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As resin 3D printers become more popular and affordable, Creality is following suit with the release of a large format monochrome 4k resin printer with a 192x120x250mm print area, the LD-006, the big sister to the LD-002R (small format 2k printer) and LD-002H (a monochrome version).
Creality LD-006 Resellers
Creality LD-006 (Official Store)
There are more and more resin machines around 200-300€, but they are small 3D printers with small printing areas. As users want to be able to print larger, manufacturers have started to release larger models with more interesting print areas, at attractive prices for less than 1000€.
The Creality LD-006 is a large format resin printer, advertised at a price of 699$, or about 590€, it is not yet available for sale, but should arrive in stock during April.
Features of the Creality LD-006
- 4k Monochrome display (ultra fast 1-4sec printing per layer)
- 192x120x250mm print area
- Double carbon filter to reduce odour level
- Colour touch screen
- Double linear rail for Z-axis
Its print volume is slightly larger than the Anycubic Mono X (245mm on the Z axis) or the Elegoo Saturn (200mm on the Z axis), for a similar platen size.
The Elegoo Saturn is the same price as the Mono X, but at around 450€ for 5cm less, and without the carbon filter, so the price is consistent.
Unpacking the Creality LD-006
The LD-006 is completely pre-assembled, so once you unpack it, it will only take a few minutes after calibrating your tray to start your first print!
To see how to calibrate the platter, you can watch our unpacking video in accelerated mode, the procedure is really very simple.
Several accessories are supplied with the machine, gloves, filters, spare FEP, spatulas… but there is no bottle of resin, so don’t forget to buy a bottle at the same time! Take a 1L bottle right away, because 500g is really too little to enjoy this kind of machine. The tank can hold up to 1 litre of resin.
First print with the Creality LD-006
Before launching your Slicer, and to test the machine, I suggest you print the test model on the machine’s USB key.
Here is the first model printed, an eiffel tower, looking at the print settings via the screen, we find an exposure time of 3.5sec per layer, but also an abnormally long pause time of 16sec between each layer (the Exposure Off value), so this model will have taken more than 17h to print.
After cleaning and UV lamp, here is our little Eiffel Tower, the rendering is really clean and precise, we can now print our own models, using the ChiTuBox Slicer!
Configuration of the ChiTuBox Slicer for the Creality LD-006
ChiTuBox proposes since its version 1.7, the support of the LD-006 (even before the announcement of Creality by the way), the configuration of the Slicer is thus really very simple, in some clicks you will be able to launch your first impression!
Looking at the resin profiles pre-configured for this machine, I notice that on the default profile (standard resin grey) the exposure off time is 16sec between each layer, which seems to me totally abnormal, it increases considerably the printing time, 3sec exposure per layer, and 16sec pause… this is clearly not normal!
Fortunately, when I select the other profiles, I notice that the pause time is 0 (which is most of the time the case for the other machines), so it’s an error from ChiTuBox for the standard grey colour profile, the test model supplied with the printer must have been configured with this wrong profile.
So I modify this profile, reducing the exposure time to 3sec, I’ll see if I can reduce it further, it’s very likely that I can print at 2sec per layer, or even less!
Anycubic translucent green resin, the rendering is clean with a good level of detail even if it is difficult to see it with this type of colour.
For the second print, I keep this resin, trying this time to print a larger model. No problem to print this model, except that I forgot to drill holes in the bust itself, so I have some resin trapped inside the model, I had only added holes in the support! So I’ll have to redo some holes manually.
For the next prints, I will change the colour, as it is difficult to see the level of detail with this colour.
Here is a print with grey Prusa Tough resin, the rendering is really clean, a great rendering with this resin, the model is about 17cm high.
I take the opportunity to compare the size of the LD-006 plate with the LD-002R, 192x120cm against 120x65mm.
To finish this test, one last print, trying to make the most of the printing surface, I couldn’t make it any bigger to reach the 25cm, the model is also about 18cm. I love the look of this Volswagen van, printed in one go, with the default ChiTuBox settings, the LD-006 did very well!
To conclude
I was impatient to test this printer, having already tested its 2 little sisters, and I am not disappointed. I did not encounter any particular problem with this machine which is easy to use, it is perfectly adapted for a beginner.
Concerning the price, the official price of 699$ corresponds to the market price, it will probably be possible to get it for less at some third party resellers, or during the promotion periods… but we are waiting for the stock for the moment!
I think this machine is a very good alternative to the Anycubic Mono X or the Elegoo Saturn, it has nothing to envy them.
Now I have to do more tests on the lowest possible exposure times, this machine should be able to go under 2sec per layer, I will update the article very soon on this point!
Creality LD-006 Resellers
Creality LD-006 (Official Store)
