PLA-CF (Carbon Fibre PLA) on Creality Ender 3 V3 SE

Nozzle Temp

210 °C

Range: 200 – 230 °C

Bed Temp

50 °C

Range: 30 – 60 °C

Print Speed

50

mm/s · max 60

Layer Height

0.20

mm · max 0.28

Fan Speed

100 %

1st layer: 20 %

1st Layer Speed

20

mm/s

Retraction

1.0 mm

@ 40 mm/s

Nozzle Type

Hardened

Required — abrasive

Retraction Note

• Same as PLA but ensure hardened nozzle is installed first.

Settings

Recommended

Range

Nozzle Temperature

210 °C

200 – 230 °C

Bed Temperature

50 °C

30 – 60 °C

Print Speed

50 mm/s

up to 60 mm/s on this printer

First Layer Speed

20 – 25 mm/s

slower is better for adhesion

Layer Height

0.16 – 0.24 mm

0.12 – 0.28 mm

Fan Speed (Normal)

100 %

–

Fan Speed (1st Layer)

0 – 30 %

–

Retraction Distance

1.0 mm

Direct drive

Retraction Speed

40 mm/s

–

Nozzle Type

Hardened steel

Required — this filament will destroy brass

Dry Filament

60 °C for ≥ 5 h

print from a dry box in humid weather

Enclosure

Not required

Not required — helps in a cold or draughty room

Support Material

PVA, PLA-CF (self-supporting)

–

Printing Notes

The chopped carbon fibre is abrasive. A hardened steel nozzle is not optional — a brass nozzle will wear visibly within a couple of kilograms.

Use a 0.4 mm nozzle at minimum, and 0.6 mm if you have one. Fibre-filled PLA is far more prone to partial clogs through small orifices.

The V3 SE's Sprite-style direct-drive extruder is a large improvement on the Bowden Ender 3s — retraction around 1 mm rather than the 5 – 6 mm those needed.

It has automatic bed levelling but no enclosure, so keep it out of draughts and away from open windows.

Slicer: Creality Print / OrcaSlicer. Dry the filament at 60 °C / ≥ 5 h before a long print — every figure above assumes dry filament.

Troubleshooting

Under-extrusion that worsens through the print — Partial nozzle clog from fibre packing. Cold-pull, and consider moving to a 0.6 mm hardened nozzle.

Rough, fuzzy surface — That matte texture is the fibre and is normal for PLA-CF. If it is worse than usual, dry the filament at 60 °C.

Nozzle bore widening / dimensions drifting — You are printing abrasive filament through brass. Fit a hardened steel nozzle and re-calibrate flow.