Auto bed leveling is here :D

Couple videos here, would be nice to get this working on the RoBo



Some more info here at the bottom of the page https://github.com/ErikZalm/Marlin

 

Looks great, all be it a bit clunkly. I'm sure some thing more elegant that a switch that can flip in and out can be created?....
I'll have to add that to my list now......

 

A slightly more elegant solution.

 

And another using. Similar mechanism

http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=...top_uri=/watch?v=1eNz1l56H5E&feature=youtu.be


Documentation: http://reprap.org/wiki/Kossel
Project history: http://deltabot.tumblr.com

 

They all depends on the G29 patch to be applied to the firmware. Which I don't think is part of Robo3d's firmware. Not sure if it is part of the mainstream version either.

Mind you this works well until you have to mate objects together (e.g. you've cut a model in half, printed it, and now want to glue it back together) and you find your bed isn't as level as you think. Found this out while playing with that idea while printing my derpfox. Hoping for way to have less support materials.

 

I believe there are a couple of issues that, generally, 3d printing needs to address; firstly the bed;
1/ bed is flat but not level
2/ bed is curved and not level

Secondly the height of the extruder needs to be set.

Both issues need to be addressed, ideally in an automated way, before we get broader adoption of 3d printers.

Herein starts my mission.......

 

Ben, the solutions above are software solutions, not addressing the physical.
Any one had thought in using servo motors, or small motors to level the bed. Using a combination of sensors above and a leveling technique?

 

Yeah, this guy uses servos to level his, Seems a little more complicated tho.


I believe the newest firmware supports for the bed leveling that I posted before, I'm not sure what I have to do to get it on the RoBo though. :/

 

This is exactly what I was thinking of in terms of bed leveelling
However, the nail approach is a little crude. A combination of the touch sensor and the levelling screws concepts

 

I'd use a pogo pin https://www.sparkfun.com/products/9174 We don't really have the room under our printers to add the servos though :/

 

Nothing will help a warped bed
Shimming might work, But stuff shifts and moves, like the sliders, then your bed could be off again.

 

Tesseact,
this would be the second case, bed is curved and not level. Unless you had a some what flexible bed material, which would not be ideal, then the only answer would be a software solution. Contour mapping, take measurements at multiple points. Feasible but too hard for me. I've encountered this with a makerbot, the non supported edges of the bed droop lower. (They use a 3point adjustment system). The answer here is to use their raft function to create a level bed. Not ideal.

As for bed leveling and hot end height.
How often do you need to relevel? Every time you apply tape, after using some force to get the model off, etc. if the printer was super solid then perhaps done at the factory then never again.

How often do you need to reset hot end height?

My comment is that the latter two need to be solved before adoption of 3d printers beyond the hobby space. Take for example laser printers; they are now so simple that all that is needed is to swap toner. It does all it's own calibration.

Cheers

 

I just found this, a commercial system offering auto leveling and height

http://3dprintingsystems.com/products/3d-printers/up-plus-2-3d-printer/#autolevel

Would love to understand how they do it

 

Hmm, You can see how they do it here Pretty much the same thing, but with out a servo, This way could be easier to integrate into the RoBo.

 

I would love this to be in the robo!

 

Tesseract, I like your definitions
Bed compentator - software solution. Dynamically compensating z axis. I would assume largely as a linear compensation
Bed leveling - raising or lowering mechanically the bed to level it
I think there is one more option
Bed leveling and curvature adjustment. Leveling mechanically, but also somehow fixing any curvature, probably require 4 or 5 points of adjustment.