Creality CR-M4 - FDM 3D printer

The Creality CR-M4 3D printer is a large format semi-industrial FDM printer designed for working with a wide range of materials such as PLA, ABS, PLA Wood, PLA CF, PA, PETG and TPU. 

Video 1: The assembly and operation of the CR-M4 3D printer. Source: Creality.

The CR-M4 is an open material printer with a build volume of 450 x 450 x 470 mm, a "Sprite" dual-gear direct extruder, CR-Touch 25-point auto-leveling and a multi printer control feature, among other advanced features.

The large build volume makes it possible to create big models with less or no post-processing involved or to batch-print more parts in one go.

Extrusion system

The CR-M4 3D printer is equipped with an all-metal "Sprite" direct extruder with dual-gear design. The extruder provides a strong and uniform 80N extrusion force which is why the CR-M4 printer is perfect for printing with flexible materials, among others.

Image 1: The extrusion system of the CR-M4 printer. Source: Creality.

The upgraded high-flow hotend with a 50 W heater cartridge fully melt even high temperature materials at 300 ºC end ensure smooth feeding and extrusion. The CR-M4 printer comes with a 0.4 mm brass nozzle but 0.6/0.8 mm nozzles can be installed too. Furthermore, the CR-M4 printer is equipped with a standalone 4020 fan that efficiently cools the freshly printed layers and helps prevent drooping or warping.

Image 2: The filament runout sensor of the CR-M4 printer. Source: Creality.

When the filament has run out, CR-M4 will detect it, automatically stop printing, and resume printing when the new filament is fed. This allows for enormous time and material savings, as well as convenience and peace of mind for the user.

A 4-layer printing platform

The CR-M4 printer's printing platform consists of:

1. A 470 x 470 mm aluminum heatbed that can reach 60 ºC within 160 seconds.
2. A magnetic base snapped into place with two pins.
3. A resilient bendable spring steel sheet that facilitates instant part release.
4. A layer of PC coating for stront adhesion. 

Image 3: The flexible build sheet facilitates part removal. Source: Creality.

Another feature that makes the CR-M4 printer very user-friendly and precise is the 25-point CR Touch autoleveling. This leveling method quickly calibrates the distance between the nozzle and the build surface by taking as reference 25 points on the build surface and the Z offset at 0.05 mm accuracy.

Image 4: The CR Touch automatic bed leveling. Source: Creality.

The fact that the user does not have to manually level the printing bed not only is an enormous time saving and convenience but it also contributes to the overall greater accuracy of prints.

Stability and repeatability 

The Creality CR-M4 printer is equipped with quality CNC-machined dual Y-axis linear rails madde of bearing steel that can withstand wear, backlash and heavy load (30 kg +). This solution for the Y-axis linear rails is more reliable and durable than V-slot rails, and greatly optimizes the Y-axis transmission. Driven by a strong and precise motor, the Y-axis linear rails ensure accurate and smooth operation and 720 hours (30 days) of constant steady printing.

Image 5: The high quality Y-axis is driven by a powerful motor. Source: Creality.

The CR-M4 printer's rigid dual Z-axis is designed in a way that inhibits gantry sagging and Z-wobbling. Each Z-axis is driven by a standalone motor and together with the 2 support rods, a rigid triangle is formed to stabilize the top frame.

Image 6: The rigid dual Z-axis prevents wobbling and the cable chain design helps avoid wire entanglement. Source: Creality.

Furthermore, to avoid wire entanglement, Creality opted for a cable chain design for the axes.

Smart energy solutions

The user interface of the CR-M4 printer is a 4.3" color screen with simple and responsive touch control and features such as model preview and temperature PID tuning. After 5 minutes of inactivity the screen will turn off thus saving energy (an energy-saving Sleep Mode cna also be enabled).

Image 7: The straightforward CR-M4 user interface. Source: Creality.

The CR-M4 printer is also equipped with an 800 W industrial control power supply that is adaptive to 100-240 voltages worldwide. The 800 W adapter provides over 90 % efficiency and little thermal run-away, and it filters voltage fluctuations and electromagnetic interference. This contributes to a significantly smaller risk of short-circuit, overload, overvoltage and overheat.

Another feature included in the CR-M4 printer is the power loss fail safe. In case of sudden power loss, the printer automatically saves the printing progress and resume printing after the power is back up. This solution prevents material waste and saves the user time and resources.

Connectivity and multi-printer control

Synchronized big volume production is possible with multiple CR-M4 3D printers. When many CR-M4 printers are online, they can all be managed with the help of Creality Print or Creality Cloud Web to produce the same model, all with a single command.

Image 8: CR-M4 allows for smooth multi-printer control. Source: Creality.

Creality ensured to provide the users with numerous connectivity options to further agilize the 3D printing workflow and meet the needs of any user.

Image 9: The connectivity methods of the CR-M4 printer. Source: Creality.

With CR-M4 it is possible to print via USB drive, USB-C cable, RJ45 cable, or WiFi. With a LAN connection, users can print from any PC on the LAN by using Creality Print. With an Internet connection, users can print and monitor remotely from the Creality Cloud APP or Web.

Diverse applications

Thanks to the numerous smart design solutions, sturdy structure and safety features, the CR-M4 3D printer by Creality is ideal for the creation of large models in one go or batch 3D printing, also in a multi-printer arrangement. The numerous connectivity options and simple user interface ensure convenient user experience and the advanced extrusion and printing surface features make it possible to work with a wide range of 3D printing filaments and obtain repeatable results thanks to the stable and reliable XYZ axes. The CR-M4 printer is ideal for the production of architectural models or for prototyping.