| Build Volume | 200 x 170 x 1000 mm |
| Layer Resolution Low | 400 microns |
| Layer Resolution High | 100 microns |
| Nozzle Diameter | 0.4 |
| Filament Diameter | 1.75 |
| Brand | Creality |
| Machine type | 3D Printer |
| Technology | FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) |
| Materials | PLA, ABS, Wood PLA, Rubber-like (TPU), PETG |
| Website | |
| Average Price | $1,099.00 |
Creality 3DPrintMill CR-30 is an FDM 3D printer that features a moving belt instead of a traditional build plate. This feature allows having more room in length (referred to as a Z-axis by the manufacturer) for longer parts. This machine had been funded through a Kickstarter and was finally released in 2021. Aside from the conveyor-style printing bed, the printer also has handy functions such as a filament outage detector and a dual-gear extruder. This model will be suitable for printing small batches.
Creality 3DPrintMill CR-30 is certainly a brave newcomer to the line of other Creality’s FDM printers, many of which weren’t that creative in their design. This machine was developed in collaboration with Naomi Wu, an experienced 3D printing user. However, PrintMill is far away from being the first printer-conveyor. Probably, the most notable predecessor with a close enough idea in mind is The Blackbelt, a 3D printer released back in 2017. Also funded through a Kickstarter, Blackbelt 3D gathered €101,970 and launched, being a member of a 3D printer market to this very day. Though, the first attempts at a similar technique came in 2010 by Makerbot.
While the idea of an “infinite” build volume is tempting, such conveyor machines have their own ups and downs. The key principle of working is that the frame itself stands at a 45-degree angle to the printing surface. Your printing head then moves both up at the angle and horizontally, as usual, and the belt, serving as a build plate, is able to move forward exceeding the frame. For the batch printing of small parts, this concept works just fine – it is your trusty FDM printing with the ability to avoid setting up a new run for each batch. As long as the hardware works reliably, there should be no problem with that. It also comes with other advantages related to printing several pieces at once – by gradually moving the parts forward, this machine eliminates knocking of the pieces from the plate by the nozzle and stringing between different objects.
The bigger question occurs when attempting to print singular parts with elongated length. Creality 3DPrintMill CR-30 is surely capable of that, however, it will require a careful orientation of your piece to avoid artifacts. Additionally, the heated plate only takes a small space near the frame, while the other area of the belt isn’t heated at all. This will limit the usage of some tougher plastics that have adhesion issues or require hotter surrounding temperatures for good quality. And the final limit that comes with such a peculiar printing style is sagging, which occurs if a side of your print becomes unsupported when leaving the belt.
Creality 3DPrintMill CR-30 is well-built, owners of other Creality machines may recognize many of the familiar components, including extruder, nozzle, filament sensor and motion system. The printer features CoreXY kinematics rotated at a 45-degree angle. It also has a filament runout detector and a better cooling fan structure. For leveling the machine, it is equipped with an optical sensor, which makes the procedure semi-automatic.
The heated bed area, as mentioned, is smaller than the whole belt, though, there are no exact specs provided by the manufacturer. For the PrintMill it is also possible to purchase roller attachments to support lengthy parts. The machine comes with its own Cura-based slicer, as the regular software won’t work.
