Gone are the times of “newbie” printers that welcome new makers with a trial by hearth. Elegoo’s easy to make use of Neptune 3 Professional (opens in new tab) arrives 90% pre-assembled and goes from field to first print in half-hour. Presently launching with a sale value of $230, the machine is as simple in your pockets as it’s to arrange.
The Neptune 3 was already a wonderful 3D printer, incomes 4 Stars once we reviewed it in June. The professional version has added just a few new goodies: a direct drive that basically grips slippery filaments like TPU, twin Z screws for regular printing and a built-in activity gentle. The duty gentle is a type of small high quality of life enhancements that appears foolish – till you end up squinting at the hours of darkness at your first layer.
Every part we favored from the Neptune 3 was carried over to this new machine or improved. The PEI coated construct plate holds onto prints with the correct amount of stick, then releases when chilly. Mattress leveling is a snap, and the Z peak was heading in the right direction with no need adjustment. The detachable contact display screen is straightforward to make use of, and thumbnails have returned whenever you use Elegoo’s slicing software program.
That is by far one in every of our favourite printers and one we are able to simply suggest as one of many finest 3D printers for each newbie and veteran makers.
Specs: Elegoo Neptune 3 Professional
| Construct Quantity | 225 x 225 x 280 mm (8.5 x 8.5 x 11 inches) |
| Materials | PLA/PETG/TPU/ABS (as much as 260 levels) |
| Extruder Kind | Direct Drive |
| Nozzle | .4mm MK8 |
| Construct Platform | PEI textured spring metal sheet, heated |
| Mattress Leveling | Automated, Inductive probe |
| Filament Runout Sensor | Sure |
| Connectivity | microSD card, USB Kind A |
| Interface | Coloration contact display screen, detachable |
| Machine Footprint | 475 x 445 x 515 mm (18.7 x 17.5 x 20.3 in) |
| Machine Weight | 8.1 KG (17.8 lbs) |
Creality Elegoo Neptune 3 Professional: Included within the Field
The Neptune 3 Professional comes with every little thing you could get your printer arrange. You get instruments to construct and preserve the printer, facet cutters, a plastic scraper, 2 spare nozzles, and a microSD card with a USB adapter. There’s additionally a small pattern of white PLA to print your first mannequin.
The microSD card has a really useful quick video on assembling the printer. You additionally get a PDF copy of the guide, a replica of Elegoo Cura and a pattern mannequin in each pre-sliced .gcode and .stl format.
Design of the Elegoo Neptune 3 Professional
Maybe Elegoo was listening once we stated the previous Neptune 3 wasn’t very distinctive, as a result of the brand new Neptune 3 Professional has turn into fairly the looker. The plain black body of previous has been swapped for grey aluminum with painted stripes and a catchy “Create the Future” motto stamped on the entrance.
Probably the most fascinating replace is using on the gantry: a twin gear direct drive that does a wonderful job of grabbing squirrelly materials like TPU. This machine has three cooling followers, and an improved aluminum warmth sink. Elegoo brags in regards to the new “TC4 titanium alloy” throat pipe, however there’s nonetheless a bit of PTFE tube in there, that means it’s not an all-metal hotend. The enhancements ought to assist forestall clogs, however you’re nonetheless restricted to 260 levels on the hotend – which is okay for many 3d printing fanatics anyway.
The ability provide has been moved beneath the construct plate to make room for a second Z axis screw. Shifting the load decrease and including z rods on each side ought to assist with print accuracy, particularly on taller prints.
The Professional is utilizing a big detachable touchpad with a magnetic base launched in June on the Neptune 3. The pad is hooked to the processor with a curly landline type wire. When you’ve ever been irritated by display screen glare, you need to actually respect this improve. The graphic menu is straightforward to know, although the “buttons” could possibly be extra delicate.
Elegoo has additionally put some work into the auto mattress leveling system, which now faucets 36 factors earlier than making its calculations. It makes use of a tough mounted construct floor and an inductive probe that works superb effectively.
The run out sensor is now situated close to the spool and appears to be much less tight than its predecessor. I didn’t have any bother getting TPU by means of this one.
Assembling the Elegoo Neptune 3 Professional
The Neptune 3 Professional comes largely assembled, solely needing just a few bolts to place the machine collectively. The higher body is connected to the bottom with 4 bolts that come up by means of the underside.
The contact display screen base screws into the facet, however one of many screws is in such an ungainly spot we couldn’t get the Allen wrench in there, so we left it off. This left the display screen a bit wobbly. We might in all probability discover a higher wrench, however we prefer to assemble printers for assessment with the instruments supplied.
All {the electrical} connections are labeled – or extraordinarily apparent the place they should go.
