Mar
LEARN
How To Install The LGX Lite On Creality Strain Gauge Carriages
Perch – The easiest way to install the LGX Lite
With this article we want to teach you how to install the Bondtech LGX Lite on the Creality CR-6 SE, CR-6 Max and CR-10 Smart, in the simplest way possible.
These “perched” setups are easy-to-do first approach solutions that add to the printers a direct extruder setup that works. Later this year we will present and make available more elaborated and valuable upgrade kits.
We show you in video and pictures the final result. We will also lead you step by step from start to finish to complete these easy upgrade processes.
We will also supply you the STL files you can use to print the required mounting parts, and the STEP files to enable you to make changes.
The geometries are all FDM printable, although some parts may need removable supports. Each set includes mounting hardware (screws and square nuts) that are listed along each setup tutorial.
For everyone out there that cannot print the parts, or is fond of the Nylon SLS made parts we supply, we have available a product gallery at the bottom of the page with LGX Lite versions and 2 mount sets you can choose from.
The sets are compatible with the previously mentioned Creality models and Bondtech LGX Lite extruders only.
For requiring more information or sending us feedback comment below or contact our
Customer Support.
Photos Gallery
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Downloads Gallery
Because the Download STL File buttons are pointing to STL files, and not to ZIP archives,
right-click the “Download STL file” buttons and use “Save Link As” to download the STL files.
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Because the Download STL File buttons are pointing to STL files, and not to ZIP archives,
right-click the “Download STL file” buttons and use “Save Link As” to download the STL files.
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Click and drag to rotate the view.
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Click and drag to rotate the view.
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Click and drag to rotate the view.
How to SET IT UP ( using the CR-10 Smart as example )
The M3x27 screw mentioned above can also be replaced with a M3x25 or M3x30.
The M3x27 screw mentioned below can also be replaced with a M3x25 or M3x30.
The M3x27 screw mentioned above can also be replaced with a M3x25 or M3x30.
Before installing the LGX Lite mount plate into the LGX Lite, place the four M3 square nuts into its bottom pockets, then assemble it back again.
How to do it
Check this animation to see how to insert the square nuts.
The M3x27 screw mentioned above can also be replaced with a M3x25 or M3x30.
All generic Bondtech extruders are geared. When a geared extruder is used to upgrade a non-geared extruder printer, the feeding direction will reverse.
For that reason, it is necessary to invert the stepper motor rotation by swapping a couple of wires.
On the LDO motors we supply with the LGX Lite, you must swap the left hand-side or the right hand-side pair of wires. Check the LDO stepper motor TDS here if you need to.
Using the image as guide, swap the green wire with the red. Here is how to do it:
- push the red wire further into the connector
- push down the metal tab (where the arrow is pointing to)
- pull the red wire out
- do the same with the green
- lift the tabs back up (using a sharp tool)
- now push the red wire into the 2nd slot
- push the green wire into the 1st slot
Done : )
you may know connect the stepper motor.
Set the proper e-steps value
The LGX Lite uses an e-value equal to 562 when using 16 microsteps;
“Print” the following g-code file to set the e-steps value to 562 : click here to download
This file uses the M92 command to change the e-steps value and saves it with the M500.
Mind that we have this also set on the Start G-code we supply below.
Set the proper Stepper Motor current
The LGX Lite’s stepper motor must be fed with current below 600mA.
500mA is the recommended value.
This file includes 2 sections of text each named Start G-code and End G-code respectively.
Copy the code of each and paste it to replace the whole slicer’s Start or End G-code associated with your printer using this upgrade.
You may also download ( and use these additional resources )
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Use this g-code file to print a test file that will help you know if your setup was successful. The g-code file is a 20 minutes print of a Bondtech coin that includes some print features that the final setup should resolve. It can be used on the CR-6 SE, CR-6 Max, and CR-10 Smart.
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Products Gallery ( you may add to cart from here )
CR-10 Smart solution from the “Embrace Making” YT channel
If you want to check out another way to do a “perch” install, check this video where a LGX Lite is installed on a CR-10 Smart.
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Thank you : )
What great timing as I have just finished printing everything else LGX + CR6 from the other article, where I was awaiting this adapter in this article for the LGX Lite. I was going to start designing my own, and then the newsletter in my mailbox today made me very happy.
