Practical 3D Printing: Printer Setup

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Printer Setup

10.01

00:00	Before we can start printing, we need to get the printer set up and prepared to print.
00:04	Failure to do this properly will almost always result in failed prints that don't stick to the print bed.
00:10	This mostly involves cleaning and levelling the print bed, but there may also be some other things that we need to consider like loading the filament material.
00:19	Some of these processes will differ in complexity and regularity between machines.
00:24	For example, when it comes to levelling the Bamboo Lab X1e unit that we'll be using throughout most of the FDM worked examples in this course, it doesn't actually need to be levelled very often, if at all.
00:36	This mostly comes down to the X1e having auto bed levelling software.
00:41	Essentially it probes and measures the bed height over an array of positions and adjusts the toolpath to set any slight angle that the print bed may be on.
00:50	This works really well and we've never had to manually adjust the bed.
00:54	On the other hand, our Creality CR10S Pro unit, which comes at a much cheaper price point, has proven itself to require constant levelling.
01:03	The Creality machine also has some form of auto bed levelling as well, but in practice it doesn't appear to be nearly as effective.
01:12	Regardless, we'll use the Creality machine as an example here since the process is fairly representative of most consumer grade machines.
01:20	We start the process by making sure that the printer is on a flat, level and stable surface.
01:26	We need a solid foundation if we want to set ourselves up for success.
01:30	Before we start levelling the printer components, we can navigate to the levelling menu and use the measuring function, which uses the height sensor to measure the height of the bed at an array of positions.
01:43	This just allows us to understand our starting point.
01:46	Naturally, the more variation in the returned measurements, the worse it is.
01:51	From here we'll switch the printer off as we first need to level the gantry.
01:55	A simple way to do this is to get a solid part or piece of material with a flat top and bottom.
02:01	Something like an aluminium, steel or plastic part around 100mm in length works well, anything solid with nice square ends really.
02:10	We place the part under the left side of the gantry on the base of the machine and then rotate the vertical axles behind the frame until the gantry just contacts the top of the part.
02:21	Then we move the part to the right side and while still holding the left axle still, we rotate the right axle until it's just on top of the part as well.
02:30	It's worth checking back and forward between each side a few times to make sure everything is as level as possible.
02:37	Then we power on the printer again and head back to the levelling menu, moving the print head to the Z home location, which is in the centre of the print bed with the nozzle just off the surface.
02:48	The aim from here is to set the distance from the tip of the nozzle to the print bed at 0.2mm as this is our typical layer height.
02:57	This is best done using a precise feeler gauge, but we could also use sheets of paper or card.
03:04	Just be sure to measure the thickness with some verniers first.
03:07	Now, we adjust the Z height in small increments with the controls on the screen until the tip of the nozzle is just pressing the feeler gauge into the print bed.
03:16	By moving the gauge back and forth, we'll be able to feel some slight resistance.
03:21	If you sandwich a feeler blade between two A4 sheets of paper and then stack about 10 magazines on top, that will give you a sense of what the resistance should feel like.
03:30	From here, we'll loosen the two grub screws on the side of the sensor so we can pull the sensor up slightly and place a 1mm feeler gauge on the print bed under it.
03:40	With the sensor resting on that 1mm gauge, we can retighten the grub screws, setting its height off the bed.
03:48	The next step is critical, we need to adjust the screw on the top of the sensor outwards until the sensor light turns off, and then back inwards until the light just turns on again.
03:59	This light indicates when the sensor, and therefore the nozzle, is the correct distance from the bed.
04:05	Next, we'll begin the auxiliary levelling function, starting back on position 1 in the centre of the bed, and double checking we've got the height correct.
04:14	Then we can move to position 2 and rotate the adjuster wheel under the print bed to set the nozzle height at 0.2mm with our feeler gauge.
04:24	As you'd expect, this process continues to position 3, 4 and 5.
04:28	However, each adjustment does affect the height of the other positions, especially as we get started and we're making large adjustments.
04:36	For this reason, we typically need to repeat the cycle a few times, dialling in the measurements.
04:41	With that complete, we can move back to our main levelling menu, and use the measuring function again to check the current state of the bed and compare it to the initial measurements.
04:51	It should be noted that this in-depth process isn't required each time we level the printer.
