Automatic Bed Levelling/Calibration

I have seen the post by MatterHackers and to a newbie like me, it looks very useful.

I see that some more expensive printers like the new UP! Plus 2 have auto levelling built in as standard now.

What are the views? Is this something that would be a great addition to the Mendel90? Do people find they have to re-level the bed very often?

After seeing the MatterHackers video, I was thinking that if this was standard on the M90 it would take an already great 3D Printer onto another level alltogether, and it would probably be a pretty cheap addition, it is mostly just a micro switch and a firmware change. Am I just talking out of my hat?

Any opinions welcome.

Thanks

G.

It is very useful on an MDF machine as it changes with humidity but on a Dibond machine you only need to level it once as it never changes unless you move it onto different surfaces. You still have to calibrate the Z axis once and get it reasonably level so it doesn't save much work.

It has been on my list of things to do for about two years because I still use my MDF sturdy 90 machine. That is fine if I run it constantly but if I switch it off for a few days the Z calibration changes.

I have a simple magnetic design in mind that is self retracting like the one I developed for Hydraraptor because the Matterhackers version is not compatible with the unattended start method that I use.

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[www.hydraraptor.blogspot.com]

That's good to hear as I am not intending on moving it around much, but the idea of knowing the bed level has been checked and will be optimal before each print still seems quite reassuring. I hope you are right and I won't need to check it again after setting things up.

Does anybody else find themselves levelling the bed much? Or is this a solution looking for a problem?

Thanks

I don't level my bed unless I've shifted the printer's location, accidentally bumped the Z axis up and had the trapped nuts pop out and change their orientation, or jarred the build platform very badly. In all cases, the need to re-level was a direct result of my actions, not the printer drifting out of alignment on its own.

I love creative solutions and all things that simplify leveling, but I don't think it will be a frequent occurrence in most people's normal use of their printer. I have found that the dial gauge method, took what was a very arduous process and makes it considerably more accurate and a much shorter process.

Fl0yd

Thanks Fl0yd, that's good to hear.

Perhaps I will need to revisit a well known auction site and look for a dial gauge. Can you recommend one that will fit into the dial gauge holder print, as I gather there are some differences?