QIDI Q1 Pro, Review: Compact, fast and efficient 3D printer

Today we present the new QIDI Q1 Pro 3D printer in our review. A system with heated printing chamber that offers good speed and specifications.

As we will see in the review of the QIDI Q1 Pro we are facing a 3D printer of great design and with very good features which highlights its heated printing chamber. A set that is almost plug and play to forget about adjustment problems. As you will see, this QIDI Tech printer is an ideal machine for beginners, since its interface and maintenance is very simple. In addition, we have a good management software and manuals of all kinds.

In the following article we will explain in a simple way how to start and work with a 3D printer for those who are not experts on the subject.

QIDI Q1 Pro Details

Unboxing and first contact

The QIDI Q1 Pro 3D printer is very easy to assemble. Thanks to its boxed design we have a system that does not need manual calibration and offers few adjustment problems.

Main start-up steps

1. Fit the roll holder arm.
2. Cut locking flanges and remove plastics.
3. Remove fixing screws from the base plate.
4. Follow calibration process on screen.

Mounting, adjustment and connection

Getting the QIDI Q1 Pro printer assembly up and running is very simple. Thanks to the excellent QIDI branded documentation and videos we can get the system up and running quickly.

In the following video we can see the main features of this 3D printer. As we can see, it has innovative technologies that we will explain below.

Axes and leveling of the 3D printer

Thanks to the auto leveling system that includes the QIDI Q1 Pro we can have the operating system directly in a few seconds. We will only have to follow the steps indicated in the auto leveling menu. In addition, we have independent servomotors for each Z axis which avoids errors in the belt tension in the elevation.

Components, control and 3D software

Structure and base

The QIDI Q1 Pro printer offers a very careful design in a watertight box format. We have a large front door and a top cover that allows access to all components. On the side of the front area we have a touch screen to directly manage the system.

In the box we also have a USB 2.0 port in the upper area to be able to insert 3D models or update the firmware directly. Inside the case we have a heating radiator to put the inside of case up to 60 °C, on the opposite side we have a fast cooling fan and on the rear side another conventional extraction fan. In the internal rear area we have the head cleaner with a waste box.

In the upper area we have an integrated LED light, quite practical to see the work. In the lower area we have the magnetic plate where the printing of our 3D figure will be made.

Printing head

The default print head of the QIDI Q1 Pro is made of quality materials, the extrusion components are metallic and ceramic. There are two cooling fans and a printhead that facilitates heat exchange. The maximum temperature that the head can reach is 350 ºC, which allows us to work with a good range of materials.

It is easy to completely disassemble the head by detaching the plastic housing with the fan. We can see how the heating head and extruder can be replaced with spare parts.

In the documentation that comes in the SD memory that accompanies this printer we have multiple information, including the list of compatible materials and recommendations. It is important to respect this table when using the laminating software, buying rolls of materials or adjusting the system for optimal performance.

QIDI Q1 Pro Controls

The QIDI Q1 Pro printer offers a 4.3″ touch screen that allows you to control all the basic aspects of this hardware. It is possible to access menus for leveling, temperature control, job loading process and other settings to customize the printer.

Part Design and Laminator

We can download or design our 3D part, usually in STL or OBJ files which then requires laminating it, with the QIDI Slicer software designed for this printer, but we can use others. The program will guide us in the system configuration with our printer, we can connect it by Wifi looking at the IP of the printer in the printer settings.

• Libraries of prefabricated 3D objects in the webs Thingiverse / Grab3D / Cults3D.
• If we want to design our 3D parts we can use Tinkercad software .
• To laminate the STL or OBJ models we will use the QIDI Slicer program .
• We adjust and click on Laminate, it will save a GCODE file that we can use in the 3D printer.
• For more information read the QIDI Q1 Pro Wiki.

Real-time management and camera

Inside the QIDI Slicer program to have real time control and we can see the integrated 1080p webcam we have to go to the Device window. There we have the Fluidd environment where it is very comfortable to manage all the settings, we can also use macros to capture images or other functions.

• Mobile: We can also access from an Android or iOS smartphone with QIDI Link
• NOTE: for now the Android app starts in Chinese to change the language.
  – Click on the icon of the person > last option > ENGLISH

Test bench

Print quality

Once we have passed the calibration of the QIDI Q1 Pro, we will dive headlong into 3D printing models. In our tests we will use the most common material which is PLA (Polylactic Acid) and a 3D reference model to draw conclusions. The system after pre-heating starts to work without any problem, for this material it is not necessary to heat the printer box.

As we can see the final quality is good and we can verify that it is VERY fast. For the definition that gives us this head we have a good geometry and well profiled finishes. As can be seen, each of the layers is correctly adjusted and does not present important errors.

• 3D Model: 3DBenchy The Jolly / 60x50x35 mm / 21 minutes

Thermal and noise

We looked at the thermals of the QIDI Q1 Pro printer, the system heats up normally and we did not notice any abnormal hot spots in its components. The motors heat up very little and do not represent a problem, the drive belts should not be too tense and the rail wheels should not be overtightened.

As for the noise level, the printer reaches a level of 65 dB in normal use. Inside a room it is quite bearable and not tiring.

Maintenance and spare parts

Thanks to QIDI Tech’ s documentation we have a complete video on how to disassemble and adjust the different components of the printer. Additional help is available on their website or in their contact mail.

Conclusions of the review and purchase link

Review

After testing the QIDI Q1 Pro we can say that this is a very comfortable, fast and efficient 3D printer. The system offers us a fully guided assembly in a few steps, the autocalibration system makes life easier for all users. As we have seen, the 3D printing quality is quite good and fast. We can make parts for home or professional use quickly and easily.

Thanks to its box design everything comes perfectly assembled and with good adjustments, something that avoids problems, it also allows to raise its temperature to 65 °C of its printing chamber to improve the overall quality with some materials. In addition, there is good documentation and software accessible from anywhere. The inclusion of an internal 1080p camera makes it easy to follow the manufacturing process.

Overall the QIDI Q1 Pro 3D printer is a very interesting machine for 3D printing, the quality of its components and speed has surprised us. We can recommend it without any doubt.

Review

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