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Leveling the R2 Print Bed

Discussion in 'Troubleshooting' started by tkoco, Jul 30, 2019.

  1. tkoco

    tkoco - -.- --- -.-. ---
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    Update:

    Tip: Use a black marker pen ( like a Sharpie ) and mark the thumbscrews once you have turned them all the way in. The mark will give you a visual clue when you are backing out the thumbscrews for the first time.

    Tip: If you work on your R2 printer ( like disassembling it for a mod ), it would be a good idea to re-level the print bed. I found this out the hard way. :rolleyes:


    Leveling the R2 print bed is different from leveling the C2 print bed. In the C2, the print bed is a fixed structure and needs shimming to properly level the bed. With the R2, the print bed comes with 4 height adjustment screws thus eliminating the need to shim the print bed. Additionally, the wizard section of the software comes with an additional wizard to assist you with the bed leveling.

    Conventions:
    • Make sure the tip of the nozzle is clean of filament
    1. Direction of turning the adjustment knurl nuts is based on looking up at the bottom of the print bed from the base of the printer.
    2. CW rotation lowers the print bed with respect to the hot-end nozzle.
    3. CCW rotation raises the print bed toward the hot-end nozzle.
    • From the front of the printer:
    1. CW for a right handed person, the thumb [on the left side of the knurl nut] moves left to right. The index finger moves right to left (behind the knurl nut). For a left handed person, the opposite is true (the thumb [on the right side of the knurl nut] moves right to left behind the knurl nut), etc..
    2. CCW , each motion is reversed for the respective "handedness".
    Preliminary set up of the print bed:
    1. Turn on the R2 printer.
    2. Tap the Motion Control button and then the Raise Z button
    3. Gently turn all four knurl nuts CW until the nut stops (i.e no more adjustment)
    4. Turning CCW, back off the 4 knurl nuts; five each 1/2 turns for a rough total of 2.5 turns. No need to be super precise as you will be adjusting the print bed later on to a precise level.
    5. Tap the Home button and then return.
    Setting the initial Z Offset of the Print Bed:
    1. Using an ordinary 20 weight sheet of white printer paper, cut a 6 inch by 3 inch (about 150mm by 75 mm) piece of paper. This piece will be your height gauge (0.1mm thick).
    2. Tap the Wizards button and then the Z Offset button.
    3. Tap the distance button and set it to 0.2mm.
    4. Place the height gauge under the nozzle. Assuming you have a factory default R2 printer, shine a flashlight (torch in the UK) on the gap between the nozzle and the height gauge. Pay attention to the gap distance.
    5. Tap the Z+ button and raise the print bed. Repeat until it looks like the nozzle might touch the height gauge. See image below.
    hotend.jpg

    Next:
    1. Tap the distance button until it reads 0.05mm
    2. Slide the height gauge under the nozzle and then remove from under the nozzle.
    3. Tap the Z+ button.
    You are looking for a height where tapping the Z+ button and sliding the height gauge under the nozzle gives you resistance. When you tap the Z- button and slide the gauge, you feel no resistance. When you reach this point, tap the Z+ button to get resistance and then save it by tapping the Done button.

    Bed Calibration:
    • In the Wizards panel, select the Bed Calibration wizard and then the Manual mode by tapping the respective button.
    • You will be presented with four positions: Front Left, Front Right, Back Left and Back Right. Select the Front Left as it is closest to the position used by the Z Offset wizard.
      • Attempt to slide the height gauge between the nozzle and the print bed. Adjust the print bed height using the respective knurl nut [Up CCW or Down CW].
    • When you have the height adjusted correctly, select the Front Right position by tapping the button. Repeat the same procedure of adjusting the knurl nut to raise or lower the print bed until the resistance gap is correct.
      • Attempt to slide the height gauge between the nozzle and the print bed. Adjust the print bed height using the respective knurl nut [Up CCW or Down CW].
    • When you have the height correct, select the Back Left position by tapping the button. Repeat the same procedure of adjusting the knurl nut to raise or lower the print bed until the resistance gap is correct.
      • Attempt to slide the height gauge between the nozzle and the print bed. Adjust the print bed height using the respective knurl nut [Up CCW or Down CW].
    • When you have the height correct, select the Back Right position by tapping the button. Repeat the same procedure of adjusting the knurl nut to raise or lower the print bed until the resistance gap is correct.
      • Attempt to slide the height gauge between the nozzle and the print bed. Adjust the print bed height using the respective knurl nut [Up CCW or Down CW].
    At this point, you have roughed in the print bed level. When each position is adjusted, that knurl nut adjustment affects the other 3 positions. So! Go back to the Front Left position and repeat the knurl nut adjustments for each position as listed above.

    As you complete each round of adjustment for all four positions, you will find that the amount of adjustment of the knurl nut will be less than the previous round. A point will be reached where you will not need to adjust the knurl nuts (around 4 to 5 passes).

    At this point, exit the wizard.

