Bed level out

[xenopaul 0]

Hi guys I moved my ultimaker to another part of the house during renovations and when I returned it to the desk the bed level is out. It's not the table as I have a spirit level on the top of my machine. Is there a quick and accurate way to get my print

bed back to the default it was when it arrived. I did a test print and the first layer was destroyed by the head dragging it

Sorry if this has been asked before I'm new

Paul

 

[illuminarti 18]

First check whether the bed is seated correctly on the springs, and that the washers that the bed sits on aren't crooked. or caught in the keyhole slots in the bed.

Once the bed is seated properly on the springs, you can set about re-leveling it by adjusting the screws in the corners. Instructions assume you have an UltiController - if not, hook the printer up to your computer and use Cura, pronterface or other software to drive it.

 

Heat the head first, in case there's any plastic oozed out of the end. Then do prepare -> autohome. This will move the bed until the z-stop is just triggered. The head should be touching the bed, or very close to it, and the four bed levelling screws should be in a middle position such that there is room to both tighten and unscrew them by several turns, and the underside of the head of each screw remains in contact with the bed. If not, adjust the screws so that they are in that position, and then slowly move the head to just touch the bed, and then adjust the z limit switch so it is just triggered in that position. Then autohome again.

 

Then prepare -> release steppers (is that what it's called?) so you can move the head by hand. And move the head by hand to near the each of the screws in turn. In each case you should just be able to slip sheet of paper between the head and the bed.

 

Tighten the screw until the head doesn't catch the piece of paper at all as you move the paper back and forth. Then slowly turn the screw out, until it the paper just starts to catch on the head. Then add an extra 1/8 turn outwards, to raise the bed just a bit more. Repeat that in each corner of the bed. Then go back to the first corner, and make sure it's still ok. Keep going around until all 4 corners are just catching the paper.

 

[xenopaul 0]

First check whether the bed is seated correctly on the springs, and that the washers that the bed sits on aren't crooked. or caught in the keyhole slots in the bed.

Once the bed is seated properly on the springs, you can set about releveling it by adjusting the screws in the corners. Instructions assume you have an UltiController - hook the printer up to your computer and use Cura, pronterface or other software to drive it.

 

Heat the head first, in case there's any plastic oozed out of the end. Then do prepare -> autohome. This will move the bed until the z-stop is just triggered. The head should be touching the bed, or very close to it, and the four bed levelling screws should be in a middle position such that there is room to both tighten and unscrew them by several turns, and the underside of the head of each screw remains in contact with the bed. If not, adjust the screws so that they are in that position, and then slowly move the head to just touch the bed, and then adjust the z limit switch so it is just triggered in that position. Then autohome again.

 

Then prepare -> release steppers (is that what it's called?) so you can move the head by hand. And move the head by hand to near the each of the screws in turn. In each case you should just be able to slip sheet of paper between the head and the bed.

 

Tighten the screw until the head doesn't catch the piece of paper at all as you move the paper back and forth. Then slowly turn the screw out, until it the paper just starts to catch on the head. Then add an extra 1/8 turn outwards, to raise the bed just a bit more. Repeat that in each corner of the bed. Then go back to the first corner, and make sure it's still ok. Keep gong around until all 4 corners are just catching the paper.

 

Again brilliant advice and so easy to follow. You guys rock

Paul

 

[illuminarti 18]

I edited my post above to correctly indicate that you only need to hook it up to a computer if you don't have an Ulticontroller - the thought sort of died in mid sentence in the original post.

 

[xenopaul 0]

I edited my post above to correctly indicate that you only need to hook it up to a computer if you don't have an Ulticontroller - the thought sort of died in mid sentence in the original post.

 

I went to print again and on the first layer the head dragged it and ripped it all apart. I did everything that you said. The only part I didn't get was "and then slowly move the head to just touch the bed, and then adjust the z limit switch so it is just triggered in that position" is there a physical switch or is this on the ulticontroller? :???:

Paul

 

[illuminarti 18]

It's a physical switch -at the top, behind the left-most of the three rods that hold up the bed (as seen from the front).

The triggering of that switch is what tells the printer where z=0 is. At the beginning of every print, the head is homed to the front left, and the bed raised up until all three (X, Y, Z) limit switches are triggered, If the z switch has moved or come loose, then the printer won't reliably find its starting position height when you begin a print.

 

I went to print again and on the first layer the head dragged it and ripped it all apart. I did everything that you said. The only part I didn't get was "and then slowly move the head to just touch the bed, and then adjust the z limit switch so it is just triggered in that position" is there a physical switch or is this on the ulticontroller? :???:

Paul

 

[gr5 2,167]

I haven't needed to adjust the z limit switch since my first day of printing. I always just adjust the 4 screws.

I use paper as my spacer. You should be able to slide the paper in and out under the nozzle at all 4 corners but not so loose that you can't tell how big the gap is. You should be able to slide the paper under the nozzle with one hand, kind of pushing it under. If it gets stuck and wrinkles then you probably don't have enough of a gap.

When you print the very first layer it should be *almost* touching the print bed such that the first layer is squished flattish. Not rounded beads. But if it's ripping the tape your levelling is way off.

 

[robmiles 1]

You need to make sure that before you adjust the screws you have sent the Ultimaker back to the home position in Z, that's why you do the Autohome at the very start. Otherwise you'll have a bed that is level, but at the wrong height. Then when you print you'll get the problems you are reporting. Or the machine will print in the air.

I've found the bed levelling wizard in Cura very useful. Just get to it from the expert settings. It moves the head to each corner in turn and then prints a border abound the print area to test.

Another thing that I had to do was to put longer screws on the Perspex bed supports, because for some reason my wooden build platform ended up slightly twisted after I'd made it. This is a common problem apparently, and doesn't affect the printing at all once you get the print height set. I also put a locknut between the bed and the spring, so that I can keep the spring tension the same when I adjust the height.

 

[xenopaul 0]

I have my nozzle set exactly where I want it but I don't understand. You're all saying something different do I adjust the four screws or somehow access the switch from the inside? Sorry but once this is sorted the only posts you should be getting from me are my printed projects

Paul

 

[IRobertI 520]

The answer is that you may have to adjust both. The four screws on the bed make sure that the bed is level relative to the path of the head. The Z-limit switch in the back tells the printer where Z=0 is. Both have to be right.

 

[robmiles 1]

I had a problem with my Z axis microswitch where the bolts came loose and the switch moved up (which would give the kind of problems you are seeing). In my kit the bolts actually tapped into the switch and this was not a very solid fit. I ended up putting a bolt right through the hole on the switch and a nut on the end to hold it a lot more firmly.

 

[gr5 2,167]

If you had assembled it yourself you wouldn't have any confusion. This is the part of the instructions that describes in detail how to level and adjust the height of your bed home position:

http://wiki.ultimaker.com/Ultimaker_rev.3_assembly:_Mounting_the_electronics#Step_10:_Checking_and_aligning_the_Z-homing_switch

Please save a link to these instructions as you will at some point need to take apart and understand every single wire and bolt in your ultimaker. You are pretty much guaranteed to have other issues. In fact you should check for loose bolts right now. It sounds like your Z limit switch came loose.