Creasee CS-30 3D Printer Review 95% Assembled

The Creasee Company started its operations in 2017 with the intention of focusing on the R&D, production, and sales of 3D printers, accessories, and consumables for 3D printing. Currently, they offer eight separate FDM 3D printers of varying sizes, from a 500 x 500 x 600 mm print area down to a 200 x 200 x 200 mm enclosed FDM 3D printer. It was an honor to be able to review the Creasee CS-30 3D printer and to put it to the test.

The Creasee CS-30 3D printer, version 3, is an improved version of the highly acclaimed large format FDM desktop printer. In the case of the Creasee CS-30, Creasee claims that it comes to you in a 95% complete state. There are a lot of features packed into the 3D printer so that it’s a great printer for someone who is just starting out in this hobby. On top of that, the price is very attractive for whoever is looking at getting one of these printers.

Features of Creasee CS-30 3D Printer

Creasee provides the CS-30 3D printer with a set of features, which will ensure a smooth printing process. This model includes a 3.5″ touch screen besides the rep-rap style push knob. Double Z axis motors and screws ensure that your axis does not move and cause printing issues. This board ships with silent TMC2208 stepper drivers, so there will be no annoying whining from the printer. Creasee also included a filament runout sensor to stop print when filament runs out.

Unboxing the CS-30 3D Printer

Creasee’s CS-30 comes in an extremely well packaged box. I received it in an oversized box from Amazon with no padding to keep it from moving around (this is a thing with Amazon, not with Creasee). I opened the box and was amazed to find that the printer was well padded and packaged. In order to protect the printers during transit, they are packed in three layers of protective foam, as well as two top layers.

First, there was the hotend carriage, the TFT (which were bubble wrapped in order to add extra protection), as well as the accessory package for the printer. The second layer was the Z axis, with the X axis already installed. Finally, on the bottom layer was the base, which held the glass print bed securely in place.

First impressions of the printer have been very positive! Initially glance, it appears to be a very professional device, with the wires all neatly organized beneath the aluminum base housing. The connectors are all passed through close to their respective points of use, consequently giving the appearance of a very clean design. The construction is made entirely of metal and seems to be very durable too.

In addition to the supplied glass bed, which is emblazoned with the Creasee logo, you will also find carbon-crystal-silicones on the bed, which are very similar to those offered by other suppliers in the industry. As far as the appearance goes, it is a printer that would look great in either a home environment or in a professional setting.

Assembly of the CS-30 FDM 3D Printer

Creasee advertises that the product is 95% complete in the box, and that assembly takes only 3 minutes. I was able to give it a try, and it was very successful. As soon as I opened the box, I found a user manual on the SD card that came with it, and could get started immediately. It took me less than 3 minutes to set up the device as it was advertised. During the assembly process, there were 13 bolts to be installed.

Then it’s just a matter of connecting the motors, sensors, touchscreen, and hot end board, and some zip ties to make sure everything stays in place. Installation of the ribbon cable for the touchscreen (TFT) was the most challenging part of the whole process. Remember to make sure that the voltage for the incoming power to the printer is set to the correct setting. From opening the box to the first power on, assembly took much less than 10 minutes total from opening the box up to the first power on.

One thing to always remember when setting up a 3D printer for the first time is to make sure the z axis is level across. To do this, I always run the Z axis to almost the top of the axis, maybe 4 inches from the top. Then measure each side to make sure they are aligned. The CS30 FDM 3D printer shipped pretty close, but the left side needed to come down about 2mm. Making sure the printer is off, or the steppers are disabled, turn the side of the z-axis the direction it is needed to go. Afterwards, be sure to re-measure to insure it is level.

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First 3D Prints Off The Creasee CS-30 FDM 3D Printer

Leveling the bed is always the first step to getting a quality first print, and I will admit that this process leaves a little to be desired on the CS-30. The process on this printer is manual, however, there are commands readily available on the TFT to travel to 5 predetermined points on the bed (Front Left/Right, Back Left/Right, and Center). In the future, I will probably see about upgrading the printer to include a BL touch or other auto bed leveling capability.

XYZ Calibration Cube

After leveling the bed, the first print I always do is a calibration cube to see what needs to be adjusted. The cube came out almost on the numbers (20mm x 20mm x 20mm), so right out of the box, this printer is definitely capable with little adjustment.

Rabbit

I printed one of the Creasee pre-sliced prints on the provided SD Card, labelled rabbit. the Temperature settings seemed a little low, with the hot end set to 200C and the bed set to 40C, but with the screen able to make baby steps and other setting adjustments, the change to the temps was an easy bump up to 215C for the nozzle and 60C for the bed for the PLA that I was using. The z axis can also be adjusted by intervals of .01, .1, and 1mm, which can be extremely helpful when setting up the printer.

The first attempt ended up a failed bird’s nest, and I found that despite not adjusting anything from the previous print, the build plate was about .05-1mm low. The second attempt of the rabbit, after a re-level of the bed and adjusting those temps to appropriate PLA settings, was a success

3D Benchy

Since Creasee advertises that the printer can print at speeds of 20mm/s to 100mm/s, I tested the limits on my third print. I went with the tried and true 3DBenchy torture test, and turned the speed to 100%, er, 100mm/s. I was pleasantly surprised! The printer could keep up and printed the 3D Benchy in just under 1.5 hours at 100mm/s. The print quality was overall pretty good. Limited stringing issues and the overall print looked good.