    Fine Tuning Offset adjustment:

    Load up some PLA filament using the Load Filament wizard. Adjust the 190 degree temperature setting so that the print bed is heated to 40 degrees C. Save it and then select that temperature.

    With filament loaded, select the Fine Tune Offset wizard and use the modified PLA setting. If you do not have a digital micrometer, pay attention to the instructions page. Set the height adjustment to 0.01mm by tapping the distance button.

    Tap the Test Offset button and lay down a line of filament. Tap the Options icon ( 3 bars in upper right corner) and tap the Switch to other corner option. Then tap the Test Offset button again.

    Using the Options icon, select Clear Bed and remove the strips. Return and repeat as the hot-end may not have been primed for the first pass.

    For the second (or further rounds) compare the left strip to the right strip. They should be reasonably identical. If you have a digital micrometer, measure the thickness of the strips. Again, you are looking for uniformity.

    Raise (or lower) the print bed to get a strip of a appropriate thickness (around 0.3 to 0.4 mm thick). Remember to tap the Test Offset button after every height adjustment.

    When you are satisfied with the height adjustment, tap the Options icon and select Switch to circles. Tap the Test Offset 6 to 8 times to print some concentric circles.

    circle.jpg

    The filaments should be uniform.

    Finally, tap the Options icon and then the Save and exit option.
     
    #1 tkoco, Jul 30, 2019
    Last edited: Apr 4, 2020
  2. tkoco

    tkoco - -.- --- -.-. ---
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    As a follow up to this article, If you lack a digital micrometer and need a quick height check on the filament strips as you print them, make an inexpensive height gauge checker. Pull the filament strip very near the paper. The strip should slide without resistance. See the image below. Press down on the ruler to insure that it is parallel to the clipboard.

    height_measuring_gage.jpg
     
  3. tkoco

    tkoco - -.- --- -.-. ---
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    Update: One other important information

    You must run the Fine Tuning Offset adjustment ( even if you only print one test strip and save the adjustment ).

    If you choose to skip this phase, the hot-end will "air print" instead of printing on the print bed. Only conclusion that I can think of is that this wizard writes important parameters in places other than the EEprom firmware. And without the update, the hot-end will mysteriously print roughly 20 mm higher than it should in spite of having a correct Z Offset.
     
  4. daredevil1980

    daredevil1980 New Member

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    hi i am new to this forum i recently got a 2nd hand r2 and when i try to do the fine tune offset wizard when the bed raises towards the nozzle it crashes into the nozzle i can not proceed from this point i have already levelled the bed using z- offset wizard then bed calibration wizard any ideas would be great to get printing with it i'm not new to 3d printing i have two other printers just new to Robo R2 thanks
     
  5. Lance Weston

    Lance Weston Active Member

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    first set the z offset
     
  6. supercazzola

    supercazzola Active Member

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    What I find is my bed is not flat. So the center area where 90% of my prints are printed is perfect, but the outer edges are lower, and the print will not adhere to the lower areas. So if I have something that spans the bed width I can’t get a good print. If I adjust for the outer edges, the center is too close to the print head and nothing extrudes. I don’t use the Robo firmware, and don’t use the auto leveling…. Anyone have any ideas on how to get the thing “flat” ?
     
  7. Lance Weston

    Lance Weston Active Member

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    Purchase a glass bed such as
    https://www.amazon.com/Creality-Upg...ords=3d+printer+glass+bed&s=industrial&sr=1-1

    Purchase heat sink plaster
    https://www.ebay.com/itm/394315715581?hash=item5bcf0c53fd:g:Q9IAAOSwa~JjYcUI&amdata=enc:AQAIAAAAwIcTf1dX5RpBQmZqTHc1vGj4gdkkVomyx6M/mb/s7JYc1a2zGKnMtiJEVUYFmxvap/+tMz5f/g6YIiV+RSSpQU1SNC1IaKdckpNYkpNXSr6w3VCHq9urG1+U/sT8Aleq+FY1PFg77q2zxNvfLrxpEURQKaPXauQ+kwgcdawCMKssFALkQVFL8+lGkaprsyrmehF/g9y9OB7XpgQyF8/Pb/4V6JLlJu8MwUS3F5xQN/IxcJnf8ZFkr+IyEmfgNMn62w==|tkp:Bk9SR-rN0umHYg

    Now just put a small amount of heat sink plaster on each corner of the bed and glue the glass to the bed.

    You now have a good flat surface. However the printhead has weight and will flex down in the center.

    I had posted temperature tables and instructions on how to install them in your marlin code.
    http://community.robo3d.com/index.php?threads/updated-bed-temp-table.24830/
    You can approximate the temperature drop through the glass by adding 8C to the bed temp.

