CreatBot is a proprietary brand of Henan Suwei Electronic Technology Co., LTD, a company from China, initially specializing in the production of industrial 3D printers (one of them is CreatBot D600), which are in demand by large corporate customers. The features of large industrial printers can also be discerned in the compact desktop models of CreatBot, which have inherited their durability, reliability and ability to print refractory plastics from more powerful models due to the scaling of the group’s technologies.
Overview of CreatBot F430 PEEK 3D printer
Industrial 3D-printer CreatBot F430 PEEK (https://top3dshop.com/product/creatbot-f430-3d-printer) with two extruders, one of which heats up to 420 °C, with the possibility of unlimited choice of professional consumables for printing and a large volume of the working chamber allows the owner to get the most out of FDM-printing, creating products, in some cases not worse in quality than ones made with milling or casting.
Reference! Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) is a 3D printing technology used in industrial production and prototyping. The model is built layer by layer by applying a molten thermoplastic polymer.
Description
The body of the industrial 3D printer CreatBot F430 PEEK is made on the basis of the frame made of steel. Unobstructed view of the working chamber can be obtained by removing the acrylic covers from any of the three side walls or from the top of the device. The loading and unloading window is located in the front of the printer. Robust rail guides on the sides ensure the stability of the platform during printing. Filament spool locks are located on the rear panel.
The casting can be controlled through a 4.3″ touch screen. 3D printing files in GCO, GCODE, STL, OBJ, AMF formats can be downloaded from your computer (Windows 7, 8 or 10, Mac OS X operating systems will work) via USB cable or from a flash card.
Specifications: FDM printing technology, left nozzle temperature 260, right nozzle temperature 420 °C, casting speed – 55 to 180 mm/s, nozzle diameter – 0.4 mm (optional 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.8 and 10 mm), layer thickness – minimum 20 μm, printing resolution – 0.04 mm, platform temperature – 120 °C, number of extruders – 2, oven temperature – 70 °C, filament diameter – 1,75 mm, oven chamber – 40 × 30 × 30 cm, Z-axis precision printing – 0,00125 mm, XY positioning precision – 0,0127 mm, multilingual software CreatBot, control chip – ATmega 2560.
Pros and cons
The main advantages of the CreatBot F430 PEEK 3D-printer are:
- The ability to make models based on high-strength, biocompatible and conductive plastics, in addition to the standard filaments of various brands;
- automatic calibration of the glass-ceramic platform (table position can be adjusted manually using 4 screws) and automatic adjustment of molding parameters;
- large working chamber of the printer (40 × 30 × 30 cm as compared with similar in price Intamsys FUNMAT HT Enhanced with parameters 26 × 26 × 26 cm);
- An air filter system that protects the room where printing takes place from the penetration of gases produced in the working chamber as a result of plastic melting;
- backup that allows to quickly resume printing after a power failure (the printer also stops and then resumes printing from the point where it was stopped and in case the plastic thread reel runs out);
- the extruder’s direct drive, which increases the speed at which the filament feeds;
- the presence, in addition to the glass-ceramic platform, which does not change its parameters when heated and cooled, of a removable sheet of carbon fiber included in the delivery set, which ensures high adhesion of refractory polymers to the platform;
- double interchangeable nozzle, whose left nozzle, printing up to 260 °C, has a Teflon coating, and the right one, heating up to 420 °C, is made of martensitic steel that allows working at high-temperature modes (nozzles position can be adjusted in relation to each other)
- complete isolation of the working chamber with maintained temperature of 70 °C, protecting the molding process from external interferences and allowing to maintain the optimum temperature for printing in the working area, which, together with the heating of the high performance microcrystalline platform to 120-140 °C and the possibility to set its automatic shutdown, allows to avoid model deformations from uneven cooling after printing.
Note! Deformation of the model when using FDM technology occurs due to the use of some varieties of plastic due to uneven cooling of different thicknesses of the mold. This undesirable effect can be prevented by additional heating of the platform and camera, increased adhesion between the model and the platform, and the use of casting materials with a low expansion coefficient.
The only disadvantage of CreatBot F430 PEEK 3D printer can be considered an unpretentious design. The gray powder coating combined with the impressive weight of the machine is more suitable for a production room than for demonstrating 3D-printing at exhibitions in front of an admiring public.
3D printer CreatBot F430 PEEK
The print area is 400x300x300 mm;
Supported software Windows; Linux; Mac OS; OSX
Supported file formats STL;OBJ;AMF
Printing resolution 0.04mm
Positioning speed 200 mm/s
Power Requirements 110 ~ 220V 300W
GCO;GCode file format
Speed 180 mm/s
Number of printheads 2
Used materials PEEK;PLA;ABS;Carbon Fiber;Wood;Nylon;PC;PTEG;HIPS;PP;Flexible;TPU;PVA;PEEK; (any materials with melting point up to 420 degrees)
Filament diameter 1.75 mm
Nozzle diameter, mm 0,4 mm (0.4/0.5/0.6/0.8/1.0 – optional
Equipment set
Standard delivery set includes: Allen keys (2 pcs.) and open-end wrenches (4 pcs.), Phillips screwdriver, USB wire, putty knife, adhesive tape for mold adhesion to the working table, tweezers, pins for table fixation, needle for nozzle cleaning, spring feeder, fuse, heater, driver with a radiator.
Print quality and product examples
High rate of printing is caused by the reliable construction of platform moving elements and stability of model position in the moment of molding due to the double-screw drive of working table, additional guides and gravity of the printer itself. A special non-bending carbon fiber sheet supplied with the printer can be used to improve adhesion with the platform when printing with high temperature plastics. The speed of the filament feed due to the direct drive of the extruder allows the polymer to flow evenly into the work area.
