3D printer Qidi Plus 4 in test

Qidi Plus 4 promises fast and large format prints as well as distortion-free printing of advanced materials like PA-CF, PET-CF, Nylon and ABS thanks to the heated internal chamber – all at a competitive price. We tested how the 27 kg 3D printer performs in practice with its attractive design.

Large installation space, attractive housing, brilliant, large touchscreen display: even at first glance, the Qidi Plus 4 gets a lot of things right. We know from the past that the manufacturer knows exactly what it is doing. Nothing has changed in the latest model: the Plus 4 prints really well. But one thing at a time.

Qidi Plus 4 comes safely packed in a heavy box. No surprise, it comes almost fully assembled with an installation space of 305 x 305 x 280 mm. The high weight is not only due to the dimensions, but also due to the stable Core-XY construction and real glass windows. The plastic housing is reminiscent of brushed aluminum; Colleagues in the editorial department also called the look “washing machine”, which did not have a negative connotation. Overall, the quality of design and workmanship is reliable across the board and plays in a much higher league than previous Qidi models.

In addition to the mostly pre-assembled printer, the scope of delivery also includes the device, a USB stick, cables, a glue stick and spare parts. Thanks to the practical retractable handle on the top, the device can also be carried alone if necessary. Anyone who wants to change the position of the printer for a short period of time will be very happy with it – but not backwards, which is why, despite the practical handle, it is better to have a second person to help.

Assembly is quick due to good pre-assembly. Only the door handle, filament holder and display need to be installed in just a few steps. The front glass door and glass lid make access to the installation location very easy. The Qidi Plus 4 is controlled via a centrally mounted 5-inch LCD touchscreen. The spool holder and USB port are conveniently located on the back. There the printer also spits out excess filament, which occurs during print preparation, filament replacement, or by automatically detaching the nozzle. You should consider this when choosing the installation location.

The 3D printer supports WLAN, Ethernet and classic data transfer via USB stick. Solid dual Z-axis construction minimizes vibration in a 305 x 305 x 280 mm installation space. The machine is powered by the current Clipper firmware V1.2, enabling printing speeds of up to 600 mm/s – perfectly prepared for large installation spaces and high temperatures.

The 1080p camera allows you to remotely monitor printing or create time-lapse videos. Activated carbon filter reduces emissions and automatic double sensor bed leveling with piezoelectric sensor ensures perfect adhesion of the first layer.

In a simulated manner, an assistant on a capacitive touchscreen display guides you through the steps required for preparation. Thanks to the high level of pre-assembly, this gets done quickly anyway. You have to cut some cable ties and loosen some screws installed by the manufacturer as transportation protection, mount some attachments and insert the filament.

The first software update we had to do was manually using a USB stick; Firmware version 1.4.0 is a prerequisite for updates to run automatically via WLAN.

Our favorite slicer software on computers is currently Orcaslicer. It is practical that Qidi always includes its profiles directly in the official fork: version 2.2.0 includes various profiles for Plus 4, with different content and quality levels. Unfortunately, there is no current profile for other slicers like Cura, so the manufacturer will likely stop supporting them in 2023. From our point of view, this is fine, but Cura fans will probably have to search in the vastness of the Internet for good presets or try to customize them themselves.

There is also an app called Qidi Link that aims to allow access to the printer via smartphone. Anyone hoping for a well-thought-out solution like Bambu, where you can take a look at the pressure chamber from anywhere in the world and be notified instantly via push notification if there’s a problem, will be disappointed. There are hiccups and stutters in translation, the connection works just fine, the functions are fine – after trying it out for a short time we quickly abandoned the app.

The Qidi Plus 4 is a true physical performer. The print bed reaches an impressive 120 °C, the printing plate has a structured PEI surface on both sides, the hotend reaches 370 °C (!) and an additional internal heating chamber brings the temperature to a stable 65 °C internal temperature. Is.

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It appears that there is not a powerful enough exhaust fan. If you want to print less demanding materials like PLA, you’ll have to open the front door manually and remove the top lid so the interior doesn’t overheat. A corresponding note on the display makes this clear.

But anyone can do PLA. When using ABS or ASA, PETG or TPU as well as carbon/glass fiber composites, open printers reach their limits. On the other hand, Plus 4 also prints in demand high-performance plastics such as PPS-CF. We printed several moon lamps from ABS for testing and got very good results. The glue stick was necessary to stick it to the print bed, otherwise we had no problems.

In our tests, the Qidi Plus 4 lived up to high expectations. We’ve printed dozens of objects, from sharp or precise benchies to ABS Moon Crater lamps and print-in-place functional parts to large Pixar lamps in pieces. We only had a few problems. In one case, the print template was incorrect and did not work on other printers. Without the glue stick there were problems with adhesion to the ABS. And if you don’t know it yet: You should not print different materials one after another, but you should clean the PEI printing plate very carefully with non-greasy detergent beforehand, otherwise it will not stick. .

The printing speed is very high, up to 600 mm/s, which, with large installation space, ensures very short printing time. The precision 1.5mm timing belts also promise high accuracy and less ghosting and ringing. However, the combination of the stable XY core structure and the high weight of the components means you need a stable place to stand the Qidi. Our height-adjustable table in the lab starts to swing quite a bit when the Plus 4 is fully operational.

Plus 4 also does a good job with very accurate models with fine details. It is pleasant that the manufacturer specifies five quality levels with a layer height of 0.28 to 0.12 millimeters.

With a price of less than 800 euros, the Qidi Plus 4 is not a cheap deal. But you also get a lot on offer: large installation space, high temperature print head, actively heated chamber, high precision and printing speed, automatic nozzle cleaning, a high-quality touchscreen display for operation.

If you need a combination of flexibility in choice of print bed size and material, this is the right place for you. If you’re interested in a one-stop printer, you’ll probably want to print something other than PLA.

Qidi Plus 4 is not revolutionary. We’ve already seen most of these on other devices, except perhaps the wide temperature range in which the Qidi operates. But that doesn’t make the classic “bread and butter work” any worse: the Plus 4 has made its friends in testing. He prints, prints and prints.

Minor weaknesses such as weak PLA cooling, somewhat cumbersome time-lapse downloads or a weaker app than Bamboo can hardly spoil the very good overall impression. The Qidi Plus 4 is a clear recommendation, especially for demanding projects with high-temperature filaments and large objects. Beginners, on the other hand, are more likely to choose cheaper and more compact options.