Sovol SV02 : Test of the Dual Extruder printer

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One year after the release of the Sovol SV01, the Chinese manufacturer has launched a new double extrusion model called the SV02. Sovol sent me this new machine to test it and present it to you.

For those of you who are new to dual extrusion, it simply means that this machine is capable of printing in 2 colours, unlike other traditional single extrusion FDM printers that can only print in one colour at a time. This means that you can set up 2 different spools and print suitable models, specifically designed for multiple extruder printers.

Overall the SV02 is very similar to the SV01, the printing surface and structure are the same, but here are the main differences:

– Dual extrusion in Bowden for the SV02 / Single extrusion in Direct Drive for the SV01
– Colour touch screen for the SV02
– Silent motherboard with TMC2208

To see the complete file of the machine, go to the official website of Sovol.

Sold for 399$ without options, that is to say about 340€, the price remains relatively interesting for this type of machine in double extrusion (the SV01 is sold for 299$), if you wish, Sovol also proposes other options with the purchase of the machine, such as a BL Touch sensor, an extruder “Mix color” allowing to print in gradient, or another type of magnetic metal plate (original ultrabase glass plate). For some of these options, you will need to update the firmware (available on the Sovol website). Sovol offers these machines in European stock, so you can order without fear of additional customs fees, and delivery should be relatively fast (less than a week).
If you prefer to go through a French retailer, it is available on Amazon for 340€.

Let’s move on to the unpacking of the Sovol SV02 :

The machine is very well protected, and partially assembled, we find a panoply of accessories such as a spatula, micro SD card, cutting pliers, spool holder… as well as 2 small PLA spools.

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For the assembly, count approximately 15min, to assemble the frame and to fix the touch screen, nothing very complicated, just some screws… without forgetting the connection of the various cables, that is well detailed in the note of assembly.

Once the machine is assembled, you will have to proceed to the adjustment of the plate, this machine does not have a self-levelling sensor (possible in option), you will have to check the level of the plate for the 4 corners and the centre, using a sheet of A4 paper, if it is your first 3D printer, you will find many tutorials on Youtube on this subject.

If after your plate setting you find that your first layer is too much (or not enough) squashed, you can also use the Z-offset compensation function directly on the touch screen.

Please note that if you have a problem with the heat platen stopping after a few minutes of printing, you will need to deactivate the “Economic” mode in the printer’s adjustment menu. Indeed, this “Energy Saving” mode is not relevant if you are using the ultrabase type platen, as the heat platen must remain switched on during the entire printing process.

Before starting your first print, please insert the filament correctly, Sovol had the good idea to mark the PTFE tubes, indicating the recommended filament insertion limit, please always respect these marks, this will prevent your head from clogging up when starting a print. Indeed the machine automatically manages the retraction of the filament at each change of colour, by withdrawing the filament of several centimetres, based on this original positioning, if you insert one of the colours until the end (of the nozzle), when starting your print, the machine risks wanting to load the other colour when there is already filament inside.

For your first print, I strongly advise you to print the example file supplied with the machine (SS Cube), to ensure that the machine works correctly, for my part, being impatient I did not let the print arrive at its end.

Once this first print is successful, it’s time to adjust the slicer!

For my part, I am currently using SuperSlicer, which is a version of Prusa Slicer with some advanced features, so I did my tests under this software, globally the result with Prusa Slicer should be similar. You can also choose Cura, or Simplify 3D, I haven’t used these softwares for a few months now, so I didn’t do any tests in this sense. I personally find Prusa Slicer’s (or Super Slicer’s) multi-extrusion management very intuitive.

I didn’t have much difficulty to create this profile, I simply started from a “Creality Ender 3” profile, natively proposed in the last Prusa Slicer version, I then replaced the number of available extruders in the “Printer settings” tab, then I activated the “Cleaning tower” purge mode in the “Printing settings” tab and that was it.

When you want to print a multi-colour model, the file is usually split into several separate STL files. If you load all these files at once into Prusa Slicer, the software automatically detects that it is a ‘multi-material’ model and offers to load it as one merged model. You can then easily choose which extruder (for the SV02 Extruder 1 and Extruder 2) to use for each block.

Here is my very first print, made with the Sovol SV02, for this print I didn’t have my final settings for the cleaning tower yet, you can see that it is only a few layers thick, the purging was done here in the model filling.

After successfully printing in its original size, I also used this model in 300%, the result is really clean, with a relatively basic profile and quickly set up. Printing with a layer height of 0.24mm, and Sunlu PLA+ filament.

Next, I printed another PLA model, sent to me directly by Sovol, with Gold Silk and white filament. I don’t know the print settings (in Cura) for this model, but the result is also very clean.

This printer is of course capable of printing in single extrusion, printing in Creality Silk White PLA, with a layer height of 0.16mm.

My son being a big fan of the Among Us game on his smartphone, here are some prints of small figures made with the Sovol SV02.

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A small mix of the other prints I have successfully made with this machine:

Is the Sovol SV02 quiet?

Equipped with a silent motherboard with TMC2208 drivers, this machine is relatively quiet during printing, but you can hear the noise of the fans, so this machine is not totally silent.

Is this machine reliable? Does the head clog often?

It is true that multiple extrusion printing can often be a source of problems, or head clogging during filament changes. Concerning this Sovol SV02, except for a print for which I forgot to position the filament at the mark on the PTFE tube, I did not encounter any problem on my various prints (more than 100 hours of printing for this test). So this machine is relatively reliable, to be seen on the long term, but I am globally satisfied, I imagined to meet more difficulties with this machine, I was pleasantly surprised by its simplicity of use.

What upgrades should I consider for the Sovol SV02?

You can consider the installation of a BL Touch, however I didn’t feel the need, I only made once the adjustment of the plate, and I didn’t need to touch it since. The extruder kit with mixing can be interesting if you want to print in gradient, or even simulate a 3rd colour (in 50% for extruder 1 and 50% for extruder 2), I have not yet tried this extruder (I received it with the machine, but I will install it later). The magnetic metal plate with PEI surface might be an interesting option, especially if you want to print PETG, but this ultrabase plate works well for me.

Should I buy this machine?

The price of around 340€ is interesting for a double extrusion machine, the components of this machine are of good quality, and the printing quality is good. I can only recommend buying this machine if you are looking for a machine that can print in several colours, this machine is also suitable for a beginner. It is better to buy it directly on the Sovol website or on their official Amazon shop, in order to guarantee a fast delivery and an official after-sales service.

I would like to thank Sovol for their trust and for sending me this machine for a review, which I guarantee to be totally impartial.

Do not hesitate to leave a comment on this article if you have any questions, or other remarks.