Flashforge Creator Pro (2016)

[Ian Blinkhorn @aeroit My Robox is a Blue Commercial Version]

<!-more->So having decided we needed more 3D printing capacity at work (our v1 Robox gets through a lot of work) and occasionally need a slightly larger build volume I opted to get one of these guys (as well as another Robox obviously). We’ve been fairly impressed with the build quality and the level of control over auto supports in the bundled Flashprint software. And we also like the sound of the motors 🙂 the fact that it is inherently more customisable is also interesting.

But that is pretty much where it ends for an out of the box experience, it has definitely proved how spoilt we were by having our first experience of 3D printing be the Robox. So much of what we take for granted on Cel’s platform, the auto bed levelling, closing nozzles, nozzle and bed temp setting by Smartreel etc, is a manual process in the rest of the industry and that leaves plenty of room for error and guesswork.

I dare say we will learn a lot more in the coming weeks and refine our settings to the point that we can get solid results from this printer but for the moment it is being confined to models that don’t require absolute dimensional accuracy. As we are happy with, and have a decent stock of, Robox Smartreel filament the first thing I did was knock up an adapter to use this on the FFCP, it might not be the cheapest way of buying filament but gives us the easiest route to cross platform compatibility going forward whilst retaining the level of trust we have in Cel to package filaments that give good results (and we can leech the temp settings from within automaker!)

I had been considering buying a FFCP or possibly the very similar Dreamer model for home but having seen the effort required to get a decent print I’m thinking I’ll just get a Robox when I take the plunge, must less hassle to get good results.

[Pete @pete I have both RoboxDual and other Robox versions CEL HQ Bristol UK]

Nice!

Thanks Ian.

For official support please visit www.cel-robox.com/support/ and create a ticket

[Ian Blinkhorn @aeroit My Robox is a Blue Commercial Version]

Update :

Having spent a bit more money on decent software, Simplify 3D, and printed some hop up additions (including left and right spool holders to allow us to use our stock of Robox filaments on CP) we are now gettting decent results from the printer, although we’re limiting it to PLA use for now as the process for getting ABS to stick to the bed is far too much of a faff (we really have been spoilt by the Robox).

Things I like: obviously the slightly larger build volume, also the filament loading unloading is much less troublesome than on the Robox, even if it does feel a bit agricultural, the ease of upgrading/adding hop up parts and mainly the fact that I can use Simplify 3D to get a superb level of control of things like supports. Oh yeah and the honeycomb fill pattern option available on both the bundled software and Simplify 3D looks nice 😀

It’s amazing just how much difference software can make and the level of control is excellent in Simplify 3D, and I’ve had good success with dual material printing now too thanks to this.

So, overall, if you’re willing to spend an extra £120ish on Simplify 3D, burn through countless YouTube vids and blogs/guides to get yourself up to speed with what is normal in the reprap world and print off some hop up parts yourself (would be handy to also have a Robox available for no hassle ABS printing at this point 😉) the Creator Pro is a decent printer. Now that I have a lot broader knowledge about the market in general it probably wouldn’t be my first choice as a second printer tbf but it is at least now a useful member of our little team of 3D printers.

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