How to Update CR-10 Firmware

The Creality CR-10 is a large-scale, high-precision 3D printer for home use. With a massive print volume of 300x300x400mm.

It features a revolutionary MK10 nozzle patent extrusion structure and can print practically any type of print filament currently available. Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), thermoplastic polyurethane, wood, copper, carbon fiber, and Polylactic Acid (PLA)d are among the materials compatible with the Creality 10.

The CR 10 is ideal for beginners because it is already 80 percent built. To get this printer up and running, you only need to connect cables and assemble the frame.

The CR-10 is a superb printer right out of the box. However, with some enhancements and upgrades, it can become one of the best. We've selected the best upgrades for your CR-10 in this article. There are no enhancements just for aesthetics here; each upgrade serves a functional purpose and has been verified to work.

Features of a CR 10 smart printer

1. Intelligent printing mode 

Both Wi-Fi and R345 wired network connections are supported by the CR 10 smart.

With the Creality cloud app, you can slice 3D models, manage 3D printers from your phone, and print objects anytime and anywhere you want.

2. Ultra-silent design

A silent 3D printing experience is ensured by a self-developed 32-bits patented mute mainboard, low noise power supply, and highly efficient cooling fans.

3. Creative modular design

The six-step setup method is made possible by its unique modular design. In about 8 minutes, the CR 10 can be completely assembled.

4. Brilliant auto-leveling

You can enjoy a hassle-free leveling process and quick printing with the V2.0 auto-leveling system after the initial auto-leveling is completed.

5. Auto-shutdown and screen protection

If no manual operation is performed within 30 minutes, the screen will dim to preserve power.

The CR 10 smart allows for automatic filament feeding and retreating, making the process easier and more environmentally sustainable.

To conserve energy and time, the machine would automatically shut down once the model is completed.

6. Optimal viewing angle

The 4.3-inch touch screen with increased resolution and a completely new user interface create an extremely intuitive and user-friendly experience.

7. The strong design enables accurate printing

The solid iron triangular shape was made from the aviation-grade aluminum frame, gantry structure, and metal diagonal drawbar. The hotbed is supported by 16 load-bearing pillars, dual z-axis, and dual diagonal drawbars, which effectively reduce resonance and improve printing stability and consistency.

The best Creality10 updates

The CR-10 printers are excellent, but they could be better. Check out the best Creality CR-10 modifications and improvements.

We've divided your choices into three areas for better reading: extrusion, heating and cooling, and print bed. Let's see what you might want to include!

1. Extrusion

The extruder is where most of the action happens in FDM 3D printing. The enhancements listed below address some of the most prevalent concerns with transporting and processing filament throughout the extrusion process.

• Bearings for the spool holder

One of the most common criticisms of the CR-10 is its spool holder, which has several severe flaws.

This update is brilliant: the filament roll sits on top of four bearings, with no regard for spool size, and the spool is held in position by the holder's sides. The design reduces friction greatly, relieving part of the load on the extruder.

For simple access and use, the holder fits well on top of the control box. It also lessens the impact of vibrations on some CR-10 models because it's no longer situated on top of the printer, which was exacerbating the problem.

• Filament guide

A filament guide is a fantastic addition to any 3D printer. It ensures that filament travels safely from the spool to the extruder. A bearing and a few 3D-printed elements are used to make this filament guide, which can be assembled with just one screw.

The finished object is attached to the printer's Z-axis carriage. Its usage of a bearing guarantees that the material flows smoothly and prevents it from becoming twisted around the extruder.

• Capricorn Bowden tubing

Why not ensure that your 3D prints have the same level of quality and precision as your fancy new extruder?

Capricorn tubing offers substantially tighter tolerances than normal PTFE tubing, as evidenced by its trademark dark blue color. This implies that the filament has less room to wriggle about on its journey to the nozzle. As a result, your extrusion will be smoother, more precise, and constant throughout the print.

Capricorn tubing also helps to prevent the filament from binding on itself, which is especially critical when printing with flexible filaments.

