[SOLVED] Auto Bed Levelling Isn't correcting Enough!

I'm using Slic3r 1.1.7. I seem to find that it does stupid things and with no explanation...

I could do a massive write up on why it annoys me, but I don't know how to use any of the ither slicers, and I also have an auto-levelling probe (I think its only slicer that supports it, right?)

Todays problem is that I've just sliced a fairly complex model, and for the most part its fine. However on the support material, there seems to be horizontal lines or gaps in the z axis. The g-code viewer doesn't show that these gaps will effect the actual model, however the 'gaps' in reality some how effect my model that is currently printing....

Please see the pictures, and let me know what to do. thanks...





Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/29/2014 09:50AM by DeuxVis.

Are you sure that the problem is with Slic3r? Load your gcode file here: [gcode.ws] and look at the layers in the "affected" region.
If it looks ok, meaning there are no such errors like those you see in the print, then it might be a sign of underextrusion.
If there are errors in the file, might be that the "complex" model has some errors that Slic3r could not repair.

Quote
3Dmaker4U
Are you sure that the problem is with Slic3r? Load your gcode file here: [gcode.ws] and look at the layers in the "affected" region.
If it looks ok, meaning there are no such errors like those you see in the print, then it might be a sign of underextrusion.
If there are errors in the file, might be that the "complex" model has some errors that Slic3r could not repair.

I couldn't find much on there that helped... Looks pretty uniform...

I tried to attach the gcode here for you too have a peek, but it wont let me... Too big :'(

Try another Slicer.
Cura is my go to slicer!
As far as auto bed level, its just a single line of gcode that you can add into any program.
Just after your G28 to home you place the G29 for ABL and you are done.

I gave up using Slic3r with issues like these and started trying out all the various slicers.

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Floyd
Just after your G28 to home you place the G29 for ABL and you are done.

Hi Floyd, I tried placing G29 in the code but when sliced with cura, it didn't skew while traveling X/Y.

Also, what's this ABL you speak of?

Perhaps you could post specific instructions, and I'll let you know the results.

Simply add your auto-level instruction to the custom start code of any slicer and it should work. G-code files usually compress very well, so just ZIP them before attaching and they should not be over the file size limit.

Dave

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dmould
Simply add your auto-level instruction to the custom start code of any slicer and it should work. G-code files usually compress very well, so just ZIP them before attaching and they should not be over the file size limit.

Dave

I tried zipping it, just over 2mb... So was still too big....

I'm currently trying to get my auto levelling probe to work at all now :p

Its making Z correctings for the bed, but the corrections are no correct... Its 'over correcting'... So in some areas of the bed its right, and in others its not right....

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dailafing

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dmould
Simply add your auto-level instruction to the custom start code of any slicer and it should work. G-code files usually compress very well, so just ZIP them before attaching and they should not be over the file size limit.

Dave

I tried zipping it, just over 2mb... So was still too big....

I'm currently trying to get my auto levelling probe to work at all now :p

Its making Z correctings for the bed, but the corrections are no correct... Its 'over correcting'... So in some areas of the bed its right, and in others its not right....

Try WinRar to compress, and select "Best" for "Compression method" and you should get a much smaller file. G files should compress extremely well because they have so many repeated sequences - most prints require movements to the same coordinates over and over again.

Sorry, cannot help with your auto-levelling as I don't know the machine. As a wild suggestion, if it works using some sort of infra-red light sensor, try keeping the machine away from any incandescent or sunlight while it is levelling.

Dave

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dailafing
Hi Floyd, I tried placing G29 in the code but when sliced with cura, it didn't skew while traveling X/Y.

Also, what's this ABL you speak of?

Perhaps you could post specific instructions, and I'll let you know the results.

You place it under the start G-code area in Cura and it should be the line after the G28.

G28
G29
This will home then level the bed assuming you updated your firmware to do auto bed leveling (ABL)

Yep, this is the code at the start of all the G-code, and I do see the bot probing the platform. I also see the Z-motor correcting for the detected skew as the Y & X travel. However, I don't believe its correcting enough, since as the printer prints the first layer, I see that areas closer to the base are cleaner than ones firther away from the base. In fact, anything printed beyond 50% extent of the Y-Axis doesn't adhere to the bed at all because the nozzle is to far away....

The solution I used was a mix of two....

Firstly, I moved to CuraEngine which was daunting considering the amount of time I put into studying Slic3r's settings. A lot of the default settings worked for me including the higher speed movements and more logical movements (Less perimeter crossing, and more efficient code).
I put these two lines at the end of the default start g-code....
G28 X0 Y0 Z0
G29
Yes it takes longer to start the print, but defiantly 'helped'

But the big help was to manually enter G29 into the 'Manual Control' tab in Repetier Host.
This would just get the printer to probe its 3 points, and read out in the console log what it read from the probe. Usually there's a full 1mm difference between the 3 readouts.

So, I just kept adding washers under each of the 4 corners of the bed screws until these numbers had less difference between them, and therefore removing (or greatly reducing) the need for the firmware to make Z corrections during print.

I learnt that the size of the numbers meant nothing, and weather positive of negative figures didn't matter either. You want to reduce the "difference" between the figures by adding/moving/changing different sized washers until these figures are closer together.

