Build Plate Issues on Ultimaker 3

[acer11 0]

Hello,

 

I recently started a librarian position in a public library, and I inherited an Ultimaker 3. It has apparently not been running for quite a while now, and I was given the task of troubleshooting and hopefully fixing it. 

 

It has been a while since I've worked with Ultimakers, and the last one I spent any time with was the Ultimaker 2 Go, so I don't know if I am rusty or if there is a bigger issue here. 

I have been unable to successfully level the build plate (manually or with the active leveling function). When I try to manually level, the nozzle stays flush with the build plate, and nothing I do will with the adjustment screws on the underside create the necessary space between the two. When I try to active level, I get this error, "Distance between detected height of both Printcores exceeds realistic values."

 

Most of the information I have found online say to adjust the plate using the screws, but that still did not provide any space between the nozzle and the build plate. My experience with 3D printers is far more on the level of an enthusiastic but rather inexperienced layman, so I wanted to reach out and see if anyone has any advice for getting this printer up and running. Thanks!

Edited February 28, 2022 by acer11

[gr5 2,172]

There's a slim chance someone with a UM3 lives near you and reads this forum so you could post the nearest city to you.

 

Anyway, so firstly:

 

A lot of people, when doing the manual leveling, don't realize that you are supposed to turn the knob on the front of the UM3 to move the bed up and down.  The electronic knob.  Not the mechanical screws.  I believe counter clockwise moves the bed away from the nozzle.  Try that.

 

So at this point I'm not sure how much you have turned the 3 bed screws.  Make sure that if you turn them the bed does indeed go up and down a little.

 

Before you try leveling again - I like to position the front 2 screws so that if you look straight into the bed with your eye at bed height, the metal under the glass bed is just barely above the metal at the front of the bed.  Just a tiny gap or no gap at all (lined up).  Then try to do the rear screw about the same amount and start the manual level.  That should hopefully insure that you aren't all the way tight or all the way loose when you start.  Alternatively, tighten the rear all the way and then back off about5 full rotations.  Then start manual leveling.

 

 

[gr5 2,172]

By the way - the whole "1mm" thing at the start is just to help avoid hitting the bed or the clips.  I always ignore that and just click continue 3 times.

[acer11 0]

19 hours ago, gr5 said:

A lot of people, when doing the manual leveling, don't realize that you are supposed to turn the knob on the front of the UM3 to move the bed up and down.  The electronic knob.  Not the mechanical screws.  I believe counter clockwise moves the bed away from the nozzle.  Try that.

When I get to the point of using the calibration card, I am able to move the plate with the electronic knob when the nozzle is in the back, but not when it is in the right and left corners. The nozzle is so tight against the plate that the card won't budge, even with adjusting the mechanical screws in any direction. 

Edit: Forgot to mention, I'm located in Virginia Beach!

Edited March 1, 2022 by acer11

[gr5 2,172]

For the rear you use the electronic knob.  For the front two you use the mechanical screws.  So if it's tight you need to move the glass down.  Away from the nozzle.  So you need to tighten those front two screws.  Righty=tighty.  So clockwise as seen from below.  Turn them clockwise.  A lot.  Slide them to the right as seen from the front. 

 

Your bed is far from level so you may have to rotate many times.  Eventually you may reach the point where it won't turn anymore.  If that isn't enough then you need to loosen the rear knob, maybe about 5 turns, and then start the manual procedure from the beginging.