04:56	We'd more typically just do one round of auxiliary levelling every 10 prints or so, or if we start to notice some issues.
05:04	Also, keep in mind that these 1mm and 0 .2mm values could be different for your printer, just like the process of levelling it.
05:12	This example is merely to illustrate a typical process and what's involved, but be sure to closely follow the supplier's instructions for your specific machine to get the best results.
05:23	Once we have the bed level, we need to clean it before we're ready to print.
05:27	Again, the supplier of the print bed will have some recommendations here for what should be used.
05:33	Generally, though, isopropyl alcohol is the go-to, and it's as simple as applying a small amount to a clean rag and wiping down the bed.
05:42	This will remove any glues, grease or other residue and leave us with a nice clean surface for good bed adhesion.
05:49	Any stubborn areas or leftover material from the print can be scraped with a plastic razor blade, or for glass print beds, like on our Creality unit, we can use a metal blade, but obviously we just need to be very careful not to damage the surface.
06:05	With the bed clean, we can also apply any adhesives to aid in bed adhesion.
06:09	An example of this is Bamboo Labs glue stick, which is simply rubbed on in a smooth and consistent layer over the area of the print bed that'll be printed on.
06:19	There are many different offerings for these glues if we're having issues with bed adhesion, even with suitable print settings.
06:25	Just be sure to review the listed materials for the application of the glue as it might not be suitable for your print.
06:33	Earlier we mentioned how our Bamboo Lab and Creality printers differ in the regularity of levelling requirements, but they also have significantly different methods of loading material too.
06:44	The Bamboo Lab X1E has its optional extra AMS, which stands for Automatic Material System.
06:50	This allows force balls of materials to be loaded at once.
06:54	The system has a lot of features that we won't dive into, but relevant to our current discussion, is that it makes loading the filament very easy.
07:03	We just load the spool in place and feed it into the port.
07:06	Bamboo Lab filaments have an RFID tag that allows for automatic identification, so everything is set up and ready to go.
07:14	When the material is going to be used, it'll be drawn in through the extruder and purged from the nozzle before printing.
07:21	Some materials aren't AMS compatible like TPU or carbon fiber reinforced nylon for example, so these need to be loaded through the external spool port.
07:31	The Creality CR10S Pro is a much more straightforward method that's representative of most hobbyist printers.
07:38	Before getting started, we need to heat the nozzle to the appropriate temperature for the filament.
07:43	This is the same temperature that we would be printing at, say 210 degrees Celsius for PLA for example.
07:50	With the spool on the holder, we can feed the end of the filament into the port on the side of the extruder.
07:56	We might need to trim off the bent end of the new spool to do this and create a short straight section of filament.
08:03	We then press on the extruder arm to open up the gap for the filament and feed it through.
08:09	Until we feel it come up against the resistance at the back of the nozzle.
08:12	We should see some material coming from the nozzle now, indicating the filament is loaded.
08:17	To stop any leaking, we can pull back slightly on the filament, say by a millimeter or so.
08:22	We can then pull back the filament, say by a millimeter or so, releasing the extruder arm again, and wiping the nozzle clean.
08:27	Changing filament is essentially the reverse of this.
08:30	We still need to heat up the nozzle so the filament can flow through it, and then simply press the extruder arm to release the filament and pull it back out before loading in our new material.
08:42	With the printer set up and ready to print, we'll recap this module before moving on.
08:46	Each printer is going to have different requirements in terms of leveling and cleaning the print bed, as well as loading material in preparation for printing.
08:55	It's important to follow the supplier's instructions for all of these processes.
08:59	Typically speaking for a hobbyist printer, we'll make sure the frame and gantry are level before using a feeler gauge to set the nozzle height off the bed, making adjustments with some kind of mechanism that supports the bed.
09:12	For cleaning, isopropyl alcohol on a fresh rag is the go-to for cleaning any residue from the print bed, and we can also use a plastic or in some cases a metal razor blade very carefully to remove any remaining plastic from a previous print.
09:28	Adhesives like glue sticks can also be applied to the print bed to help the first layer stick down.
09:34	Just be sure you're using the correct glue for your filament and print bed material.
09:40	Finally, some printers have special systems in place, like Bamboo Labs printers with their AMS system, to make loading material an automated process.
09:49	Although for more basic units, we'll often load the material manually by heating the nozzle and then feeding it into a port near the extruder.