Multi-color revolution? This 3D printer avoids waste and cuts setup times

The Flashforge Creator 5 Pro is available now from the manufacturer for $949. For an additional $100, the model is expected to reach customers in 15 days instead of up to 50 days, though there is currently still a $100 discount. That already makes the Flashforge Creator 5 Pro one of the more expensive 3D printers.

The Flashforge Creator 5 Pro differs significantly from most 3D printers because it comes with four separate toolheads. The major advantage is that printing with multiple filaments does not require the filament to be cut, eliminating the need to purge the hotend. Other manufacturers try to solve this with a shorter path between the filament cutter and the hotend outlet, for example. With the Flashforge Creator 5 Pro, this should result in lower material consumption and significantly faster printing, though that advantage naturally only applies when multiple filaments are used. The filaments hang more or less on the side and are therefore not temperature-controlled or dried.

The enclosed build chamber can produce prints measuring up to 256 x 256 x 256 millimeters, and material can be extruded at up to 320°C. The chamber can be heated to a maximum of 65°C, while the print bed reaches 120°C. The maximum print speed is listed at 300 mm/s, although such a high print speed is not necessarily recommended. A touchscreen and webcam are built in, and differences in flow rate are supposed to be compensated for automatically.