| Shenzhen Creality 3D Technology Co, Ltd. | |
| Native Name: | 深圳市创想三维科技股份有限公司 |
| Industry: | 3D printing |
| Founded: | 2014 |
| Founders: | Chen Chun, Ao Danjun, Liu Huilin, Tang Jingke |
| Hq Location: | Shenzhen |
Creality, officially known as Shenzhen Creality 3D Technology Co, Ltd., is a Chinese 3D printer manufacturing company established in 2014,[1] [2] with headquarters in Shenzhen.[3]
Creality was jointly launched by Chen Chun, Ao Danjun, Liu Huilin, and Tang Jingke.[4] Its main products are consumer and industrial-grade 3D printers.[5]
In 2014, Creality released their first printer, the CR-3, a cantilever-style printer.[6]
In 2015, the CR-5, a cartesian printer, was released. It has two stepper motors for controlling each the X and Y co-ordinates of the print head. It had a build volume of 225x300x320mm³.[7]
That same year, the CR-7 was released, a cantilever-style printer with the display on an external arm and a build volume of 100x130x150mm³.[8]
In summer 2016, the CR-10 was released, a cartesian printer, which was praised for its large build volume and relative affordability for its print size at the time. With a build volume of 300x300x400mm³.[9]
In August 2017, the CR-8 was released, a cantilever-style printer, this time with the display mounted inside the base of the printer. It was also offered with an optional laser-engraving add-on. The CR-8 had a build volume of 200x200x200mm³.[10]
In 2018, Creality released the Ender 3. A cartesian printer with a bowden extruder. Although no official sales figures have been released, it is likely the best selling 3D printer of all time due to its low cost and mass production in addition to its derivatives and product skews. As such, it is widely credited for making 3D printing more accessible with its low cost and relatively good reliability for the time. It has a build volume of 220x220x250mm³.[11]
In January 2020, Creality launched its 3D printing platform, Creality Cloud.[12] In April 2021, the company introduced an entry-level 2K monochrome resin 3D printer.[13]
In April 2023, Creality released the K1 3D printer,[14] a faster Core-XY machine, with the same build volume as their previous Ender 3, made to compete with the new Bambu Lab printers released the year prior. The larger K1 Max was released on 14 July 2023,[15] with a build volume of 300mm³.
In January 2024, after many complaints about the K1, the company released the K1C 3D printer,[16] which fixed many of the K1's shortcomings, including an upgraded extruder and build plate, and allows for Carbon Fibre printing out of the box. The K1 Max meanwhile, although having notably fewer issues, was also incrementally upgraded with new revisions being released when current stock sold out.
On 3 April 2024, following a test slicer release for their new Creality Print 5.0 beta, a new printer was accidentally leaked in the configuration files under the name "K2 Plus".[17]
On 9 April 2024, the K2 Plus was officially announced at Creality's ten-year-anniversary event with pre-orders set to begin on 31 July.[18] Pre-orders started on 5 June limited to 2700pcs with discounts ranging from 20% to 50% off and shipping dates set for late September onwards. After logistics delays, customers started to receive their printers in mid-October. The printer was officially put on sale to the public on 11 November 2024.
Creality has a history of GPL violations around the Marlin firmware and other GPL software. The first documented case is from 2018,[19] and Creality continued this behavior until at least 2022.[20]
In March 2022, Creality was sued by Artec for allegedly plagiarizing Artec Studio's software code.[21] The case was filed in the New York Eastern District Court on March 25 and is still pending.[22]