There are many features that separate professional-grade 3D printers from your standard consumer machines. Design, intuitiveness, print quality, speed, and compatibility with industrial-grade materials are what most high-end users need to successfully utilize 3D printing for their commercial applications.
One barrier of entry that prevents small business and hobbyists from adopting professional 3D printers into their own workshops is the sky-high price point. The market is flush with high-end machines that offer professional quality, but that usually comes at a cost. Few professional 3D printers manage to strike the balance between affordability and capability, but the seasoned 3D printer manufacturer Flashforge is coming to the commercial market with a potential solution.
At just $3,499, Flashforge Creator 3 Pro is a new and improved 3D printer that offers professional features at a reasonable price. It offers an array of impressive features, wide compatibility with industrial-grade materials, and is both intuitive and easy-to-use.
Let’s take a closer look at the Creator 3 Pro and what makes it suitable for most professional needs.
Flashforge Makes More Professional Strides With Creator 3 Pro
The Creator 3 Pro represents Flashforge’s latest foray into the professional 3D printing market. The new printer, which has a 300 x 250 x 200 build volume, is compatible with most advanced materials needed by universities and professionals in various sectors, including automotive, medical, engineering, and architecture.
Building upon some of the advanced features from its predecessor, the Flashforge Creator 3 Pro is a workhorse 3D printer that brings even more to the table for professional users. When matched up against the Creator 3, the newer model is flush with hardware upgrades and greater overall efficiency.
Flashforge Creator 3 Pro Vs Creator 3
Compared to its predecessor, Flashforge Creator 3 Pro has some notable improvements that make it even more capable of taking on industrial endeavors. For starters, Flashforge has doubled the amount of extruder cooling fans from a single to dual-fan configuration, leading to better overall print quality and a higher success rate. A second-generation logic control chip has also been added to ensure smoother 3-axis operation.
Creator 3 Pro also manages to reach higher nozzle temperatures much more quickly than the previous model. It’s equipped with an extruder that heats up to 200°C in one minute, two times faster than the Creator 3. The heated build plate of the professional model has an incredibly short heating lead time of three to five minutes, a stark improvement over the 15 to 20 minute lead time offered by its predecessor.
Combining these enhancements with a sleeker frame and improved touchscreen interface, it appears that Flashforge has once again built upon the success of its continuous R&D efforts.
Despite these professional-centric upgrades, Flashforge Creator 3 Pro is only $500 more than its counterpart, keeping it within a budget-friendly range for prospective customers.
Independent Dual Extruder System
Flashforge has completely revamped its renowned independent dual extruder system for the Creator 3 Pro. It’s been retooled and optimized for engineering-grade materials, ensuring that notoriously hard-to-print filaments can be extruded smoothly.
With these two extruders, users can utilize Duplicate Printing Mode (identical models), Dual Color Printing Mode (multi-color models), and Mirror Printing Mode (mirrored models). New and improved sensors have been integrated onto the extruder system to improve auto-leveling and positioning accuracy.
Creator 3 Pro comes with an assortment of six steel and carbon steel nozzles. Offering a maximum printing temperature of up to 320°C, these nozzles are highly durable, sturdy, high temperature resistant, corrosion resistant, and can handle the abrasiveness of carbon fiber composite materials. Following suit with its focus on speed and efficiency, Flashforge has made it easy to swap the nozzles.
The assortment of nozzles and high printing temperature makes the Creator 3 Pro compatible with a vast range of filaments, including PLA, ABS, PA, PC, PVA, HIPS, PETG, Wood, ASA, and PA-CF.
Sturdy and Smart Design
In order for a 3D printer to handle the stringent requirements of commercial applications, it’s critical that the machine has a formidable and intuitive design. Flashforge Creator 3 Pro strives to meet the needs of professional users through numerous features and hardware improvements.
Inside of the printer, users will find a flexible magnetic steel plate platform that provides excellent thermal conductivity and superior adhesion. To prevent foul and potentially harmful odors from industrial filaments from escaping into the surrounding environment, Flashforge has equipped its Creator 3 Pro with a HEPA H13 air filter and activated carbon filter, a crucial component when printing with certain materials.
Intuitiveness is also a key aspect of the Creator 3 Pro. A 4.3-inch touchscreen user interface enables users to quickly navigate through settings and prepare the 3D printer to tackle any task. Other noteworthy features include a built-in HD camera, print resume after power outage, and filament runout detection.
Another nifty feature is the cloud printing platform that comes with the printer. Through this platform, users can store their designs and operate the Creator 3 Pro 3D printer from virtually anywhere.
The Flashforge Creator 3 Pro was built to professional standards, but remains an affordable workhorse 3D printer for small businesses, hobbyists, makers, and more. Whether you’re prototyping with PLA or producing end-use parts with carbon fiber-filled filament, the Creator Pro 3 is capable of handling commercial applications without the high price tag that comes with most professional machines.
Specifications
