Assembly and Calibration of the Creality Ender-3

Hello Machine Bros!
In this article, we will show in detail and step-by-step the assembly, setting-up, and calibration of the 3D printer Creality Ender-3.

Once you complete the different steps of the assembly, your 3D printer should look like this:

Find here the tech specs, price, shops, accessories, and more of the Creality Ender-3.

TO WHOM IT IS ADDRESSED:

The target of this article is to help beginners in the world of 3D printing, hobbyists, students, creators, small entrepreneurs and curious ones, interested in this 3D printer.

The next video is a complement to the article and will help you out if you missed something in the assembly of the Creality Ender-3.

Introduction

Let’s start with this question, is the Ender-3 the best printer in the market for 3D printers worth less than US$200?

Obviously, this assertion goes against a market that is emerging by leaps and bounds, where new brands and models appear every month and where competition becomes stronger.

We could say that it is a 3D Printer that maximizes the cost-benefit ratio since it is built with very good quality materials and has a high printing volume (220x220x250) compared to its competitors.

Many websites include the Creality Ender-3 as one of the best 3D printers under US$200 since it is a 3D printer with good printing dimensions, easy to handle, robust in structural terms, and at a very good price. We could conclude that this is a sure step to start in the world of 3D printing.

Accessories That Come With the Creality Ender-3

• Sample of PLA filament: Enough to 3D print a small model.
• SD Card: Has 3 STL models ready to print and test your 3D printer.
• Tools: Necessary tools to assemble the printer.

Later in the article, we will talk about the contents of the SD Memory.

Unboxing the Creality Ender-3

The box of the 3D printer came in mint condition and was well treated during the shipping.

The first thing that is observed is a thick foam that protects the product from any fall or accident during the shipping.

The box consists of two levels, it is important to take it out piece by piece carefully to not spoil any of them.

On the first level, we initially find a bag that contains the warranty certificates and instructions.

The first pieces are two motors attached to a metal sheet. These motors are for the extruder and X-axis respectively.

The QR code that has this piece as a sticker is a link to the official page of Creality in the original language (Chinese).

Then there is the display that has a potentiometer which will allow us to navigate through the 3D printer settings menu.

There are two aluminium profiles of 20x20mm V-slot type, one to hold the X-axis and the other to secure the chassis at the top.  

Then there is the platform sheet which is fixed with four clips.

This sheet has some flexibility which allows the finished prints to be easily peeled off, which in other 3D printer models represents a major difficulty since they come with an aluminium or a glass platform that generally makes it more difficult for the piece to be removed. 

The following image shows an “all-metal” extruder, very compact and robust, with two fans, one that cools the extruder head and the other one used to cool the printing layers, depending on the configuration given by the Slicer.

The extruder has a 0.4mm mk8 nozzle, a standard diameter in most printers.

The platform already has the entire Y-axis assembled and will be the starting piece where the other components are coupled.

We also find the power source or PSU. It is a 24VDC unit with a single connector which makes it easy to connect.

So we finish the first level of the box, then let’s move on to the second level.

Find the two profiles 20×40 type V-slot that will support the entire structure of the extruder. And the 8mm trapezoidal screw will be the piece that transmits movement to the Z-axis.

Then there is the Z-axis motor with a coupling for the trapezoidal screw.

We also find a support for the X-axis, where the GT2 belt tensioner will be attached (which we will talk about later) and on the other side, it will be attached to the 20×40 profile.

The following pieces are part of the filament support that goes on top of the 3D printer.

This is how the filament support will look after assembled.

Finally, there are several bags with screws, tools, power cable, GT2 belt for the X-axis, a sample of PLA filament, and accessories necessary for assembly and operation.

Here are all the parts and tools that the box brings:

After finishing the Unboxing, we proceed with the assembly of the 3D Printer.

Assembly of the Creality Ender-3

Note: For better detail and understanding of how to assemble this 3D printer, we recommend you to watch the video that you can find at the beginning of the article.

Step 1: Assemble the 20×40 Profiles to the Base

This requires four M5x45 screws, the two V-slot 20×40 profiles, and the base.

