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You probably bought a 3D printer before and was disappointed when the print quality became bad after a while. Or you may have gotten frustrated because your prints failed more often than not.
We can relate to the disappointment and frustration that you feel, but there are simple fixes for these. Modifications and upgrades are your best bets if your 3D printer does not behave the way you want it to.
Some upgrades can help you avoid failures with your prints. There are also those that help keep your 3D printer safe from dust, and more importantly, improves the quality of your prints.
And if you have the Creality Ender 5 (or Ender 5 Pro), you’re in luck: this 3D printer has a lot of quick and easy upgrades that are readily available because of the vibrant community behind it, as well as the enterprising manufacturers that create products that are compatible as Ender 5 plus upgrades.
So what are the best upgrades for Creality Ender 5 today? Here are our top ten Ender 5 upgrades:
- Upgraded Parts for Ender 5
- Tempered Glass Build Plate for Ender 5
- BL Touch
- Wham Bam Flexible Build System
- BIQU Nema17 Stepper Motor Steel and Rubber Vibration Dampers
- 3D Printer Enclosure
- LANMU Micro SD to SD Card Extension Cable Adapter Flexible Extender
- Cable Strain Relief
- Shortening the Bowden Tube
- Leg Extenders
Where can you buy these? Or how can you create your own? We have all of it here.
Table of Contents
Creality Ender 5: What Is It?
The Creality Ender 5 is a highly precise 3D printer that has two Y-axis motors and a down-shift Z-axis. This setup helps the printer head to move more smoothly, as such resulting in fewer failures. It also ensures stable printing.
The Creality Ender 5 or Ender 5 Pro has an aluminum metal frame that is very easy to assemble. The frame measures 17.3 by 16.1 by 18.3 inches with build volumes of 8.7 by 8.7 by 11.8 inches. The hotbed can go from zero to 110 degrees centigrade in just five minutes, saving you a lot of time.
3D Printing Upgrades for Creality Ender 5 (And Ender 5 Plus Upgrades Too)
Overall, the Creality Ender 5 and 5 plus is a speedy and affordable 3D printer. But it is far from perfect, which is why there are mods and upgrades that you can consider to help you get more out of this printer.
Side Note: This might be common sense, but make sure you consistently update the Ender firmware as this is the “best free upgrade” oftentimes.
1. Upgraded Parts For Ender 5
This kit is FIRST investment to make if you are looking to upgrade the Ender 5. Collectively these upgrades make the printer quieter, faster, more durable and more reliable.
If you are having problems with how noisy the Ender 5 is, then you should get the Upgraded Parts for Ender 5 for less than $60. This package comes with a 39.4-inch Capricorn Bowden polytetrafluoroethylene, or PTFE, tubing (PTFE tube), metal extruder and nozel, and the silent motheboard. This upgrade will not only make your 3D printer a whole lot quieter, but customers attest that printing is now much more reliable and faster.
The good news is that these upgraded parts are more or less plug and play, you just disconnect the plugs and then attach them to the silent board. Each component in this package is also available separately.
2. Tempered Glass Build Plate for Ender 5
Next up, get this upgraded build plate for superior adesion and durability. The native build plate that ships on the Ender series reported has some issues here, so this upgrade is well worth it for less than $20.
A lot of people complain about Ender 5’s magnetic heated bed. Some people say that your prints don’t adhere to the magnetic bed, others report that the included bed is not durable.
This carbon and silicon build surface is known for its excellent adhesion when heated. Once you finish printing, just let your printed object cool off and the hotbed will release it so that you can easily pick or scrape it up.
This build plate is very easy to install: you just put it on top of your existing hotbed and secure it with clips. What’s more, you only need water to clean it. Further, if the magnetic bed that comes with your printer begins to look scratched and old, this tempered glass product is a good choice. It also gets hotter than the original print bed.
In fact, if you are planning to use ABS filaments, then you shouldn’t wait for the included magnetic bed to give out and just buy this product right away. The tempered glass build plate will help you avoid warping and disfigurement in your prints.
What’s more, this tempered glass build plate has an inorganic special coating that rates an 8.0 on Mohs Hardness Scale, which makes it sturdier than quartz and apatite, and equally hard as topaz. Measuring 9.25 inches on all sides, it can also withstand extreme temperatures of up to 400 degrees centigrade.
