Wanhao Duplicator 6 Plus 3D Printer Review

Hi everyone! Today we will be covering the most important features of the Wanhao Duplicator 6 Plus (D6 Plus) — a budget-friendly yet powerful FDM 3D printer that can be used by both hobbyists and professionals. As always, we’ll provide an in-depth analysis of the device’s functionality, compare it with another printer from the same price category, and present the most breathtaking use cases.

 

About Wanhao

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Wanhao is a Chinese manufacturer of value-engineered 3D printers that was established back in 2011. Since then, the team members dedicated themselves to honing their additive manufacturing skills and learning how to create high-grade 3D printers. As a result, the company quickly became one of the major players of the worldwide additive manufacturing market thanks to supplying high-quality printers and providing remarkable customer service.  

Source: wanhao3dprinter.com

As of now, Wanhao’s annual turnover counts more than $25 mil. The staff consists of more than 500 employees working together to create DLP, LCD, and FDM 3D printers, as well as components and consumables for such machines.

In order to learn more about Wanhao, please click here.

  

Wanhao Duplicator 6 Plus

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The Wanhao Duplicator 6 Plus is an upgraded version of its predecessor, the D6 model. The main advantages include fully enclosed print chamber, increased print speed (300 mm/s), increased build volume, extended list of compatible materials, and improved auto bed leveling. In addition, the D6 Plus features an aluminum heated bed that lets you print models as large as 200 x 200 x 180 mm. Moreover, the all-metal MK11 extruder allows making outstandingly detailed parts with a layer thickness starting from 20 microns. The enclosed print chamber and heated bed help to avoid temperature fluctuations and let you print with ABS and PETG. Another advantage is the resume printing option — a lifesaver that allows to continue the printing process precisely from the point before a power outage took place. The D6 Plus comes with the Wanhao Cura slicing software, offering a variety of pre-installed profiles optimized to be used with popular printable materials. 

  

Features

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Unlike the Wanhao D6, the D6 Plus features a fully enclosed print chamber that is represented by side covers, a door, and an upper casing. Such a chamber design helps to keep the desired temperature for optimal printing conditions and broadens the range of usable materials. Moreover, the printer is equipped with the Z Double-Track Gantry (DTG™) system that minimizes the print head vibrations during printing and ensures stable operation and precise outputs. In addition, the D6 Plus motherboard has been upgraded with a twenty-pin connector (replacing the sixteen-pin used in the D6). This allows using several additional features, such as stop/resume printing function.

Another great addition is the freedom to choose – the D6 is now compatible with six differently sized nozzles, allowing to experiment and choose the one to suit the needs of a particular application. Being attentive to the community requests, the Wanhao team has re-mounted the print head fan onto the heat sink, improving the cooling during extended operation. As a result, there will be much less stringing, warping, and other issues associated with FDM 3D printing. At the request of users, the printhead fan is now mounted on the heatsink, which improves its cooling during extended operation. To seal the deal, the D6 Plus print head now has an inductive platform touch sensor. 

Source: 3dprima.com

  

Specifications

• Technology: FDM
• Build volume: 200 x  200 x 180 mm
• Warranty period: 3 months
• Operating systems: Windows, Linux, macOS
• Dimensions, mm: 348 x 364 x 480
• Weight, kg: 18
• Slicing software: CURA Wanhao edition, Simplify 3D
• Manufacturer country: China
• Extruder: Single
• Applications: household, industrial, educational, advertising, design
• Supported file formats: .stl, G-code, .obj, .dae, .amf
• Max. heated bed temperature: 100°С
• Max. extruder temperature: 260°С
• Min. layer thickness: 20 microns
• Power consumption: 5-230V, 50-60Hz
• Filament diameter: 1.75 mm
• Nozzle diameter: 0.4 mm
• Display: LCD
• Connectivity: USB, SD card
• Print speed: 30-150 mm/s
• Printable materials: ABS, PLA, HIPS, PVA

  

What’s in the Box

Source: b2b.modelquartier.com

The Wanhao Duplicator 6 Plus comes with:

• Wanhao D6 Plus 3D printer
• Side covers, a door, and a top cover
• Power cable
• USB cable
• Toolbox
• SD card
• Card reader
• Cura Wanhao edition slicer
• Filament spool
• Scraper
• Print bed mat
• User manual

  

Add-ons and Upgrades

BONDTECH Print Head

Bondtech is a Swedish company that specializes in the production of dual-drive extruders and extrusion upgrade kits. Employing the proprietary Dual-Drive technology, the Bondtech print head greatly shortens overall printing time and allows to produce more precise parts as compared to the ones made with a default extruder. In addition, this technology leaves no room for a filament slip, eliminating any issues that would’ve been caused by material damage. Precisely for this reason, the extruder is equipped with a screw that lets one regulate the force applied to the filament.

The extruder is supplied without motor and is available in left- and right-oriented options allowing for a corresponding mounting.   

 

Slicing Software

Cura Wanhao 

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The slicing software is used to transform a digital 3D object into a set of specific guidelines for a 3D printer. Such guidelines describe the manner in which the print head should move, where and how much filament should be extruded, and so on and so forth. There is a variety of slicers to choose from, but one of the most popular and effective ones is Cura. All of the Wanhao Duplicator 6 Plus 3D printers are supplied with adapted and modified variations of Cura that contain several pre-installed profiles for a particular printer model or filament type. Cura is an open-source slicing software with a GitHub repository.

  

Comparison of the Wanhao Duplicator 6 Plus and Anycubic 4Max Pro

	Duplicator 6 Plus	Anycubic 4Max Pro
Dimensions, mm	348х364х480	454х466х410
Weight, kg	18	22,5
Build volume, mm	200х200х180	270х205х205
Min. layer thickness, microns	20	50
XY resolution, microns	10	12.5
Print speed, mm/s	30–150	60
Price	$899.00	$419.00

As you can see, the Wanhao D6 Plus is faster and can print more accurate and precise models as compared to the Anycubic 4Max Pro. It also offers a slightly smaller build volume and costs more. Each of the compared devices has its pros and cons, so the final word will be the buyer’s.

  

Pros and Cons

Pros

The Wanhao Duplicator D6 Plus boasts its huge build volume, improved design and functionality, and enclosed print chamber that allows printing with a variety of materials, as well as safely use the printer in educational institutions (the moving parts are enclosed too). Besides, it provides an outstanding print speed and is a reliable, time-checked multi-purpose device perfect for hobbyists. It is also perfect for professional applications that require production of plastic-based products. 

Cons

Some makers remark that the default bed leveling sensor tends to work incorrectly from time to time. In such cases, the sensor should be replaced.

Another inconvenience is caused by an unreliable mounting of extruder’s stub, which may reduce its lifetime.

  

Use Cases

With the Duplicator 6 Plus, you can make dozens of original items, such as this neatly-looking birdhouse

Original part (on the right) and a 3D printed one (on the left) 

A lion figurine made of several 3D printed parts bonded together

3D printing the Falcon Heavy rocket 

  

The Bottom Line

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The Duplicator 6 Plus is another step towards the perfection taken by Wanhao for the sake of upgrading their ever-evolving lineup. Being an improved version of previous models, it also includes fixes and modifications advised by the community. The D6 Plus turned out to be a reliable, accurate, and user-friendly device. It is nice seeing a company that produces highly functional printers that get better with every model, while still maintaining budget-friendly price tags. 

You can purchase the Wanhao Duplicator 6 Plus at Top 3D Shop. This reliable and multi-functional device comes with the manufacturer’s warranty. Besides, our team will make sure to provide the best service possible, just like we always do.