Now I am getting flawless prints, and on my 4th print now since making the adjustments, I'm getting to the stage where I feel confidant to hit print and walk away.... Which is something I thought would never be a possibility with 3d printers of this price range...

Hi,

It sounds like I'm having the same problem as dailafing, essentially the bed leveling corrdinates are off about 1mm, on the right side of the bed if it makes a difference. I'm confused about the 'solution' provided, in that basically it sounds like the bed was manually leveled with the washers, where the 'auto' bed leveling was useless and/or never working in the first place? Shouldn't the ABL routines figure this out on its own, and automatically adjust accordingly?

Personally, I've been trying to get this to work for the last month, and its always been the same issue - the right hand side has always been about 1mm difference (above the bed) than the left. The bed probing shows everything from 0.5 ~ 1mm difference between the left and right, the probing numbers vary between probes even if done right after one another (G28 -> G29,G28 -> G29).

Thinking there is something mechanically wrong with my setup (PrusaI3) I've replaced the bed it self 3 times now, replaced the switch/servo/arm twice and manually adjusted everything numerous times all though the result is always the same - the right hand side results in about 1mm (above the bed) over the left when it shouldnt - meaning that the resulting filament on the right hand side is printing in mid-air.

From testing, and lightly holding the z-axis its apparent the firm ware is adjusting the z axis height as everything is moved around. All though even after manually leveling the bed it does this, when it seems like it shouldnt? (from manually adjusting the bed right before hand)

My Setup is Marlin, mainboard is Rumba and architecture is Prusa I3.

Is there anyway to 'test' the ABL to ensure its working as it should be, or enable extra debugging or something? (besides a print)

Any help here would be greately appriciated...

I have a similar problem on my Mini Kossel running Marlin on RAMPS. The auto bed levelling appears not to be doing the right amount of correction because it's printing too high on one side and too low on the other. But I am about to switch electronics and firmware, so I probably won't investigate it further.

---

Large delta printer [miscsolutions.wordpress.com], E3D tool changer, Robotdigg SCARA printer, Crane Quad and Ormerod

Disclosure: I design Duet electronics and work on RepRapFirmware, [duet3d.com].

I thought I'd let everyone know what I did.

I disabled G29...

Bought x4 long countersunk screws, x4 springs, then levelled the bed manually with G30

Issuing a g30 (in marlin) will probe the current position of the probe, and then report back the bed level in the same way g29 outputs to the console.

I used the 5 script options in Repetier Host Like below pseudo code to probe the bed

Script 1
G1 z5
G1 x5 y10 f10000
G30
G1 z5

G1 y20 f10000
G30
G1 z5

G1 y30 f10000
G30
G1 z5

G1 y40 f10000
G30
G1 z5

Etc.....

Bumping a really old thread here, sorry..

I am having the same issue as dc42 and p3d.. Did you guys find a solution?

My printer prints too high on one side, no matter what i do. I have tried to manually level the bed, tilt the bed a lot (tested the abl), recalibrating Steps per mm, and a few other things.
- Please help ?

Let me start off with a disclaimer, I am still very new to 3D printing and still muddling my way through myself. I am not sure if this will fix the issue in a one step “here’s your fix”, but a firmware modification seemed to make the biggest difference for me.

Mechanical:
Ensure the probe is extending the same distance every time (mine was not I had to increase the delay to 500ms)
If your micro switch has the little metal tab used for clicking the actual switch, consider removing it. I noticed, when I probed on a cold bed verses a hot one, the metal on the switch heated up a little and would bend more causing inconsistent readings between probe locations.

Firmware:
Obviously back everything up 
Setup ABL: Some instructions I followed to get ABL working fairly reliably (http://3dprintboard.com/showthread.php?3105-Auto_Bed_Leveling-Enhanced-G29-command)
Disable EPROM: You will need to search, as I apparently the link on disabling the EPROM. By disabling the EPROM it forces the printer to check bed level every time you start a print. The issue I had was ABL worked at first but I changed the orientation of the head, and for the life of me could not get the ABL to work correctly again, that is until I disabled the EPROM. I think it was because the original values were stored in the EPROM and new values were not being set.

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Kafledelius
Bumping a really old thread here, sorry..

I am having the same issue as dc42 and p3d.. Did you guys find a solution?

My printer prints too high on one side, no matter what i do. I have tried to manually level the bed, tilt the bed a lot (tested the abl), recalibrating Steps per mm, and a few other things.
- Please help ?

I did find a solution. Marlin's auto bed compensation wasn't working very well; but as the printer was a delta (a Mini Kossel), I shouldn't have needed auto bed compensation anyway. What I needed was auto delta calibration. I upgraded the electronics to Duet and implemented precise delta auto calibration in the firmware. Then it printed beautifully. I have since converted it to a larger delta printer, described in my blog.

---

Large delta printer [miscsolutions.wordpress.com], E3D tool changer, Robotdigg SCARA printer, Crane Quad and Ormerod

Disclosure: I design Duet electronics and work on RepRapFirmware, [duet3d.com].

Hey. Im having the same issue, did you manage to solve it ?