We start this new year with several reviews that we will be publishing in the coming days. Today we are going to introduce you to QIDI’s new printer, the QIDI X-Plus4.
You will have seen that we have analyzed different QIDI models during the last few months, taking into account the good balance between price/features/quality, in which we have seen how this brand has been improving in each version over the previous ones.

Although they are still machines with some points of improvement, this QIDI X-Plus4 is going to be a great option for many, especially if we want to work with technical filaments. And proof of this is probably its nomination as the best FFF printer of last year for the 3D Printing Industry awards.
In any case, we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves so… Started!!!
As always before continuing with the article, remind you that you can join 3DWork on our Telegram channel full of 3D printing deranged, or on our social networks Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Twitter and Facebook.
QIDI Plus4
The QIDI Plus4 is the latest model in the QIDI family in which, like the rest, it is a completely closed printer, with a very stable as well as robust CoreXY kinematics and that shares many common features with the rest of the models such as the X-Max 3 or Q1 Pro… but some important differences or improvements.

As an introduction, we advise you to watch the following video of this QIDI X-Plus4 in which you will be able to see its features and notable improvements.
But we are going to try to explain in more detail some of its features below.
Kinematics
We will start with its kinematics, CoreXY as we mentioned above, using axial linear guides and which is very similar to previous models in which we are going to highlight two sections.
The QIDI Plus4 has an excellent print volume of 305x305x280 mm that will allow us to do projects of a certain magnitude or production of parts either of large volume or quantity. In addition, thanks to the structure that supports the printing platform and the use of a 6mm aluminum base, it will provide us with a firm, stable base, reducing deviations in our first layers.

On the other hand, as we find in the QIDI Q1 Pro, it implements an independent double Z-axis that together with its leveling system will allow a more automatic alignment of the bed saving time.

The use of 9mm 1.5GT belts, something that, along with other improvements both at the hardware and firmware level, will improve the finish of our parts, in the following video you can see more detail.
Extrusion System
The next aspect, and perhaps one of the most important of this QIDI Plus4, is its evolved extrusion system.

The QIDI Plus4 can reach up to 370ºC thanks to its second generation 80W heating system along with a bi-metal hotend as well as a compound multi-metal nozzle that will allow us to work with almost any material.

Another of the improved aspects, to avoid problems that we already saw in previous models, has been the hotend in which they have improved the temperature transfer, reducing the possibility of jams under normal conditions, improving the installation and handling system.
A great improvement as we will see later.

Another curiosity of the print head of this QIDI Plus4 is found in the layer ventilation system with an untraditional fan position, but, on the other hand, it offers great performance and flow…
something very important when we print at certain speeds and filaments.
In addition, we have an auxiliary side-layer fan that will help in the cooling tasks of the filament.

This change of position will allow us to have a very peculiar design of the front of the head where we do not see the typical air intake. It should also be noted that, to keep the hotend cold area, we have an auxiliary fan that helps the whole thing by ensuring a correct filament flow which we will also talk about in more detail.
Although it is not directly related to the extrusion system, but it helps to greatly improve the performance of this and finish of our parts, this QIDI Plus4, has a second generation active heating system that will allow the printing area to be maintained up to about 65º C.

This heater, which we will talk about in more detail, is a powerful 400 W system with air recirculation thanks to its powerful fan.
We also have a double filament detection system with a sensor in the print head and another in the filament entry to the printer that will allow us to detect problems due to jams or lack of filament.

Finally, and although we do not have it available yet, this QIDI Plus4 will be fully compatible with the new QIDI Box multi-material system which should be available during Q1 2025.
Something that we find especially useful because we can store our filaments, especially the technical ones, in an adequate way without requiring constant changes and using alternative filaments as an interface of supports that significantly improve our finishes on cantilevers and bridges.

Electronics
The appearance of the machine’s electronics, firmware and management interface has been a mixture of “light and shadow” in previous models.
This QIDI Plus 4 has electronics very similar to previous models, we have a 64b processor for the Klipper host part along with an EMMC of 32GB of storage so that we have no problems when managing our print history or time-lapses. In the management of the printer we have TMC2240 drivers that, in addition to helping to improve the management of the motors and their kinematics, will do so by generating the minimum noise from the motors and optimizing current consumption, as well as significantly improving the generation of heat in the drivers.
Also in the electronic part we have a color touch screen with a proprietary interface that is quite functional, simple and with many options… although we also encounter some problems during its use that will probably be solved in future firmware versions. I would like to highlight the filament loading/unloading assistants that have worked very well for us and are always appreciated because for an important process like this it is not always like this.

Like the previous models, the machine works using Klipper, a version customized by QIDI and which we will talk about later, to get the maximum performance from the machine.
The excellent news is that we have an updated version of Klipper v0.12 which will allow us to enjoy many improvements in the system, as well as compatibility with other functions.

Thanks to the use of Klipper and its freedom to expand and customize the system, we have two other functions that can be very useful… the inclusion of a 1080p camera with which we can timelapse and/or remotely monitor our prints.

Related to supervision we also have the QIDI Link application, this application will allow us to monitor and manage our printer remotely… something that together with the integrated camera will be of great help to us.

In the following table you can see all the specifications of this QIDI Plus4 :
Print Size (W*D*H) 305*305*280 mm | Printing Plate Dual-Sided Textured PEI Plate |
Printer Dimensions 505*487*550 mm | Hot Bed Temperature ≤ 120℃ |
Package Dimensions 580*600*650mm | Max Speed of Tool Head 600mm/s |
Gross Weight 32kg | Acceleration ≤20000mm/s^2 |
Net Weight 27kg | Operating System (slicer) Windows、MacOS、Linux |
XY Structure CoreXY, 9mm 1.5GT Belt | Chamber Circulation Fan Yes(with activated carbon air filter) |
Z Axis Dual Independent Lead Screw Motors | Chamber Temperature(PTC Heater) 2nd Gen Up to 65° C Independent Chamber Heating |
Automatic Leveling Hands-free Automatic Leveling | Supported Filament PLA, ABS, ASA, PETG,TPU,PA, PC, Carbon/ Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer,etc. |
Auxiliary Part Cooling Fan Yes | Filament Detection Tangle Detection and Hall Run Out Sensor |
Print Head Temperature ≤ 370℃ | Multi-Color Printing Compatible with QIDI Box (Multi-color) |
Cross Weight 32kg | Input Shaping Yes |
Net Weight 27kg | Power Loss Recovery: Yes |
XY Structure CoreXY | Voltage 100/240 VAC, 50/60Hz |
Extruder Gear Direct Extruder Hardened Steel Gears | Rated Power 450W+400W(Chamber Heating) |
Nozzle Bimetal Nozzle | Display Screen 5 Inch 800*480 Touch Screen |
Automatic Leveling Hands-free Automatic Leveling | Storage 32G EMMC and USB2.0 Flash Drive |
Auxiliary Part Cooling Fan Yes | Camera Low Framerate Camera (Up to 1080P) Timelapse Supported |
Nozzle Diameter 0.4mm (0.2/0.6/0.8mm Optional) | Connectivity Wifi 2.4G/Ethernet/USB |
Filament Diameter 1.75mm | Slicer QIDI Studio and other third-party software, such as Orca,PrusaSlicer etc. |
Printing Platform 6mm Aluminum Substrate Heating Bed | File Formats for Slicing STL, OBJ, 3MF,STEP,STP |
QIDI Plus4 unboxing
Now that we have an introduction to the capabilities and features of this QIDI Plus4 let’s start with the unboxing and commissioning of the printer.
The QIDI Plus4 comes perfectly packaged, and despite its print volume, it has quite contained measurements that we liked and much more manageable than the QIDI X-Max 3 of course.

QIDI includes all the components, accessories and tools necessary for the commissioning… By the way, when the printer comes pre-assembled, they will be quite fast.
Once we have removed the machine and removed all the protective plastics, we will install the front door handle.

Although it may seem a bit of an obvious step, we are going to highlight it for two aspects… the first because unlike previous models both the door and the top lid are now made of tempered glass, either by QIDI!! … second, because you are especially careful with the door because of the above, because any movement or sudden blow could cause an accident.
Then we will install the screen, connect the cable that we see on the front to the connector of the screen and slide the support into the slot of the printer with a lateral movement to fix it.

We will connect the power cable that is on the back of the printer, and through the switch next to it we will turn on the printer… Yes, we do not have a more comfortable way of ignition, unfortunately.
Getting a smart plug that we can integrate with Klipper and we can manage remotely or in our home automation system, if we have it, is highly advisable for convenience, and depending on the solution chosen, we can monitor the consumption of the machine.

When you turn on the machine for the first time, we will see the language selection wizard as well as the steps to remove the different protection locks installed to avoid problems during transport. Basically, we will remove some flanges on the headboard and the bed fixing screws that are clearly marked.

We will also install the carbon filter included in the compartment that we have for this use.

The next step will be the installation of the filament support and the loading of it on the left side of the machine, again the wizard will guide us through the whole process.

Before starting with the rest of the adjustment steps, we suggest you perform the network configuration if you have not done it either by Wifi or by cable. To do this we will go to the configuration and network menu where we will have the options for this. In the following screenshot you can see the options and you have more details in the following link.

We have emphasized the network connection to make sure we have updated the firmware of the machine since the subsequent steps are advisable to do again after this type of update, as well as having the latest version of the system can help us to have a better experience with the machine due to the improvements or bugs solved.

In the configuration options we will find the firmware update options, if as in our case your machine arrived with a version lower than 1.4.x we advise you to do the offline update process by USB of which you have the detailed process in the following link.
Although we also provide you with a video from QIDI where you can see the whole process.

Once these steps are finished, we can go to the calibration options where we will find 3 assistants, we will start with the calibration of the platform.
This assistant consists of two steps, the first step and with the help of a sheet of paper it will make us adjust the machine to the correct height, that is, with the sheet of paper on and the movement controls of the screen, adjust the height of the head so that it rubs against the paper but that we can move it with some resistance.

The second step of this wizard will guide us through the process of manually adjusting the printing platform screws, which will carry out the same previous process but, in the corners, where we must adjust the adjustment screws. In the following video you can see the process in greater detail:
The rest of the calibration tests to be carried out will be the self-leveling and Input Shaper that, following the indications, do not have any special step on our part.

We attach a video from QIDI that you can find on their Youtube channel where you can see this whole process, since depending on the steps a video can be of great help.
QIDI Plus4 tests and user experience
One part in which we like to invest as much time as possible is in the tests and “real” use of the printer since it will reflect the virtues or shortcomings that it may have.
Once the machine is ready and to start using it, we must use a slicer that allows us to transfer our 3D objects to a format that our printers understand.
We can use QIDI Slicer which is based on PrusaSlicer with a customized interface by QIDI has integrated profiles for your machines.

Although in our case we prefer to use OrcaSlicer, our favorite slicer, since we have base profiles for the QIDI Plus4 that we can use as a base or starting point to finish adjusting based on our tests or personal tastes.

Following the OrcaSlicer wizard, which you can see in the screenshot above, we will add the printer and go to the network connection options (WiFi icon) for greater convenience when managing our prints and machine.
In the Physical Printer configuration window, we will select Octo/Klipper and we will put our <IP_QIDI>
as you can see in the following screenshot, we will perform a Test to see that everything works correctly.

With this we will have our OrcaSlicer laminator ready to start generating parts and send them directly to our printer from the laminator!!
In our case, we started our tests using the high-speed QIDI filament, but not before performing the basic tests that we have in our OrcaSlicer to fine-tune the basic settings of the profile that has this one by default.
We previously made as an example the typical OrcaSlicer cube and benchy to see in areas we have to improve the profile and adjustments.


The control interface, which is in line with what we saw in previous models with certain improvements, is relatively fluid and with many options… in any case we believe that it is a point in which QIDI must continue working to improve the experience. of use.

Luckily in this regard we can connect to the Klipper web interface, Fluidd, from a browser to the IP assigned to the printer to have access to all the system controls.
Taking into account the experiences with previous models and having this machine oriented towards more technical materials, we began by using PLA, which was somewhat problematic in its use in previous models that required a correct adjustment in certain cases.
Since we like challenges, and with only some basic adjustments as we mentioned before, we decided to make an articulated figure with medium details… the result was very good both in finishes, in functionality of the piece and in printing speed. this.

Continuing with PLA we made some larger figures and with the use of supports… again the performance was excellent!!!

A continuación optamos por los famosos kits Dummy 13 donde podemos ver el nivel de detalle y precisión dimensional de la máquina… nos encantó tanto los resultados como el proceso de montaje del muñeco articulado que os aconsejamos imprimir!!!
Next we opted for the famous Dummy 13 kits where we can see the level of detail and dimensional precision of the machine… we loved both the results and the assembly process of the articulated doll that we advise you to print!!!

Both in the previous test and in the following ones, taking advantage of the purging system and the excellent macros for changing filament and management from the screen, we did several tests making filament changes in the middle of a print in addition to simulating filament supply outages with various types of filaments such as PLA, ABS and ASA.


When we use technical filaments is when this QIDI Plus4 shines especially with sensational finishes, largely thanks to its heating system, extrusion system and kinematics.
Filament change
It is a function that is increasingly valued, in this QIDI Plus4 and its options for use with the QIDI multifilament system are especially important as well as easy to use.
In order to use the filament change system, the first thing is to make sure that our laminator in the configuration of the g-code scripts uses the correct command for this process… in this case the M0 command as you can see in the following screenshots from OrcaSlicer:


In this way, when we insert a filament change or pause, the filament change process will be launched in the printer and through the screen we will be able to make the relevant options.
It is important to note that this process will throw residues of filament used during the process out of the back of the printer so it is more than advisable to manage these remains, we have different mods in our Printables collection for QIDI Plus4.

In the near future and if we have a multi-material system, these actions will be fully automatic.
Time lapses
We previously talked about the inclusion of a camera that would serve us both to monitor the status of the printer and to perform time lapses.
To be able to use this functionality it is necessary, as we did in the previous point, to insert the command/macro that makes the process, TIMELAPSE_TAKE_FRAME
in this case, and that we will place depending on the laminator or in the specific time lapse script or in the layer change:

In this way we can enable the functionality and we can generate these videos.
Accessing the machine’s Klipper interface from our preferred browser using its IP, we will see the time lapse section and within it the list of recordings as well as the status and configuration of the recording in progress.

Here is an example of one of our impressions:

If you don’t always want to make recordings of this type due to the extra process and space they take up, you can review in our guide to the QIDI Q1 Pro a possible option to be able to select when to enable it.
Klipper
As we have already mentioned, QIDI uses a custom distribution where they use Klipper v0.12 more recent than the versions we had available on previous machines.
Thanks to using current versions of Klipper we will be able to enjoy certain functions, error corrections and other functions… as an example, the function of excluding objects is always very useful.
By the way, QIDI gives us access to Klipper’s web management system… Fluidd is the interface that QIDI usually uses… so once the printer is connected to our network and knowing the assigned IP that we can find from the screen, we will use a web browser from any device with a connection to the same network using the IP to access.

We have collected all the mods or settings in settings that we have seen interesting in the QIDI Plus4 technical guide where some of them can significantly improve the use and overall stability of the machine…
In any case, we remind you to use these under your own.