We start with the profile that goes on the left side, to identify it, just look for two holes as shown in the image.

To identify the proper side of the profile on the right it is important to put the two holes towards the inside of the Ender-3, as these will serve to fix the power source.

Step 2: Display Connection of the Ender-3

To attach the display to the chassis, the m5x8 screws are used which will go in the holes specified in the photo

The following shows how the display is installed on the base.

We adjust the display to the base as seen in the image.

Step 3: Installing the Power Source of the Ender-3

Next, we attach the power source with m4x20 screws in the holes as shown in the following image:

Step 4: Installing the Z-Axis of the Ender-3

The Z-axis limit switch is coupled to the 20×40 profile on the left.

The Z-axis limit switch is a plate with a micro switch that will be used to indicate when the Z-axis reached its origin.

Take into account that the limit switch must be installed from the top with the nuts as shown in the image, then slide down.

The two screws shown below are used for the calibration of the Z-axis, which we will discuss in more detail later.

Step 5: Installing the Z-Axis Motor of the Ender-3

Then the motor and the Z-axis screw are attached to the profile on the left, for this, we use two m4x18 screws to fix the motor.

We will leave this assembly aside and continue with the X-axis assembly with the filament extruder.

Step 6: X-Axis Assembly of the Ender-3

We are going to attach the support of the two motors to a 20×20 profile, in this case, the profile with four perforations.

For this, we will use the m4x16 screws and a fitting that will also be placed to then connect the PTFE hose.

The Bowden-type extruder has a motor that pushes the plastic filament to the extruder through a hose. The Teflon hose meets the mechanical requirements to carry the filament from one end to the other.

To facilitate the assembly of this step it is recommended to fully insert the screws and hold them firmly as shown in the following image.

And the fitting is tightened with the tool that comes with the printer.

Step 7: Extruder Head of the Creality Ender-3

With one end of the X-axis ready, we go to the other end of it.

We put the head of the extruder and then connect the tensioner of the GT2 belt with the m4x16 screws

After verifying that the extruder head moves freely on the V-slot profile, we proceed with the assembly of the X and Z-axis support, at the other end of the profile.

The bearings shown below are the ones that will then be attached to the 20×40 profiles already placed on the base.

Step 8: Installing the Belt Tensioner of the Ender-3

We proceed to install the belt tensioner. 

The tensioner slides until it touches the end of the profile and then adjusts it with the wrench.

Step 9: Installing the GT2 Belt of the Ender-3

Next, we will show the connection of the GT2 belt around the extruder and the X-axis.

First, you must pass the belt between the grooves of the profile and the bearings of the extruder head.

We can use a screwdriver or a wrench to do it.

It should be taken into account that the ends of the strap should be facing down, as shown in the images.

It is likely that in this step you have to loosen the belt tensioner a little bit so that it is easy to insert the ends through the grooves of the extruder head.

Step 10: Structure of the Creality Ender-3

With the X-axis subassembly ready, we proceed to connect it with the structure we were working on at the beginning.

We installed the X-axis with everything that we had previously assembled.

Step 11: V-Slot Profile

The V-slot 20×20 profile will close the entire frame and give it the characteristic firmness of this model. For this, we will use the m5x25 screws.  

We proceed to install the profile.

Step 12: Installing the Filament Support of the Ender-3

The filament support is attached using m5x8 screws and type T nuts

Always remember the correct direction of the nuts, as shown in the following image. This is important so that the screws are fixed well to the profile and an accident does not occur as the filament spool falls while printing.

Step 13: Last Adjustments

To finish the assembly of the structure, the caps for the profiles and the pins are put in place to block the fittings. They are important so that the hose is not disengaged while printing.

Then we proceed to connect the wiring to the different elements:

• Z-axis limit switch
• Z-axis motor
• Extruder motor
• X-axis motor
• X-axis limit switch
• Power source
• Display.

For the display, it must be taken into account that it is connected to the last connector called EXP3.

Do you remember that we had disconnected the screw from the Z-axis before? Now we connect it again.

And this is it! We’ve just finished the assembly of our new Creality Ender-3, Congratulations! Now the next step is key to having great 3D prints and it’s the calibration of the 3D printer.

