes to print quality, I was seriously impressed by both the speed and the quality of the prints it produced. Running through the 3D Benchy test, once again, the quality of the print—as we’ve seen with this next generation of printers—was exceptional. There really is nothing that significantly challenges the K2 Plus’s single-filament print function.
Likewise, when it came to dual-filament printing and even quad-filament printing, the quality of the print was exceptionally good, although those print times do slow down considerably compared with single-filament printing. For example, printing out a standard speed 3D Benchy took around half an hour, but once I used the four filaments to fill in various parts of the 3D Benchy, it took 8.5 hours— a considerable jump in time. However, in terms of actual print quality, both in single-filament and multifilament modes, the results were absolutely superb.
Taking a look at printing out the Autodesk Kickstarter test model, again, the printer was able to handle the model with exceptional quality, producing clean prints and only marginally missing out on top marks for Fine Negative Features. Otherwise, it handled bridging and overhangs exceptionally well. Once again, a lot of this can be attributed to the multifilament box, which ensures that as the filament sits on top of the machine, it is kept in the best possible condition before it passes through the printer.
|
Dimensional Accuracy |
X |
x error |
y |
y error |
|
Target 25 |
24.77 |
0.23 |
24.74 |
0.26 |
|
Target 20 |
19.90 |
0.10 |
19.59 |
0.41 |
|
Target 15 |
14.81 |
0.19 |
14.66 |
0.34 |
|
Target 10 |
9.72 |
0.28 |
9.56 |
0.44 |
|
Target 5 |
4.83 |
0.17 |
4.50 |
0.50 |
|
X Error Average |
0.194 |
Row 6 – Cell 2 | Row 6 – Cell 3 | Row 6 – Cell 4 |
|
Y Error Average |
Row 7 – Cell 1 | Row 7 – Cell 2 | Row 7 – Cell 3 |
0.39 |
|
X&Y Error Average |
0.292 |
Row 8 – Cell 2 | Row 8 – Cell 3 | Row 8 – Cell 4 |
|
Overall |
3 / 5 |
Row 9 – Cell 2 | Row 9 – Cell 3 | Row 9 – Cell 4 |
|
Fine Flow Control |
3 |
|
Fine Negative Features |
4 |
|
Overhangs |
4 |
|
Bridging |
5 |
|
XY resonance |
2.5 |
|
Z-axis alignment |
2.5 |
|
Total |
24 out of 30 |
As I moved through more prints, I was again impressed with the quality that this printer was able to produce, especially when the prints became larger. The reliability of the new K2 Plus really stood out, with the AI cameras helping to ensure that large-scale prints would be completed successfully. Even when deliberately tampering with prints to test for faults, I was impressed with just how well the AI cameras stopped stop the machine so that I could check on the print before resuming. Likewise, the filament runout sensor worked exceptionally well. Compared with some of the other multifilament printers that eject large amounts of wasted material from the back of the machine, what I really liked about the K2 Plus was that material waste was reduced, but obviously not completely!
Creality K2 Plus: Final verdict
The quality and scale of the K2 Plus are impressive, and compared with the K1 models— which were already exceptionally good— this is a definite upgrade. I liked the K1 Max; it was a great machine, but it did have a few issues, especially with the close proximity of the tool head and mechanics to the top of the machine. Here, that seems to have all been resolved, and overall, not only the design but the functionality, speed, and quality of the print have all taken another leap forward.
However, this machine is going to find wider appeal, not just because of its large print area. What really stands out to me is how it has been tuned to the professional market, packing in a range of features that are perfect for any design studio looking for a 3D printer for prototyping or small product runs. The multifilament module works exceptionally well, and the fact that you can boost it up to 16 with the addition of more CFS modules makes it a great choice for expansion.
I also like the fact that all of those optional extras you would expect to buy separately with other machines are already included with the K2 Plus. This seems to be the way these latest machines have been modelled— you get everything you need from the outset rather than buying a base machine and adding to it at a later date.
As such, the price point of the K2 Plus is substantially higher than we saw with the K1 Max, but for the price of the Combo version, you are getting far more, and this is a far more professional machine.
Although this will appeal to enthusiasts, it is really aimed at the professional and educational markets. With a fully enclosed design, large print platform, high speed, and, ultimately, multifilament compatibility, it should find wide appeal.
Should You Buy the Creality K2 Plus?
| Row 0 – Cell 0 | Row 0 – Cell 1 | Row 0 – Cell 2 |
|
Value: |
A little more expensive than many other multifilament printers but worth it for the quality |
4.5 |
|
Design: |
The issues that the K1 Max had have been resolved, making this a far superior machine |
4.5 |
|
Features: |
One of the most feature-packed FFF printers on the market, with pretty much everything currently available |
5 |
|
Performance: |
Print speed is exceptionally good, and whilst multifilament is slower, it is still not bad |
4 |
|
Total: |
For professional use, the size, features, and price make this an absolutely superb option |
4.5 |
For more units, I’ve also tested out the best 3D printers for miniatures and the best hobby 3D printers.
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