Who is it suitable for?
Due to high quality of printing and the possibility to use almost any polymer, including high-temperature ones, the CreatBot F430 PEEK industrial 3D printer can be used for making functional parts, important qualities of which are strength, durability, corrosion-resistance. CreatBot F430 PEEK printer is used in mechanical engineering, medicine, electronics, aircraft industry, prototyping and mass production.
The larger print chamber size than usual for this price segment allows medical professionals to print even large bones such as ribs and skull implants from PEEK biocompatible material.
According to the printer’s manufacturer, about 20 cranial implants made of biocompatible PEEK material have been placed since 2016. No rejection or infection has occurred in any of the cases to date.
What materials are used?
The price of the molded part, its mechanical properties and accuracy directly depend on the polymer used for model making. With CreatBot F430 PEEK, you can use consumer-grade filaments such as PVA, ABS, PLA, HIPS, PET-G, etc. Of the industrial-grade materials, carbon fiber, nylon, ASA, PP, TPU and high-performance metal plastics, PEEK, ULTEM, etc. will fit it.
HIPS is an impact resistant polystyrene with the elasticity of rubber. Typically used as a support material for printing ABS 3D constructions. It is removed by dipping the finished products in limonene.
Metallic plastic is a mixture of ABS or PLA with metal powder. Aluminum, bronze, copper, brass and stainless steel fillers contain 50-85% of metal powder and can be used in the manufacture of toys, figurines, trinkets and even bars and tools, if not provided with high loads on them. Adding powdered iron as a filler makes it possible to make magnetic decorations, for example, for the refrigerator.
PP is flexible, strong, lightweight, chemically resistant and safe in contact with food polypropylene. It deforms strongly when refrigerated and does not stick well to the platform. It is most commonly used in the manufacture of packaging.
Carbon fiber – filler (in the form of micro-segments) of filaments from such materials as ABS, PLA, NYLON, PET-G, giving them lightness, stiffness and strength, and the basic material in the composition of PEEK. Requires the use of a hardened steel nozzle. Used for highly stressed parts (e.g. aircraft or automotive). Carbon fiber-based conductive plastics can be useful in the manufacture of trackpads, digital keyboards, game controllers.
PLA is a short-lived but easy-to-use semi-crystalline polymer with low impact strength and minimal shrinkage. Can come in contact with food. Models are visually appealing. Filament is suitable for casting souvenirs, prototypes and containers.
ULTEM is a non-toxic plastic with high thermal and chemical resistance. It can be used to mold parts for cars and airplanes.
ABS – strong, durable amorphous plastic with high temperature resistance. It shrinks during molding, so the process should take place on a heated platform without draughts. Filament is used for phone cases, car trim parts, tool handles.
ASA is a strong, rigid, not subject to strong deformations polymer, resistant to chemicals and overheating. Used for production of auto parts. Poorly tolerates excessive cooling during casting.
PET-G is a semi-crystalline impact resistant engineering plastic, strong and safe in use (it is used for making water bottles), which was improved by adding glycol (G), increasing its strength and facilitating work with it. Its use in 3D printing requires precise temperature settings. It is used for mechanical parts that will work under load.
FLEXIBLE is a flexible and durable polymer with rubber properties. It is used in medical consumables, auto parts and household appliances. Prints require a specially designed extruder.
NYLON is a high strength, wear and chemical resistant flexible and durable material. The disadvantage of models molded from it is hygroscopicity. Nylon is used for making buckles, hinges, gears, i.e. those parts which will be exposed to load during exploitation, functional prototypes.
TPU – engineering semi-crystalline polymer. Models are characterized by increased flexibility, but low accuracy. Elastic when cooled. Suitable for making cases for phones, toys, shoes.
WOOD is a mixture of polymer and wood dust. Ready-made products are non-toxic and unpretentious.
PVA – water-soluble polyvinyl alcohol. It is used for casting of supporting elements in complex models.
PEEK is a high-strength semi-crystalline biocompatible polymer which makes it possible to obtain flame-resistant parts resistant to chemical influences. Models made of it are characterized by high lightness and durability. It is used in electronic, aerospace, automotive and medical industries.
CARBON – carbon fiber-based plastic with the strength of metal. Popular in the medical and automotive industries. Practically does not deform during printing and does not require a heated platform. Possibility to retain properties under high pressure allows to use the polymer in robotics.
PC is a transparent polycarbonate. Very strong, resistant to overheating. It is used to make bulletproof glass, electronic screens and underwater swimming masks. Unlike acrylic and plexiglass, it does not break or crack when overloaded. Filament can be used for automotive and electrical components that will be used at high temperatures, to make shields.
Instructions for Initial Setup and Preparation
After removing the factory plugs, connect the internal components according to the manual, ground the printer (this is not in the manual; see photo below), connect the printer to your computer and network.
Work platform calibration is done automatically by 25 points. You can adjust the platform position manually if you wish. For the adhesion of the model with the platform, it is necessary to apply glue on the desktop, which forms a solid layer when hardening, or to stick a strip of tape.
The nozzle must be heated before the polymer thread can be threaded. Each filament spool used in the work is placed in its own compartment. The ends of the working filaments are tucked into a fluoroplastic tube.
CreatBot F430 PEEK industrial 3D-printer allows the owner to use all the advantages of FDM-technology to the maximum, thanks to two extruders, the possibility of heating up the nozzle to 420 ° C and the use of engineering and household polymers of different brands, increased to 36 cm3 volume of the working chamber. The compact size and low price is a nice addition that even a small company can benefit from the work, creating accurate, highly resistant to corrosion and deformation models, applicable in dentistry, surgery and electronics.