3. BL Touch
Bed leveling issues? Get this kit for optimal auto bed leveling witth built-in checks and alarms for easy of use and a higher print success rate.
BL Touch is an electronic part of 3D printers that serves as an auto-leveling sensor. It can accurately measure the tilt of your 3D printer’s bed. The Ender 5’s own auto-leveling sensor works well with its own magnetic bed, but if you are going to change the bed to something that’s made of glass and other materials, you will want to change the sensor to BL Touch, as well.
Some sensors that are used for metal beds cannot see glass beds. BL Touch sensors are also the most accurate sensors. These sensors have standard deviations of around 0.005 millimeters. The sensor includes a microcontroller, a push pin probe. It has a hall sensor that works together with the pushpin, which makes it perfect for different bed types.
Creality sells the BL Touch Auto Bed Levelling Sensor for its Ender models. This product goes for around $50 (check here for the latest price).
4. Wham Bam Flexible Build System
When used in a 3D printing application, PEI is excellent because it can withstand the many heat cycles that a 3D printing bed goes through from one print to another.
The Wham Bam Flexible Build System helps you 3D print to adhere to the printer bed, while also ensuring that you can easily pick it off when you’re done printing. This build surface is even better than polyetherimide sheets.
When printing is finished, you only have to remove the build plate of the magnetic base and flex it slightly to remove the print: much like getting ice cubes from the tray. The magnetic base can resist extreme temperatures of up to 150 degrees.
The build plate itself is made with spring steel, while the PEX build surface is customized. The Wham Bam Flexible Build System is available for different 3D printer brands and models. Make sure you get the right dimensions when you buy them.
5. BIQU Nema17 Stepper Motor Steel and Rubber Vibration Dampers
This product is GREAT to make your Ender 5 quieter and eliminate vibration. You get better quality prints. It comes in a pack of three and with a dozen screws.
If you’re looking to reduce the vibrations on your 3d printer, then get the BIQU Nema17 Stepper Motor Steel and Rubber Vibration Dampers. This product will make your Ender 5 quieter and eliminate vibration. You get better quality prints. It comes in a pack of three, with a dozen screws. You should use one damper for every electric motor or stepper.
How good are these dampers? Printing will be five to ten decibels quieter. It works on Cartesian type printers such as the Ender 5.
6. 3D Printer Enclosure
Improve the overall printing experience - both for you and the machine itself. Easy to install, can be folded for efficient storage.
Creality also sells enclosures for its 3D printers. This enclosure comes with everything you need to assemble it around your printer. It has 12 different sized iron pipes, eight fixed angle brackets, and a folding shed. It can keep the temperature constant throughout your printer, guarding your prints against getting ruined by colder temperatures.
This enclosure can also help cut the noise and keep your printer safe dust. The interior is made with aluminum film. If in the off-chance that your printer catches fire, the enclosure will keep it from spreading.
The Ender 5 enclosure measures 35.4 by 29.5 by 27.6 inches when fully assembled, but it folds down to 17.5 by 22.2 by 27.0 inches for easy storage when not in use.
7. LANMU Micro SD to SD Card Extension Cable Adapter Flexible Extender
The micro SD to SD card extension cable is made of high quality plastic and FFC. The 18.9 '' length design makes it flexible and long enough to extend and read your SD cards.
The Ender 5 comes with an SD card and a reader right out of the box, but you will still want an SD card extension cable for it. The LANMU Micro SD to SD Card Extension Cable Adapter Flexible Extender is made with top quality materials and makes it easier for you to insert and take out even the smallest SD cards. This extender boasts of speedy reading speeds.
On top of the Ender 5, this product is also compatible with other devices such as your mobile devices, GPS, DVR, DVD, LCD screens, and Raspberry Pi, among others. If you’re not fully satisfied with this product, you can send it back after 30 days and get your money back. The company also offers a free replacement within 180 days.
8. Cable Strain Relief
Provides 0.5 '' ID strain relief to cables and wires that pass through plates or connect to electrical equipment.
