The SV06 was released in October of 2022 as Sovol’s newest flagship 3D printer. Their aim was to take many of the community’s favorite design features and implement them into a budget-friendly product. The result is a 3D printer that has everything you need and nothing more. Rather than join the race to be the fastest 3D printer on the market, Sovol took the approach of creating a reliable machine that just works.
Key Features of the Sovol SV06
Physical Design and Motion System
You will notice at first glance that the SV06 looks very similar to the Prusa i3 MK3S+. While inspiration was definitely taken, Sovol had to make some adjustments to bring the price more in line with what its customers expected.
The SV06 uses linear rods for a durable and rigid motion system.
The SV06 is constructed with injection-molded parts that give the frame some much-needed rigidity, as does the dual Z-motor design. The inclusion of linear rods for the motion system is something that isn’t seen on many other 3D printers at this price point, giving it extra durability over traditional V-slot wheels. The SV06 uses linear rods for both the gantry and the print bed, reducing the overall noise of the machine when in use. This type of motion system also allows the printer to withstand higher print speeds than the average 3D printer at this price point.
Cable management on the SV06 has many of the wires running through channels in the body of the printer, leaving the majority of them virtually hidden. The connections for the heat block, part cooling fan, nozzle fan, and inductive sensor are all run through a flat cable sheath that connects to a single plug on the print head. We’ve found that this cable sheath works well for keeping the wires in place during prints, though for much larger prints it tends to sag, leading to a potential collision with the print. A cable chain or zip tie may be needed in this case to keep the cable out of the way.
All cables leading to the print head for the SV06 are run through a single connector.
User Interface
The SV06 still uses the aging LCD screen found on many Ender 3 variants. It mounts to the right of the print body, friction fit with two protruding screws to hold it in place. This type of mounting can lead to the screen feeling loose and may require regular tightening of the screws. The screen is operated by the all-too-familiar scroll wheel and has a built-in beeper for audio feedback. There is an option to turn off this beeper in the settings, though we have found it to be useful when performing filament swaps at certain layers, as the beeper will inform you when it is time to change your filament color.
The SV06 uses a traditional LCD screen with scroll wheel interaction.
Print Speed and Quality
The SV06 print head assembly uses a direct drive system with planetary gears for increased extrusion force
The SV06 is rated to safely operate at a maximum print speed of 80 mm/s. While slow compared to today’s standards, this printer focuses on consistent, quality 3D printing. A speed such as this will ensure consistent performance in exchange for slightly longer print times. We have tested the SV06 and have found it can provide similar results printing with speeds up to 100mm/s, though this may cause more stress than the motion system is designed to withstand, leading to faster degradation of the parts.
The all-metal direct drive system uses planetary gears to increase extrusion strength while saving on weight, which is a common flaw in direct drive extruders. We have found that the inclusion of the extruder knob also makes swapping filaments very simple, especially when compared to Bowden-style 3D printers.
The all-metal hot end is capable of achieving temperatures up to 300C, suitable for most hobby-grade filaments including PLA, PETG, TPU, ASA, and even some carbon-fiber blends. The part cooling fan is equipped with a duct that spreads the cool air in an arc around the hot end. This design leads to improved cooling and better performance when printing steep overhangs.
Overall, the SV06 was able to consistently create quality prints using stock Cura settings.
A Benchy printed on the SV06 with minimal stringing.
Multiple prints assembled into a cute planter with a smooth surface finish.
Automatic Bed Leveling and Z Offset Calibration
The SV06 comes with a rigid bed design, with no options to manually change the bed height. This is ideal for use with the included inductive sensor, allowing for 25-point automatic bed leveling. The sensor has performed great in our testing, providing perfectly flat first layers once everything is calibrated properly. The printer will then save this bed mesh to memory and automatically adjust the hot end height during movements to accommodate for any irregularities in the print bed. The Z offset will need to be set manually, using a sheet of paper while decreasing the offset until it looks right. While not convenient, this does give you more control over your first layers.