However… A few problems with this design. Thank you for providing the STEP and License; so, I can make the changes. How can forward my changes?
1. The LGX Lite Mounting Plate: Why in the world would you ever require a “square” M3 nut? No one has those with 3D printers! We are drowning in T-nuts (which could have been used), as well as regular nuts (which also could have been used with an indention). But, a square nut?!? There’s even more surface area on a regular nut than a square nut, if we are going for twisting strength!
I am going to drill it out and install a heatset insert instead as I happen to have plenty of those. If I have the time, I’ll tweak the STEP to allow just a regular M3 nut. There is zero reason for a square nut here.
2. There are no instructions about wiring up the LGX Lite’s wiring harness (with 4-pin connector) to the CR-6 SE nor CR-10 Smart. The previous LGX guide for the CR-6 had an JST-6 to JST-6 extension cable available for purchase. However, there is no such cable available for purchase here – and, I see the older connectors have been discontinued on your site?
Personally, I am going to try to identify the wire coloring on the LDO site. I know I know, wire coloring doesn’t mean anything with steppers. But hopefully LDO is more careful about color codes.
I still need to figure out something about the JST-6 connector on the CR-6’s original wiring harness… I guess, worse case, just cut, strip, solder, heat shrink and be done? Eh…
3. I understand from the previous LGX CR-6 guide that we do not want the extruder triggering the load cell during extrusion. Hence, the unique double-washer setup you had on the previous guide. Smart. On this guide, instead, we are printing a “perch” for the LGX Lite to sit on…
…with a single screw, offset, in a tight-fitting hole. I do not understand this design, nor does this article go into detail of why there is such an odd “offset” for this “pivot” design, or from what I can only guess is an attempt to pivot.
From where the LGX Lite attaches to the LGX Lite Mounting Plate perch firmly connects to the Hotend Mount Plate. This Hotend Mount Plate is rigidly mounted ontop of the load cell using the screws that rigidly connects the hotend. In other words, there is no ability for the LGX Lite Mounting Plate to flex, or pivot, or even move from the Hotend Mount Plate because the extruder is rigidly mounted to the overall setup, allowing only upward movement.
With the overhang over the outside of the load cell, this design does not allow any “downward pressure” to trigger the load cell (like the double-washers from the previous guide). I am guessing this is needed due to the extra weight now of the entire extruder and motor at the top. I can see that, and that design aspect should remain.
Anyhow, thanks for the designs. I think I’ll tweak this to remove the pivot and square nut in the end. But, I’d like to hear why these were in the design decision. Perhaps there is more meaning to the design not written.
Hi,
Thank you for alerting us to the fact we don’t mention the requirement to swap a pair of wires on the stepper motor connector.
We will add that information.
We developed this project the best we could think of in the short time we had available to do it, and we think it is a good solution. We tested it and we are using it.
We published the STEP files and we have no obstacles to people doing their own improvements, or even re-distribute them.
If you have a different approach, please develop it.
You have our blessing and curiosity to see where it could lead.
Maybe other people reading your comment may agree with you or even come up with something better.
It is for the benefit of everyone.
I have a bit more availability now to go deeper into our choices and answer your questions.
1. Why the square nuts?
We like to use square nuts. They are light, small, strong, resistant to twist, provide a good pressure surface to weight ratio. It is a design option and we use it plenty. If you prefer nuts, go ahead. Use nuts.
2. Instruction added. Point 4 of the “How to set it up” section.
3a. The perch offset
The perch design is different from the CR-6 to the CR-10. The offset is not caused by any pivoting requirement. The CR-6 requires a longer neck due to the x-carriage plate height. The CR-10 version has a much shorter offset, because it can.
3b. Downward pressure
The downward pressure is useless. For levelling the bed, the printer needs to press the nozzle against the bed and lift the strain gauge. There is no function to enable by dropping the hotend or extruder.
The weight of the extruder is not a base for this design. The need for a stable and reliable PTFE tube implementation is.
Unlike the solution we designed previously for mounting the LGX on the CR-6 SE, here the extruder is firmly attached to the hotend to avoid the need of a gap on the PTFE tube.