Not all upgrades require you to purchase something. You do have a 3D printer, so it’s an excellent way to make upgrades for your Ender 5. As the name implies, cable strain relief protects the solder points. All 3D printers have moving parts: the hot end and the bed. Both of these parts have wires that are soldered on. The movements will not bother the wires, but it will wear out the soldering soon enough.
Fortunately, you have this bed strain relief and this hot end cable strain relief that’s ready for printing.
9. Shortening the Bowden Tube
High lubricity additives make our XS Series tubes the lowest friction Bowden tubes on the market. Less friction means more responsiveness, less shrinkage, more accurate prints, less slippage, wear and tear on the extruder, and less clogging when printing thick filaments like some wood-filled or iron-filled.
There are a few complaints about the stringing that happens with the Ender 5. The good news is that you can shorten the Bowden tube so that the retraction value is also reduced.
This modification can also reduce the drag when the device is printing, which in turn results in more precise prints.
10. Leg Extenders
The Creality Ender 5 can take up a lot of space on any surface. This printer can take up most of your tabletop, and you might find yourself having to store everything you need for printing in another cabinet or drawer.
A simple solution is to print these leg extenders that will lift your Ender 5 around 4 inches off the table, giving you ample storage space underneath.
Frequently Asked Questions: Creality Ender 5 and Ender 5 Plus Upgrades and Mods
We usually come across people who have more questions about 3D printers in general, Creality Ender 5, and upgrades.
1. Why do you need upgrades for the Creality Ender 5?
You might think that the Creality Ender 5 is lacking in some aspects, which is why you need upgrades and modifications for it. The truth is the Creality Ender 5 is an excellent 3D printer that brings you a large bed size, a whole set of features and capabilities, and a price tag that you will love. But two things that take the Ender 5 a head above its competitors is that you can upgrade it and that there is a very active community that supports it.
What does that mean? If you need something to upgrade your 3D printer, chances are there is already a modification that’s ready for you to print. You will also love it that there are groups that you can join and meet people who are ready with their product recommendations.
Is this 3D printer a bad product that needs an upgrade? Not necessarily, but the Creality Ender 5 is not perfect in all aspects. The upgrades you see here makes a good product like the Ender 5 a whole lot better.
2. What can you expect to get from upgrades?
Upgrades can range from simply making your 3D printer look good, to making it work better. According to this article, the top reasons for 3D printing failures are:
- Bed adhesion
- Over extrusion
- Under extrusion
- Knotted filament options
- Skewed bed
There are upgrades that can help you avoid these conditions and thereby allowing you to avoid print fails. Some upgrades simply pimp your 3D printer: they don’t necessarily make do anything to improve print quality, but it makes your printer look at lot better.
3. Are upgrades necessary for your 3D printer?
The Creality Ender 5 and other similar printers are excellent products, but they will have design flaws and other weaknesses that you can easily correct with a corresponding upgrade. Most 3D printers for the home are getting cheaper and cheaper because of the strong competition in the market.
For instance, most manufacturers are shipping 3D printers with a cheaper build plate. Some of these build plates are not flat, or they do not hold the print as securely as you’d want. As such, it is often recommended that you get a better build plate for your 3D printer.
Upgrades should be part of your considerations when you’re buying a 3D printer. On top of the price tag of the printer, you should also figure out how much you’re going to spend on the upgrades. This way, you’d have a more realistic view of how much it would cost to own a particular 3D printer.
Get More out of Your Creality Ender 5 with These Upgrades
There’s a method to the madness of upgrading your Creality Ender 5 or Ender 5 Pro. For the most part, you can check out what other people have done on several Internet forums or Reddit threads. But you should really use your 3D printer first and see what issues you encounter. Chances are, there is an upgrade that can help you solve that problem.
The good news is that there are a lot of upgrades and mods available out there. Paid products will not cost you more than $100 for the most part. But there are also free upgrades that you can print for your use. To be honest, we had a hard time whittling our list down to only ten items, but these are the ones that would benefit most people because they solve common Ender 5 problems.
Upgrade your Creality printer with the Micro-Swiss All-metal hotend. With this nozzle and hotend upgrade, Creality 3d printers are capable of printing at higher temperatures, which opens up a wide range of 3D printing materials.
Further Reading: