The Ender 3 S1 and the CR-10 Smart Pro include a completely redesigned direct drive extruder and hot

end, known as the “Sprite” extruder. Since this hot end is so different from other Creality 3D printers, I wanted to take it apart to get a better sense how it works, and how difficult it will be to repair. In this article, l go through the process of how I took it apart, and take a look at how its built.

First Impressions:

Note: The photos in this article are from the Ender 3 S1 This extruder is also featured on the CR-10 Smart Pro , using a slightly different all-metal construction, which allows for higher printing temperatures.

The hot end comes fully assembled when you purchase the printer, and it’s a complex device since it contains both the extruder and the hot end. Most other Creality printers use a Bowden extruder, where the hot end and extruder are separate components.

When looking at the hot end, the first thing I noticed was the breakout board, which provides plug-in

connection interfaces for all the hot end and extruder components. The cabling is sized so that it all fits very well within the assembly. We initially thought that this would make replacing these components much easier than other printers, which require splicing wires. However, as of this writing, thermistor and heat cartridges with these connectors are only available at the Creality VIP Store. I found them via this Link.

https://vip.creality.com/en/goods-detail/1378

Detaching the Heat Sink:

To detach the heat sink from the extruder assembly, remove the two long screws on the breakout board side. You will need two different sized Allen wrenches to remove these screws. Removing the heat sink allows you to access the small section of PTFE tubing within the hot end, which is a wear item that may need to be

replaced after many hours of printing. We were glad to see that this was easily accessible without fully disassembling the hotend.

A second small section of PTFE tubing is used between the extruder assembly and the heat sink, but this piece is unlikely to degrade since it is completely in the cold portion of the assembly. We were glad to see that these sections of PTFE were separated, since it will ensure that any retraction movements by the extruder do not cause any movement of the hot end tube, which can cause filament to get stuck between the tube and nozzle and cause jamming. This is also less of a concern on direct drive extruders since far less retraction is needed.

To detach the heat sink, remove the two long screws on the breakout board side.

The removed heat sink (and heater block) You may have to wiggle a bit to remove it is a snug fit and design.

Removing the nozzle exposes the PTFE tube, which may need to be replaced after a lot of printing. Note: the CR-10 Smart Pro version is all-metal, and does not have PTFE here.

A second section of PTFE is used between the extruder and the heat sink.

Removing the Plastic Enclosure

Next, we detached the plastic enclosure, which is attached by two small screws. One is located on the left side of the hot end and the other is above the CR-touch sensor. Once these are removed, slide the inner assembly downward to release it from the enclosure. As you slide the assembly downward, be careful to not pull on any of the wires.

The first screw holding the enclosure attaches to a small plastic tab.

The second screw is above the CR-touch sensor.

The enclosure can now be removed, but be careful not to pull the wires as you remove it.

Opening the Extruder Mechanism

Remove the small fan, then remove the 3 screws shown here to open the extruder assembly. To access the filament path inside the extruder, first remove the small cooling fan using a 1.5mm Allen wrench, which exposes all of the screws holding the extruder together. Remove these 3 screws, then remove the fan duct

bracket. Once the fan duct is removed, the front plate of the extruder can be removed, exposing the inner

mechanism. We were concerned that this might release tension on the springs, but fortunately the spring is held in place even after removing the front plate.

I was interested to see how well supported the filament path is, which is important to prevent jamming

when printing flexible filament. I was pleased to see that there is nearly no gap between the filament path and the extruder gears. The extruder mechanism also looks well built, using a dual gear drive system which pushes the filament from 2 sides. The geared down extruder motor gives the extruder more torque and control.

That said, I was a bit concerned that the lever arm assembly is made of plastic, since it is under

continuous tension from the spring to hold the filament in place. I have seen issues with Bowden style 3D

printers that use plastic extruders, such as the Creality Ender 3 V2. If this piece were to crack, it would be

hard to discover since the parts are fully enclosed. On a positive note, the lever arm is much shorter on this

extruder, so less force is acting on the plastic and it is less likely to fail, but I still wish that a metal part were used here.

Remove the small fan, then remove the 3 screws shown here to open the extruder assembly.

The filament path is on the extruder cover, and does a good job of enclosing the filament path all the way up to the extruder gears.

he dual gear extruder assembly pushes the filament from both sides, and uses gearing to achieve more torque and control.

In the End

Overall, the "Sprite" Is well-constructed. It is somewhat complex to disassemble, but I don't anticipate

needing to go any further than removing the heat sink to perform maintenance on the hot end. I also liked

the separated PTFE tubes, which will reduce jamming in the hot end. I was able to purchase a CR10 Smart

Pro with the all metal hotend. I ran several test on different media at different speeds and the extruder

preformed beautifully. Out of the box I suggest ensuring the nozzle is seated firmly against the heat break

tube. I found about a 1mm gap in mine it was easily fixed by removing the heat sink screws and the heat

break tube screw and slowly turning clockwise two turns, This seats the heatbreak tube about 1.5mm lower

into the block and you can easily confirm contact with a tiny bit of thread showing.

In my opinion any 3D Printer fan should definably own this new extruder. Either as a upgrade or

purchased with one of Creality printers. If you are familiar with other Remote Extruders this unit would be

not only be a more than pleasant upgrade, but it may also revive your passion for FDM printing. Couple with Crealitys Slicer "Creality Print" my CR10 Smart Pro has led me to personally upgrade all of my printers with

the Sprite Pro. Extruder.

Happy Printing all.

Sprite Pro found here

https://store.creality.com/products/sprite-extruder-pro-kit-300%E2%84%83-printing?scm=spz.search&ssp=spz&spm=..search.search_1.3

Creality Print Here NEWEST version now available many bug fixes.

https://www.crealitycloud.com/software-firmware/software?type=7

Sprite Extruder Review