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Do printers have to be levelled?


JeffreyK

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Hi print-gang,

 

as resin is a liquid, I was wondering if printers have to be levelled when they are set up? I know there is a procedure of adjusting the print platform to be in perfect parallel to the bottom of the vat/screen, but would it matter if the printer itself was not 100% level and as such the surface of the resin not parallel with the build platform? My guess is that it doesn't matter, but I thought I'd ask...

 

Cheers,

J

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It’s not critical but it’s better if it’s level. The main thing is that you might find that if you’re cutting the amount of resin too close then half the vat has enough but the other half is empty resulting in a failed print.

 

Have fun

Finn

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Very little.  There is a bevelled mark surrounding the lower sides of the vat, approx 5mm above the FEP, and it is recommended only to fill to that mark.  As I understand it, filling any higher could cause splashing due to the flexing of the FEP whilst printing.  The LCD glass plate is a very sensitive instrument, not just plain glass, and any splashes or leaks onto that could mean an expensive, and awkward, replacement.

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Another element to note, if the printer itself is not level then the supports for the print might not form vertically from the build plate, thereby weakening the supports.  This could cause supports to break/warp ending in failed print.

 

Mike

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On 10/12/2020 at 4:15 AM, bootneck said:

Another element to note, if the printer itself is not level then the supports for the print might not form vertically from the build plate, thereby weakening the supports.  This could cause supports to break/warp ending in failed print.

 

This is... not true.  I mean, I guess in the extreme it could be a problem, but not within any reasonable usage.

 

As mentioned in the first reply, the printer itself doesn't have to be particularly level - it won't have any impact on the basic operation of the machine, you'll just get resin pooling to one side when it's almost empty.  More importantly though, most resin printers have adjustable feet, so if your work surface is particularly wonky, you'll be able to adjust it so it's 'close enough'.

 

You DO have to 'level' your build plate as accurately as possible, however.  Specifically, you need to tram your build plate to the LCD - that is, make them as parallel as possible.  Tramming is not actually a 'levelling' process (though that's the generic term people use), as it doesn't really matter if either surface is "level" with the ground (an alarming number of new FDM users seem to think it literally involves a spirit level...), they just need to be parallel with each other

 

But as long as your printer is trammed properly, nah, the machine itself doesn't have to be perfectly level with the earth.

 

 

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  • 1 year later...

Leveling the printer is not as crucial as levelling the bed / plate.

 

It makes life less stressfull when the vat is starting to empty during a print and the resin starts pooling to a side / corner.

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