2. Heating and cooling

There is no 3D printing without heat, but no pieces are complete without some cooling. These enhancements assist you in achieving the ideal temperature for your printing tasks.

• E3D Hemera

The V6 series of E3D's high-quality 3D printing hot ends are well-known. The Hemera is the solution for a smaller direct drive extruder with a very short filament path.

It can print flexible filaments as quickly as PLA. The well-constrained filament path prevents the filament from bucking or binding on itself. Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU), for example, is prone to this, making printing it a challenging task.

• All-metal micro-Swiss hot end

While your standard CR-10 hot end isn't the worst in the industry, it does have flaws. Printing at higher temperatures causes troubles with the PTFE liner, and many users have reported reliability concerns.

Micro Swiss introduces their all-metal hot end as a prime replacement, built to suit the original mounts without modification, to alleviate and eliminate your issues. Wear-resistant plated brass nozzles, which are a step higher from the basic nozzle you'll be replacing, are also encouraged.

• Cooling the control box

A pair of 120-mm fans, installed in place of the factory cooling fans on the control board and power supply, is a popular mod for the CR-10's control box. The larger fans turn out to be much quieter and more efficient than their smaller stock counterparts.

Adding extra ventilation to the electronics with this improvement should also extend the life of the electrical components inside the box.

• Enclosure

While PLA printing is fine, the CR-10 printers suffer when it comes to ABS and nylon. It's tough to keep a draft-free printing environment at the proper temperature with an open-air frame and a huge heated bed.

Creality recognized the problem and developed a printer enclosure kit that protects your printer from the hazards of an open workshop. The smaller enclosure should fit most of the Creality 10 3D printers based on their frame specs.

3. Leveling and printing bed 

The magic happens on the build platform! The modifications aid in ensuring that everything is in good working condition at the location where prints are created.

• Upgrading your build plate

For improved adhesion, Creality provides some attractive upgrade choices. Similar to Anycubic's Ultrabase glass build plate, their tempered glass build plate has a special carbon-silicone covering. This is said to have excellent adhesion when heated but readily breaks loose when cold. Anyone who has spent any time 3D printing understands that bed adhesion is one of the most crucial aspects that determine whether or not a print will be successful. This article is for you if you're tired of fussing with scrapers and blades to get a fragile print off without ruining it.

If the glass isn't your thing, a flexible build plate is an option. This is one of the greatest flexible construction plates available, with a choice of surfaces and sizes to choose from. It enables you to remove a print without the use of a scraper, which is a time-consuming and potentially dangerous technique.

• Bed handle

Manually moving the construction plate might be tricky, and you risk burning yourself. To avoid this, create your build plate handle with no additional parts.

The leveling knobs are unscrewed, the handle is placed, and the knobs are then screwed back in place to secure it. This also helps to keep your bed clean because you aren't touching the print surface while moving it.

Steps to update your CR10 firmware

1. Download the firmware

download the CR10 firmware update file.  Make sure to choose the file that best fits your 3D printer setup and unzip the file.

2. Connect your printer

Power on your printer and connect it to your computer using the Micro USB port.

3. Check your COM port

Go to device manager and check what COM port your printer is running on.

4. Open Cura
5. Machine settings
6. Go to Machine > Machine settings in the drop-down menu.
7. Set the Serial Port to the COM port your printer is using.
8. Set Baud rate to 115200.
9. Check Step 3 to find out what port number your printer is using

6.                  Install custom firmware

• Go to Machine > Install custom firmware in the drop-down menu.
• Locate the firmware on your computer and press open.
• Ensure your printer is connected to the computer at all times during installation.

7.                  Finish

Congratulations you have now updated your firmware.

• Move to the BL Touch guide if your printer has one.
• Otherwise, you are done and ready.
• Perform a bed leveling before using this new extrusion system.

NOTE: Reduce Retraction Distance to 1mm and Retraction Speed to 35mm/s before starting using the DDS

Conclusion It is important to update your CR 10 firmware regularly for you to get the best out of your 3D prints at all times. whether you are new to 3D printing or you are an expert at it, these updates would definitely improve the quality of your print models and prevent inconsistency in your work. Get started today!