At that high a speed, there was more ghosting present in the print, and the bottom layer letters did not come out great, but overall thrilled with the quality that was present at such a high (and unpractical) print speed. With some change to the jerk settings in the slicer, this can definitely be tuned out. In addition, Creasee suggests running at 50mm/s, so this is well exceeding expectations.

Vase

Finally, one more test print to see how stable the print is when it gets to the higher levels of a print. With a 400mm Z axis, there is for sure some room to play. I found this vase and gave it a go. I reduced the size to 60% on the X and Y, then reduced the Z by 50%. At almost 300mm tall, this is still an excellent test for the printers’ capability. After 19 hours, The final product was prime quality. The result had a bit of stringing issues, which can be tuned out with the temperature and retraction settings in the slicer. Vase mode printed very well overall on the CS30 FDM 3D printer.

Update Of Longer Term Use on the Crease CS30

Prints and Calibration

Other than an occasional bed levelling, the CS30 has really continued to print pretty well. I did have some issues when prototyping a large area multi-part print with stringing and decided to both tune my retraction as well as slow down that specific print. There are still some issues with stringing present that have not been completely tuned out.

Catan Board Game

One aspect that was not reviewed was how the CS30 printed in other materials. I have since tested some Silk PLA filament, Bamboo PLA filament, as well as some PETG. The silk PLA printed as expected, nearly the same as the other tested PLAs. The Bamboo PLA also printed quite nicely. Next, I would like to try some PETG, TPU, and perhaps some ABS. Settlers Of Catan Storage boxes were 3D printed with Atomic PLA and one in Hatchbox Bamboo PLA. These things are awesome!

KitchenAid Attachment Holder

I Printed this KitchenAid attachment holder with some Hatchbox Metallic Black PLA filament. Overall, the quality came out really nice, and it does the job intended really well. The bottom layer is not that mirror finish I would like to see, but is smooth to the touch. It once again took some persuasion to get off the build plate.

Darth Vader Bust

Of course, everyone with a 3D printer should celebrate May the 4th with something star wars related. This Darth Vader bust was also 3D printed in the Hatchbox Metallic PLA filament. The detail is incredible with the CS30 3D printer, though the overhangs and where the support attached could have come out a little nicer. The first layer was a little close to start, but after bumping it up 0.04mm it seemed to smooth out a bit.

Display Stand

This display stand I drew up in Fusion360 to mimic the same style I have seen on many others came out pretty nicely. Still have to deliver it to a friend to make sure it works, but it looks great! Still had some trouble here with the first layer not looking pretty, but functionally it won’t even be seen.

Parts wear and tear

As far as the longevity of the printer, there has been very little wear and tear. The glass bed, as it turns out, is very conducive to holding the parts in place, so some removal of the surface material has occurred on this. The logo also came off in one of the print first layers because of the great adhesion.

One thing I did note, especially when having multiple printers going at once, is the motors on the CS30 definitely have more noise to them than other printers. This seems to be an issue, particularly during fast movements on the print in the Y axis. I found that repositioning it on the desk it sat on helped, but did not eliminate the noise. Slowing down the travel movements does quiet down the printer considerably. However, for a printer that boasts 100mm/s and silent steppers, I would hope that they were a little quieter when moving at those high speeds.

All other parts after 1 month of pretty solid printing have shown little to no wear. The extruder is plastic, so I do expect that to go out, which I will replace with an all metal MK8 when it does.

The Good, the Bad, And The Ugly Of The CS-30

Pros of the Creasee CS-30 v3

• Very easy setup right out of the box. In fact, it was so easy that essentially all that was needed was add filament, level the bed and go! first calibration cube print came out almost directly on the numbers.
• All aluminum frames
• Print quality was very high even at high speed print settings
• Print volume is one of the larger for the price point at 300x300x400mm
• Stepper motors are silent
• Heated bed comes insulated, a nice touch!
• Filament detection sensor, so you know if there has been a breakage or the spool has run out

Cons of the CS30 FDM 3D printer

• While testing several prints, I have found that the bed does not stay level, or the z axis 0 does not stay true. The easiest fix to this is a quick re-level before a print.
• No auto bed leveling
• Stock fans are fairly loud
• No easy belt tensioners, will have to print some as an upgrade

Crease CS-30 Cura Slicer Profile

If you are looking for my Crease CS30 Cura Slicer Profile. This information can be found in Inov3D’s slicer profile article on the site. There are many more slicer profiles there as well.

Conclusion For The Creasee CS30 FDM 3D printer

I highly recommend the CS30 FDM 3D printer to anyone new to 3D printing. First, the setup is simple, and manual leveling will teach newcomers to the hobby a valuable skill in making sure the bed is level. Upgrades to the board will be easy enough, as it is a Marlin based firmware. Finally, the price is right on this printer as well. You can pick up the Creasee CS30 FDM 3D printer for under $400. MSRP for the printer is $349, however many places, including Amazon, have better prices. Shop around on Newegg, 3Dprinter online store, and even Ali-express to pick one up.

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