Creality Ender-3 V3 SE FDM 3D Printer

Which printer this is: the Ender-3 V3 SE

The Amazon listing is sold by Creality Official Store and gives its item model number as Ender 3 V3 SE. That matches the Model row of the Equipment Parameters table in Creality's user manual, which reads Ender-3 V3 SE, and Creality's product page and download centre use the same name. None of them prints a separate numeric model code.

Creality's download centre lists one user manual for this printer and labels it Ender-3 V3 KE User Manual, dated August 17, 2023. The file behind that link is a 26-page V1.0 manual whose cover and parameter table both name the Ender-3 V3 SE, so it is the right document despite the label.

The numbers from Creality's parameter table

The parameter table gives FDM technology, one nozzle with 0.4 mm standard and modelling dimensions of 220 by 220 by 250 mm. Layer thickness runs from 0.1 to 0.35 mm with a stated precision of plus or minus 0.1 mm, the nozzle is capped at 260°C, the hotbed at 100°C and the ambient range is 5°C to 35°C.

Rated power is 350W on 100-120V or 200-240V at 50 or 60Hz, and power loss recovery is listed as yes. Amazon's table gives 15 by 19.6 by 15 inches and 19.8 pounds, but Creality's manual and product page publish neither figure, so treat both as unconfirmed by the maker.

250 mm/s on the listing, 180 mm/s typical in the manual

The listing leads with printing at up to 250 mm/s with 2500 mm/s² acceleration. Creality's parameter table gives a typical printing speed of 180 mm/s, a maximum of 250 mm/s and the same 2500 mm/s² acceleration, so the headline number is the maximum rather than the typical speed.

Creality's product page describes a CR Touch sensor for auto leveling with a strain sensor for the automatic Z offset, a rigid dual Z-axis and a Y-axis carried on a pair of 8 mm steel linear shafts. In the manual, the leveling readout shows green for level, blue for relatively level, yellow for slightly inclined and red for significantly inclined.

Set the voltage switch before the first power-up

The manual's wiring page carries a caution about the power supply switch. For mains between 200V and 240V it says to select 230V, which it gives as the default, and for mains between 100V and 120V it says to select 115V. It warns to check the position before connecting power to avoid damaging the device.

Our reading: 100V to 120V is the range for a North American wall outlet, so check that the switch reads 115V before switching on, and move it if it is still at the 230V the manual gives as the default. The manual also asks for the supplied power cord only, plugged into a three-hole socket with a ground wire.

Storage-card printing, file names and materials

The parameter table lists storage card printing as the printing method, with STL, OBJ and AMF files and Creality Print, Cura, Repetier-Host and Simplify3D as slicers on Windows, macOS or Linux. It lists no Wi-Fi, Ethernet or cloud service. The manual's parts diagram also labels a Type-C port, but its printing steps cover only the card.

The manual says to save files in the root directory of the card, use Latin letters or numbers of no more than 20 characters, and never insert or remove the card during printing. Its troubleshooting table gives a tighter limit, saying a file name is better kept to 8 letters or less, so a name of 8 characters or fewer meets both.

The table lists PLA, TPU (95A) and PETG as filaments, and the product page says the Sprite direct extruder works well with PLA, PETG and flexible TPU. The manual asks for the filament the maker recommends, warning that other filament may clog the nozzle or damage the printer. The parts list includes 20 m of filament and a storage card with a card reader.

Setup, upkeep and what is not published

The manual gives pages 3 to 9 to assembly: the gantry frame, the display screen, the material rack, the wiring and filament loading. Creality's product page headline says printing can start within 20 minutes, marked with an asterisk whose footnote did not appear in the text read, and the manual states no time.

The manual asks for a ventilated, cool, low-dust place away from flammable materials and heat sources, and says children under 10 must not use the printer without adult supervision. It calls the print platform a perishable part to replace regularly, asks you to supply your own lubricant for the screw rod and smooth shaft, and says to preheat the nozzle before changing it.

No source read gives an operating noise level or a warranty term for this model. The listing describes a 32-bit silent mainboard and a flexible PC spring steel build plate that Creality's manual and product page do not mention, and the manual points to Creality's website for warranty information.