Probably the most essential part of setting up your 3D printer. Most new users will trip up on this. If you have ABL, this includes making sure your Z offset has been set and saved. Dialing in the first layer has now been moved to its own tab.
If your printer has PTFE tube, such as a bowden tube setup for the extruder/hot end, it is essential to make the tube is fully inserted and seated in the coupler. Also ensure the coupler is properly tightened. You may wish to use a small retaining clip on the coupler to prevent the tube working loose: Creality PTFE clip by morfidesign.
+If your printer has PTFE tube, such as a bowden tube setup for the extruder/hot end, it is essential to make sure the tube is fully inserted and seated in the coupler. Also ensure the coupler is properly tightened. You may wish to use a small retaining clip on the coupler to prevent the tube working loose: Creality PTFE clip by morfidesign.
It is worth heating up the nozzle and pushing some filament through to see if it is exiting the nozzle properly. If the diameter is inconsistent or the extruded plastic shoots to one side, it may indicate a partial blockage in the nozzle that will be a pain in the future. It is also worth checking if the nozzle is properly tightened. Only do this when it is hot, or you may break it.
Ensure all belts are properly aligned and tensioned sufficiently. Also check the grub screws are tight on the pulleys that connect the belts to the stepper motors.
Check all fans are spinning freely. This includes but is not limited to: mainboard cooling fan, heat sink fan, part cooling fan, PSU fan. It can be hard to diagose if a fan is performing at less than full capacity. It may be easier to simply replace than repair if you suspect a fan is failing.
+Check all fans are spinning freely. This includes but is not limited to: mainboard cooling fan, heat sink fan, part cooling fan, PSU fan. It can be hard to diagnose if a fan is performing at less than full capacity. It may be easier to simply replace than repair if you suspect a fan is failing.
Another suitable video for seeing some of these procedures is here:
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@It is common to follow up with a first layer calibration print, and 'live level' the bed by continuing to adjust the knobs when the print is under way.
This process is depicted in detail in the video above, and a gcode generator is provided at the bottom of the page to generate a suitable test print.
Auto bed levelling automates the procedure to some extent. A sensor such as a BLtouch, EZABL, strain gauge or peizo transducer is used to probe the bed in a grid formation. At each location, it measures the vertical height, building up an array of stored values, called a mesh. Manual mesh bed levelling can also be used to probe such a grid, but is still a manual process and hence not considered 'automatic'. Here is a visual representation of a probed mesh, shown with the Bed level visualizer Octprint plugin:
+Auto bed levelling automates the procedure to some extent. A sensor such as a BLtouch, EZABL, strain gauge or piezo transducer is used to probe the bed in a grid formation. At each location, it measures the vertical height, building up an array of stored values, called a mesh. Manual mesh bed levelling can also be used to probe such a grid, but is still a manual process and hence not considered 'automatic'. Here is a visual representation of a probed mesh, shown with the Bed level visualizer Octprint plugin:
During printing, the firmware will reference the mesh and compensate for an angled and/or warped bed by raising and lowering the nozzle using Z axis movement. This means the nozzle can travel up and down to match the contours of the bed, ensuring a good first layer.
In the printer's bed is perfectly flat, it is reasonable to claim ABL is not needed. Some users may still prefer it for the added convenience. In the event that the bed is warped (very common), it can be impossible to get a good first layer without ABL or manual mesh bed levelling. An example of this situation is shown in the video above.