The extruder’s motion is in phase with the hotend. This way the tube length is fixed and we minimize the problems caused by gaps, and the extrusion process doesn’t cause lowering displacements.
The whole solution is also pursuing an user friendly function. It enables an easy way to decouple the extruder from the hotend, using a single screw.
Additional notes.
We put many hours on this project. Could we do better? Always. Is it good? Yes, and simple.
In these many development hours we tested multiple solutions. Some of them going in the direction you were describing.
There were always some practical obstacles though we will not list or address here. Too many.
Only going through the whole development process you will be aware of all.
We appreciate your input, nevertheless. It triggers parallel thought processes.
We know anyone else developing this solution would do it differently. And that isn’t a bad thing.
Anyway, to improve on this application we are actually working on a more complete and effective solution. The perch is just a good, unexpensive and easy way to implement the LGX Lite on strain gauges and achieve good print results.
M3 x 27mm Low Head is pretty difficult to find. It would have been nice to use a more common size like 25mm or 30mm. Any suggestions on where to find in the U.S.?
I have ordered the LGX Lite kit to upgrade my CR-6 SE however I see that it did not came with the motor(would’ve preferred one full kit with motor included). Can you please let me know what motor are you using in this tutorial and do you have it in your store?
Hi Peter,
We do have 2 LGX Lite versions available:
one is supplied without motor : https://www.bondtech.se/product/lgx-lite-extruder-no-motor/
and the other you can add the motor : https://www.bondtech.se/product/lgx-lite-extruder-custom/
We sell the motor on our shop here: https://www.bondtech.se/product/ldo-nema14-round-20mm-pancake-motor/
Currently it is out of stock.
We hope to have more units next week.
What’s the ETA on the Perch actually shipping? It’s been on backorder since it was announced. I would print it myself and cancel my order if I could find anyone that stocks a 27mm M3 low head screw.
Hi Roger. The LGX Lite Perch set for Creality printers are shipping now. Your order was shipped on the 8th of April.
Getting a network error trying to download your test g-code. I’ve tried just clicking the link and also right-clicking and choosing ‘save link as’.
Can you add a profile for Prusaslicer? I tend to use that more than Cura (I have a Mini and a MK3S in addition to the CR-6 SE).
I just wanted to install the lgx lite extruder to my CR6-SE however my printer is not using the default hotend but the one from microswiss all metal hotend that has a screwing nut on the top to fix the PTFE tubing which pretty much makes this whole assembly not work. Do you have any other options for the people that have updated the hotend of the CR6-SE?
Helllo
Unfortunately the 3d mounting parts are not compatible with the microswiss full metal hotend on a CR6-SE!
Do you have a solution for this case ?
Hello Zephyrin,
We will look into have a mount compatible with the Micro-Swiss for CR-6.
Thank you for taking your time to write to us.
I added bigger holes, it works on mine with the Micro Swiss hotend. https://www.printables.com/model/224947-lgx-lite-cr-6-se-perch-mount-for-micro-swiss-hoten
Thank you Bondtech for the great mount!
Hi Levi!
We thank you for your contribution and extension of the LGX Lite applications for the CR-6.
We always appreciate feedback and improvements coming from the community.
Keep on making : )
I would sure love to have the instructions on how to mount the LGX Lite and Mosquito on the CR6. Kinda at a standstill here.
Hi,
Where can I find an STL for the filament sensor mount attached to the stepper motor in the first photograph?
Thanks.
Hi Teejo,
You can find the model of the runout sensor mount on other CR-6 related posts.
Find it here (STL)
https://www.bondtech.se/2022/09/27/make-your-own-lgx-lite-arrow-set/
and here (STL and STEP)
https://www.bondtech.se/2021/05/17/how-to-install-a-lgx-on-the-cr-6-se/
Thank you for using Bondtech 🙂
Hi,
Where can I find a tutorial to set the proper stepper motor current for my CR6?
Step 6 only mentions that, it doesn’t say how to do it and I wouldn’t want to break my printer.
Thank you
Hi Bogdan,
We have a guide here:
https://www.bondtech.se/2021/05/17/how-to-install-a-lgx-on-the-cr-6-se/
that includes this video where we show how to change the stepper motor current:
https://youtu.be/miW_zsX0tio?t=567
Thank you for using Bondtech : )