The only real major flaw in the SV06 leveling process is the automatic Z alignment. The printer will raise the gantry as high as it can go and jam both sides of the Z-axis into the top of the print body in an attempt to forcibly align them. This method is highly variable in our testing, either leaving you with a perfectly even Z-axis or an offset that will drastically shift your bed mesh. We have found that placing two objects of the same height underneath the X-axis rods and manually adjusting the Z-axis is the best method for achieving true alignment. The Z-axis will require realignment every few months from our experience. Any amount of pressure put on the hot end, either from maintenance or swapping to a different filament, can add up and lead to misalignment over time.
Print Bed Surface
The magnetic PEI print surface provides excellent adhesion and convenient part removal due to its flexibility
The SV06 comes with a magnetic PEI print surface, known for having great adhesion with a variety of popular filament types. The flexibility of the print surface makes print removal very clean, with the exception of TPU. It is not recommended to print TPU on this type of surface unless you use an added layer of protection between your print and the print surface, such as painter’s tape or stick glue. We have had zero issues with bed adhesion using this surface. Of course, regular cleaning using isopropyl alcohol is recommended to keep oils from your hands from contaminating the bed.
Ease of Assembly and Maintenance
The SV06 comes flat-packed, with only a few different pieces needing to be assembled. The base of the printer has notches that make it very easy to slide the top half of the printer into place, holding it steady while you install the screws from the bottom of the base. The power supply and electronics box will both need to be mounted on the back side of the printer. The print head comes pre-assembled, requiring only a few screws to attach it to the gantry. The flat cable sheathing slots into the print head and is held in place with a clamping connection. Ensure that all of the motor wires are connected properly and you should have this printer set up in under 20 minutes.
You will find belt-tensioning knobs for both the X-axis and Y-axis belts of the printer. This makes adjusting belt tension simple and possible to fine-tune mid-print if needed. The included filament spool holder mounts on top of the printer. While perfectly useable, it lacks any bearings to alleviate friction, which can potentially lead to issues with print quality. We recommend an upgrade or a swap to a third-party spool holder eventually.
The SV06 has belt tensioning knobs for both the X-axis and Y-axis.
Regular maintenance of the extruder is required to prevent a build-up of ground filament inside the gear system. There is a latch held in place with a single thumb screw that opens up to reveal the extruder gears. We recommend using a small brush to clean out any filament stuck between the gear teeth.
Replacement parts are easily found on Sovol’s website, with different nozzle sizes, print surfaces, and other necessities available. Should anything happen to your print head, you will need to purchase the entire print head assembly as a single unit, rather than individual parts for repair.
Summary
We think that the Sovol SV06 is a great budget option for the feature set that it has to offer. There are not a lot of printers at this price point that have convenience options such as inductive sensor bed leveling, planetary gear extrusion, and linear rail movement. If you are willing to give up raw speed in exchange for reliability, the SV06 is a good choice. We have continued to use the SV06 stock out-of-the-box with no modifications for a little over four months now and have been pleasantly surprised with the results.
We can speak from personal experience that Sovol’s customer support is very accommodating, having worked with them to solve an issue we ran into with their SV06 Plus model that required a firmware update. You can expect them to provide prompt and clear solutions for any issues you might have with your printer, so long as you can overlook the time zone difference.
Brand Summary: Sovol
Sovol is a 3D printer brand known for producing innovative printers with more features than their competitors at a lower price. Their printers are beginner-friendly and have good build quality, but their entry-level printer, the SV01, lacks a bed leveling probe. While Sovol's community is still establishing itself, the company's support is well-regarded, and they have over 80,000 users. Sovol has experimented with complex dual extrusion features, which led to clogging problems and quality issues in some of their previous models. However, their current printers, such as the SV06 Plus, offer impressive features like 25-point auto bed leveling and a 500W bed heater. Sovol's varied printers appeal to different users, from new users to advanced users.