Other improvements that we can find are a time adjustment system, improvements in the cooling of the electronics, temperature readings of the enclosure heating system, also related to the above improvements in heating times of the enclosure, use of adaptive purge/intelligent KAMP, motor configuration, leveling system, Input Shaper
, camera and overall print quality… A good collection of improvements!!
QIDI Plus4 final review
If you have come this far, you probably already have information about the characteristics of the machine, its start-up or the experience of use we have had… Finally, we would like to make a final assessment of this QIDI Plus4 from our point of view and experience of use during these weeks using it.
We think it is important to emphasize the approach that this machine offers us in view of its characteristics such as being a closed machine, its excellent extrusion system, heating system, large volume of printing as some of them to highlight that it will allow us with technical filaments for the competitive price it has if we compare it with other solutions.
The QIDI Plus4 is an excellent option for users who require a versatile machine that does not limit them in types of filaments and offers a print volume to be able to carry out any project… and that it also has an adjusted cost.

Although previous QIDI models had some somewhat special designs that could be liked more or less, and understanding that it is something subjective for each one, the QIDI Plus4 has a beautiful and functional design that also with the inclusion of the door and the top in tempered glass give it a more premium/quality touch than previous models.
In any case we also have to highlight that we continue to see points of improvement in this machine, perhaps not in parts as critical of it as we did in previous models.
For example, the design of the front door and top cover seems to us to be not very polished, especially for a machine focused on working with technical filaments… it is no longer that the printing area is perfectly sealed in these areas to avoid temperature leaks or harmful volatile gases that can be generated during printing… rather, these gaps are quite pronounced and can affect performance in certain circumstances.

On the other hand, and although this type of machine generates a lot of noise during operation and can be annoying depending on the use and location of the machine, the above also affects this aspect.

Continuing with the topic of temperatures and investigating the control of these for the enclosure, we saw that the sensor may not be in the best possible position, so it is more than advisable that you review our technical guide to the QIDI Plus4, where you have some mods as we mentioned above to improve this aspect.

The heating system, which is a great advantage in this type of machine, QIDI has decided to install a PTC heater.
The problem comes with the control electronics used in these machines and apparently those models initially launched for the North American market that operate at 11-120v.

QIDI has a video on how to replace both components as well as taking care in those cases where users have had problems and have applied adjustments in the configuration to minimize these problems… something to be thanked by QIDI and that we have always commented on because of our experience with them.
In any case, thanks as always to the community, we can choose to replace this component with a higher quality one, as you can find here.
In terms of software, electronics and interface, as we have already mentioned, we found it to be a much more robust and stable machine than previous models, although we had problems in several aspects that have been mitigated with the different updates released by QIDI.
At the electronics level they still use the MKS base of previous models of which we are not especially fans. In any case, in this section we continue to call on QIDI to pay a little more attention in this section, both in terms of cabling and cooling.

Another point where we have observed problems, in this case most of them were solved with firmware updates, has been with the machine management screen.
With different problems in the interface, sporadic crashes or problems when applying firmware or connecting to the network.

Regarding the extrusion system we have not had major performance problems, nor jams and it seems that QIDI in this aspect is reaching the maturity of the system due to the experience and different updates suffered with previous models.

The only modification we made in this section was the installation of a duct that better redirected the air from the fan to the hotend and improved airflow.
You can find it in our Printables collection for QIDI Plus4.

To conclude and summarize, the QIDI Plus4 is not a perfect machine, but if we look at its good general characteristics and its competitive price, taking into account its characteristics, it is an option to take into account, especially if we want a machine with a large volume of printing for work with technical materials especially.
Another point to consider is the possibility, when it is finally launched during Q1 2025, of QIDI’s multifilament system… the QIDI Box.
Where to buy the QIDI Plus4?
QIDI has its own online store where you can directly buy the QIDI Plus4 as well as its accessories and spare parts.
In any case, we provide you with some links as a reference:

Déjanos un comentario