Calibration of the Creality Ender-3 Z-Axis

As it is a DIY 3D printer where the X and Y-axes already come with the pre-installed limit switches, only the Z-axis calibration is necessary.

Therefore, we verify that the end of the stroke of the said axis is at the minimum limit of the profile that supports it, as seen in the image.

Verified this, we access the menu of the machine’s LCD screen

Pressing and rotating the potentiometer, we enter the “Prepare” menu

Already within the submenu, we choose the option “Auto Home”, which will take the X, Y, and Z-axis, to their origin.

Now we will focus on the Z-axis, as seen in the following image:

The idea of this calibration is that the nozzle of the extruder arrives as close as possible to the heated bed, for which we will use the screws found in each corner of the heated bed.

But before doing so, we must deactivate the motors, since after marking the origin of each axis, the motors remain blocked for which there are two options:

• The first is simply to turn off the printer and perform the calibration with the printer turned off.
• The second option, the one we will use, is to deactivate the motors through the “Prepare” menu and select the “Disable steppers” option as shown in the image.

At this time we can move the extruder head without any issue.

The next step will be to locate the nozzle in each corner of the heated bed and using the end screws we bring the heated bed to the tip of the nozzle, as shown in the image.

To finish the adjustment, a sheet of bond paper must be put.

We choose this paper, especially because its weight and thickness are perfect for the correct calibration of a 0.4mm nozzle which is our case.

We place it between the bed and the nozzle, the adjustment must be such that the sheet of paper feels the friction of both the nozzle and the heated bed, neither so tight that it cannot move nor so loose that the sheet has no resistance from any element.

This process should be repeated at each corner of the heated bed.

After leveling the entire platform we proceed to install our first filament.

Generally, the filament is inside a bag to which a vacuum is applied so that the air and humidity do not change its composition and physical characteristics.

The first thing that must be taken into account when removing the tip of the filament is that it must be completely straight when passing through the extruder motor, for which we cut the initial stretch of the filament that is generally crooked.

Now that the filament is ready, it is positioned in its respective support.

Then the tip of the filament is passed through the extruder motor, for which we press the spring arm while pushing the filament.

If the filament is as straight as possible, this step will not present problems.

To ensure that the filament is installed correctly, we turn on the extruder using the 3D printer menu.

Access the “Prepare” submenu and activate the “Preheat PLA” option, as shown in the image.

Once the extruder reaches the desired temperature, we will move the extruder motor until the filament comes out of the nozzle. For this, we enter the menu “Prepare”, “Move Axis”, select “Extruder”, and we give the option to advance to 1mm.

With the potentiometer, we begin to advance the filament and at any moment it begins to exit through the nozzle.

After finishing this step, the 3D printer is ready to print!

As we still do not know about suitable 3D printing configurations, we can use one of the three sample files that are inside the SD memory that comes with the printer.

To do this then we introduce the microSD in the memory slot at the side of the printer.

Access the menu of the control panel and select “Print from TF”.

Select one of the three available files.

Next to the name of each file, the approximate printing times are specified.

And that’s it! This is the end of the assembly and calibration of your Creality Ender-3 and your 3D printer is ready to use.

We hope it was useful to you and if you have any questions about the 3d printer, let us know in the comment section and we’ll try to help you out!

Where to Buy the Creality Ender-3

On the Internet we find hundreds of portals where to buy it, however, we recommend Amazon, AliExpress, Banggood, and Creality’s Store.

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Pros and Cons of the Creality Ender-3

Other Versions of the Creality Ender-3

After the big success of this 3D printer, Creality decided to release different versions of it. On our new 3D Printer Comparison Tool you will be able to compare the other versions (tech specs, prices, stores) of the Creality Ender-3:

Ender-3 vs Ender-3 Pro

Ender-3 vs Ender-3 V2

Ender-3 vs Ender-3 Max

Ender-3 vs Ender-3 S1

Ender-3 vs Ender-3 S1 Pro

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We hope this article Assembly and Calibration of the Creality Ender-3 was useful to you, leave any comments or questions in the comment section below.

Until the next one!