The video included on the microSD card is useful – and Elegoo was considerate sufficient to say the video twice within the printer’s documentation, in order that customers realize it.
Leveling the Elegoo Neptune 3 Professional
The Neptune 3 Professional comes with auto mattress leveling with an inductive probe. Merely choose Stage on the primary menu and the printer will warmth as much as 140 levels on the nozzle and 60 C on the mattress. After it houses, it should faucet 36 factors throughout the mattress.
It is going to then cease on the heart of the mattress and wait so that you can double-check the Z peak. Do that by inserting a bit of extraordinary paper beneath the nozzle and reducing or elevating it with the buttons on the contact display screen till the nozzle simply scrapes the paper.
You can too wonderful tune the Z peak from the print menu whereas working a print, nevertheless I didn’t discover this crucial.
Loading Filament on the Elegoo Neptune 3 Professional
The Neptune 3 Professional is a direct drive printer with its extruder and hotend multi functional spot. To load filament, faucet Put together on the primary menu, then Temperature and choose the one in every of 4 presets that match your filament. As soon as the hotend is warmed previous 190 levels, you possibly can insert the filament into the highest of the extruder and let the wheels pull the filament by means of.
To unload or change colours, merely reverse the method.
Making ready Recordsdata / Software program for Elegoo Neptune 3 Professional
The Neptune 3 Professional comes with a replica of Elegoo Cura, which has profiles for all its machines. It additionally has the added means to create a thumbnail of your mannequin to show on the printer. This operate doesn’t work in the event you use Octoprint, because the Raspberry Pi overrides the primary display screen.
Customary variations of Cura or Prusa Slicer don’t have profiles for any of Elegoo’s printers, however you need to use the profile for an Ender 3 Professional and alter the construct quantity accordingly.
Common Cura can show thumbnails if you perform a little workaround. Go to Market within the higher proper nook of Cura. Click on Neighborhood Plugins. Choose MKS Wifi Plugin. Sadly, this doesn’t give your printer WiFi with out shopping for one other piece of {hardware}. Reboot Cura, then choose Handle Printers and allow the MKS plugin. Underneath preview, choose Allow Previews. Use “default” for the printer, set Simage to 100 and Gimage to 200.
Printing on the Elegoo Neptune 3 Professional
The Neptune 3 Professional printed splendidly proper out of the field. My first print was the pre-sliced Buddha Elegoo supplied on the microSD card. I used the equipped pattern PLA and it turned out very clean. The pattern PLA was solely sufficient to print one check file, so that you’ll positively need to order just a few rolls of filament straight away. Try our information to the finest filaments for 3D printing for examples of our favourite supplies so as to add to your provide.
This derpy pigeon caught in a bit of bread is a two half, print in place mannequin from Layers In Inexperienced. The hen has extendable legs that telescope from inside its physique. Some of these prints may be difficult, however the Neptune 3 Professional dealt with it simply with clean, clear partitions. The pigeon is printed in Protopasta Nebula Silver Silk and the bread is 3D Gas Buzzed PLA. Each prints collectively took 6 hours and 51 minutes at 60 mm/s and a .2 mm layer peak.
To check out TPU, I ran a wavy Christmas tree in vase mode utilizing TPU. The print has no backside and needed to cling to the construct plate by a single line width of TPU. It printed completely clean with no gaps or issues. It took 4 hours and 40 minutes in vase mode, utilizing a sturdy .64 mm line width and 50 mm/s velocity. We printed it in Matterhackers Construct Collection Translucent Inexperienced TPU (opens in new tab).
To check PETG, we used a extra purposeful print from the Voron undertaking. It printed clear and with out distortion or stringing. The textured mattress didn’t require any glue stick as a buffer layer and the print popped off as simply as PLA as soon as cool. Utilizing Protopasta Merely Black PETG, this printed in 42 minutes at a .2 mm layer peak and 65 mm/s velocity.
Backside Line
The Neptune 3 Professional is a good 3D printer for individuals who need a polished machine that’s simple to make use of proper from the field. Its easy auto mattress leveling, PEI coated flex plate, and glorious direct drive will assist newbies by eliminating the key complications we frequently expertise with stripped down fundamental printers.
This machine has an incredible quantity of deluxe options packed right into a discount sale value of $230. Even when bought at an MSRP of $300, the Neptune 3 Professional will beat rival Creality’s Ender 3 S1 for $100 much less. It’s not as quick as some newer machines hitting the market, however it gives reliability plus clean, high quality prints.
When you’re on the lookout for a good greater discount, take a look at the $169 Creality Ender 2 Professional, a transportable price range printer with the same hotend and guide leveling, however a lot smaller construct quantity and no direct drive. If you would like barely extra options plus an all-metal hotend rated to 300 levels, take a look at the Creality Ender 3 S1 Professional for $499.
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