Summary and conclusion
The following is another unsorted list of other anomalies and thoughts that I have not mentioned so far:
- Touch display on the front cannot be tilted
- The wheels for adjusting the print bed are quite small and difficult to grip
- The power connection and switches are on the right instead of the back, making them easier to reach but perhaps in the way depending on the setup
- Small sticker on the camera lens is easy to overlook
- Automatic cleaning of the nozzle is very thorough and works well
- The cable from the component fan was fixed with hot glue
- The sides of the build chamber were insulated from the inside with dense foam
- A PTFE coupling is installed at the filament inlet, so it can be printed directly from a filament dryer or a multi-material system can be added later
- Some Klipper macros are not quite optimal
- If you have an older firmware than V1.4.0 installed ex works, the online update on the printer does not work and must be carried out via USB stick instead
- The side component cooler is not activated in the Generic PLA profile of QIDIStudio
- Heat creep when the housing is closed and PLA is used, but a corresponding warning on the display also recommends opening the housing door before starting
- The display can be used as a shelf for the glass pane on the top to let out warm air
- Klipper Adaptive Meshing & Purging (KAMP) has been implemented, only the part of the print surface required for the object is scanned before printing
- For particularly large objects, it is recommended to prepare the print bed with 3DLAC spray adhesive
- Although a 1080p camera is advertised, it has been left in the standard 640×480 configuration
I’m also a little surprised that there’s quite a large gap next to the glass on the front. Of course, the case fan has to draw in air somewhere after it has blown it out through the filter at the back, but perhaps a few inconspicuous slits on the side would have done the trick.
The Plus4 requires 245 watts for printing with PLA (220/65°C), 45.0 watts in standby mode with the motors switched on and finally 31.9 watts in idle mode. At its peak, I measured 570 watts when heating up the nozzle and print bed at the same time. Incidentally, the nozzle reaches the target temperature of 200°C after just 43 seconds, while the print bed takes around 5 minutes 13 seconds to reach 60°C at an ambient temperature of 23°C.
The printer has a noise level of 55.2 dB(A) when closed, and 58.5 dB(A) when the door and lid are slightly open. When the installation space heats up, it is 49.7 dB(A) and at idle 37.9 dB(A). In each case measured at a distance of 40 cm from the screen at the front.
Incidentally, the build chamber heater can only be switched on together with the print bed, which is then set directly to 80°C. This is a clever solution, as it also heats the bed at the same time and a high bed temperature is a prerequisite for materials that require a hot environment. At its peak, the printer draws 523 watts, but after a few minutes it is more like 450 watts when the interior heats up. To get from 23°C to 55°C inside temperature, the Plus4 needs about 25 minutes 12 seconds. Incidentally, the heating module is limited to 40% of the maximum output, presumably because of the issue mentioned on the last page. Somewhere in the heater there also seems to be a sensor, indicated in Klipper as “Chamber Thermal Protection”, which probably monitors the temperature of the heating coils. For example, the fan continues to run for a while after the heater has been switched off until everything has cooled down to 55°C.
And here we are, with 80W bi-metal hotend up to 370°C, 6mm thick print bed, 400W build space heater, extra-thick 9mm belts, two sensors for auto-bed meshing and Z-offset, intelligent KAMP, tangle detection, acceleration sensor and sensorless homing. The list of features is long, as is the list of teething troubles. It annoys me to see that a really good 3D printer is once again being made worse by being released too early. And that not only the user experience has suffered, but also safety.
In its current state, i.e. after the better slicer profiles, firmware updates and new SSR model ex works, the Plus4 is slowly getting to the state it should be in at release. In terms of hardware, it’s really great and built like a tank. Most of the final imperfections are purely in the software, which can be easily adapted. If necessary, you can do it yourself, after all, Qidi Tech doesn’t prevent us from tinkering with the Klipper config ourselves.
After a difficult initial phase, I now really enjoy printing with the Plus4 and will soon have around 200 hours under my belt. I think the customers who want to print materials at up to 370°C and see a heated build chamber as an indispensable feature have enough know-how to solve any problems themselves anyway. But “normal” buyers should also be able to cope well with the current state and are offered a good 3D printer for 749 euros at the time of publication.
The test sample was provided by Qidi Tech without obligation. There was and is no influence on the tests and results. There was also no compensation for expenses and no obligation to publish.
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