Build Plate Leveling

[ecsuka 2]

 

Due to some failed prints in the front right and back left corners, I noticed that the build plate (print bed) was not fully level at all even after carefully performing the manual leveling procedure. After over a dozen of these quick single layer, dual extrusion test prints seen in the picture. I am still having a lot of trouble achieving a level glass surface despite adjusting the screws on the bottom of the plate. In some corners it is too tight to print the first layer and in other corners, the material is not tight enough and separates off the glass too easily. I am wondering how to fix the back right corner when there are only 3 screws? I can't tighten the screw in the back center because then the left back corner gets too low. Any advice is helpful.

 

[kmanstudios 1,120]

Do yourself a favor and check to make sure the glass plate is flat. There have been instances of the glass not being flat and there is no way to level that properly.

 

The second thing to try is to do a manual level to get it as close to level as you can. The run active level to make any further corrections.

 

As for raising the back as you suggest, try to lower the front corner opposite of the side that is too low. I try to make my plate fairly even by sight with the from lift of the catchplate rim. Then I do the manual level. The screws should not be too tight or too loose.

[ecsuka 2]

Thanks Kman for the three suggestions.
 

1) Do you have any suggestions on how to check if the glass plate is actually flat? I have tried turning the plate 180 degrees and I see the same test print pattern either way.

2) I have tried doing a manual level and then an active level this morning and the active level was really bad. One of the corners did not come anywhere close to touching down on the glass. The subsequent print was way off the bed. I am wondering if there is a bug in the active leveling program?

3) Could you clarify the third suggestion...which screw should I tighten/loosen?

 

[kmanstudios 1,120]

1. Take your glass and see if it will lay flat on a very flat surface. Do so by seeing if it will rock back and forth.

2. Active leveling is pretty solid. But it can only compensate for so much.

3. Turn the screw opposite of the problem area: i.e. if the back right corner is too low, lower the front left corner.

 

There are several things that could be happening. But the above would be the first step.

[geert_2 557]

Sometimes an "unflat glass plate" might actually be an unflat aluminum plate. Recently when removing the glass I noticed that at the underside the glass had a deep circular indentation of 3mm diameter in one corner, scratched into it. It looked a bit similar to serial numbers stamped into a metal plate. So I wondered what caused that, and I inspected the aluminum plate. And indeed, one of the 3mm holes had a little brim. So I used a drill to deburr it, and now leveling the glass is easier in that area. This does not mean that there can not be unflat glass plates, it only means that there can be other causes too. You might want to have a look at that. Then rotate your glass 180° (back to front), and see what happens: if it was the glass, the problem should now be in the front?

 

But instead of 3 screws to adjust the build plate, I would prefer 4 screws: one in every corner. This would make it easier to level out such problems, by slightly distorting the aluminum and glass plates, to correct any existing distortions. This can not be done with 3 screws. Maybe the Ultimaker developers could give this a try?

 

[kmanstudios 1,120]

1 minute ago, geert_2 said:

Sometimes an "unflat glass plate" might actually be an unflat aluminum plate. Recently when removing the glass I noticed that at the underside the glass had a deep circular indentation of 3mm diameter in one corner, scratched into it. It looked a bit similar to serial numbers stamped into a metal plate. So I wondered what caused that, and I inspected the aluminum plate. And indeed, one of the 3mm holes had a little brim. So I used a drill to deburr it, and now leveling the glass is easier in that area. This does not mean that there can not be unflat glass plates, it only means that there can be other causes too. You might want to have a look at that. Then rotate your glass 180° (back to front), and see what happens: if it was the glass, the problem should now be in the front?

 

But instead of 3 screws to adjust the build plate, I would prefer 4 screws: one in every corner. This would make it easier to level out such problems, by slightly distorting the aluminum and glass plates, to correct any existing distortions. This can not be done with 3 screws. Maybe the Ultimaker developers could give this a try?