    I had posted how to add a 36 point mesh level with a 10mm fade to your marlin code which will compensate for the slight apparent rise in the center of the bed due to the weight of the print head.
    http://community.robo3d.com/index.p...arlin-code-and-where-everything-exists.24727/

    My latest R2 code with a glass bed and 36 point leveling with a 10 layer FADE. This is for the Partsbuilt.com system board. If anyone wants to use it for the Robo system board the instructions are above, but I will modify it for you if needed.
    https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1sGZfc6jDR6QdEEwZB7p24wulBHv64u59?usp=share_link

    in "pins_ROBOMB.h" You can go back and forth between Partsbuilt and Robo by changing only two IO.
    FAN_PIN 8 Partsbuilt 7 Robo
    HEATER_BED_PIN 9 Partsbuilt 8 Robo


    #define LED_PIN -1
    #define CASE_LIGHT_PIN 5 // Override the default pin if needed
    #define FAN1_PIN 6 // Pin used for the fan to cool controller
    #define FAN_PIN 8 // LW 7 PWM Fans for print cooling
    //#define E0_AUTO_FAN_PIN 11 // Ext0 and Ext1 fan as defined in Configuration_adv.h
    #define HEATER_0_PIN 10 // EXTRUDER 1
    #define HEATER_1_PIN -1 // EXTRUDER 2 (FAN On Sprinter)
    #define TEMP_0_PIN 13 // ANALOG NUMBERING default 13
    #define TEMP_1_PIN 15 // ANALOG NUMBERING default 15
    #define HEATER_BED_PIN 9 // LW 8 BED
    #define TEMP_BED_PIN 14 // ANALOG NUMBERING default 14
     
    #7 Lance Weston, May 21, 2023
    Last edited: May 21, 2023
    supercazzola likes this.
  8. supercazzola

    supercazzola Active Member

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    Thanks Lance. Your post says not to do it with the original R2 boards, which I still have. I'm sort of thinking I may sell my R2. It still runs nicely, but I want to possibly buy one of the new prusa. I think @mark tomlinson lives close to me in Orlando, and maybe he may be interested. I need to see what I am going to do. I sort of lost the whole Robo3d fanboy infatuation when they pulled the double extruder, dropped me from the elite program, and then revectored.
     
    mark tomlinson likes this.
  9. Lance Weston

    Lance Weston Active Member

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    The only functional difference between the two boards is the swapping of two IO, easily done and I could give you a hex file to install through the LCD. The Robo system board is fragile and will not stand up to the 24/7 use I give it. Easy swap out to the Partsbuit board.

    They went out of business that is why you were pulled. It is still possible to do the dual extruder. I designed a print head for it. You mount an extruder where the cutout is . The extruder has to be enabled in Marlin. I can dig up the files and walk you through it.
     
  10. supercazzola

    supercazzola Active Member

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    thanks. I may just stick with the machine how it is until I decide if I want another model. I really dislike the hex head, and I just am at a point now where I have the R2 running with plain octoprint. Not sure I'd put any more money into this unit. I'd rather get a prusa v4
     
  11. Lance Weston

    Lance Weston Active Member

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    You could put in the mesh leveling software and see if it is good enough to fix your problem
     
  12. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    That was an idea/approach that simply failed. Nothing much ever came of it (mostly due to them folding up operations everywhere).
    They should have started that program a lot earlier although I am uncertain it would have mattered.
    Their business issues aside, they had a poor interaction with their customers -- not "bad" just inadequate.
     
  13. Lance Weston

    Lance Weston Active Member

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    I found just the opposite as far as customer response. I had many many email conversations with the engineers and sales people at Robo. I purchased my R2 with zero knowledge about 3D printing and needed to get up and running for production parts. The forum was part of the key to getting a Nubee up to speed with many people having the patience to educate me. Robo supplied me with schematics, firmware and plastics drawings, pretty much anything I could ask for. They were super responsive and offered to replace anything than was not perfect, which for the most part I did not need because I fabricated/purchased spares. I think falling printer prices just made them unprofitable. The engineers were very bright and I was impressed by the design based on Ultimakers. Often as I go to "improve" something I discover oh that's why it was done that way.

    No other company would have given me as much.
     
  14. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    By the time the R2 released it was too little and too late (they started in 2013).
    They were down to a small staff and not profitable.

    It was miles better than before so... draw your own conclusions.

    I wish they had been able to succeed. Products were not bad and the staff I interacted with were all great.
     
  15. Lance Weston

    Lance Weston Active Member

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    It is a shame that the Chinese have taken over the market. I work hard to get US suppliers for my filament, although Chinese make the best PLA. I make my own printers for production now and the R2's are relegated to prototyping.

    The printers I make use the Robo Software and the Partsbuilts boards that are functionally the same as the Robo. Using dual Z and four 12mm posts on the corners of 12" beds and EU3030 aluminum extrusions for the frame. I also went to dual gear extruders which make a big difference. So for me they are Robo machines, settings are identical across all of my machines.

    Mark you are a big reason for the success that I an many others have had, and as time gradually diminishes the number of Robo users and the forum eventually disappears I will miss it and your knowledge very much.
     
    mark tomlinson likes this.
  16. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    Thanks, but the one to really thank is Braydon Moreno (CEO/Owner of Robo) who kept this forum up and running even though it has out of his pocket for a number of years :)
     

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