Calibrating the Extrusion STEP/MM
The first step to calibrate a 3d Printer is to calibrate the Extrusion step/mm you will need to preheat the nozzle to liberate the extruder. set the temperature on the nozzle to 170ºC. If you are not familiar with Repetier Host, the following image will help you
After preheating the nozzle you need to disassemble the extruder, this is easier if you have a bowden system, but if you have a direct-drive system, you will need to remove the hotend block (with dissipator) so the plastic can move freely.
Preparing the calibration
It’s a good idea to check the extruder tensioner, if loose, it wont pull the plastic correctly
Now you will need to remove the bowden tube from the snapfit locker. to do this, press the blue/black plastic part down, and pull the bowden tube up
After removing the PFTE tube, you will need to cut the excess filament, this must be done carefully and precisely, try to keep it as close to the tube as possible. Be careful, this can easily cut your hand.
Measuring the current calibration
Now go back to the Repetier host, and click on “Extrude 100mm”, be careful to click only once!
Once you have sent the extrusion command, wait until the plastic stops coming out of the PFTE tube.
you will now place the caliper as the picture below, with the left “ear” touching the PFTE tube, and the right “ear” exactly where the plastic ends.
In this image, the measured value is 99,45 milimeters (the digital should display the value right away, saving you the time from reading, and reducing the parallax error). Write this value down.!
Now you must go back into the EEPROM Firmware setting, (pressing ALT+E) and find the “E-Steps” value and write that down too, do not close the firmware screen yet!
We need to calculate the corrected steps, it’s a simple equation. (or if you want to, there is an excel table for calculating this, link on “Requirements” section).
The formula is: New_steps = old_steps * ( expected length / real length )
On this case: New_steps = 157.16 * ( 100 / 99,45) >>> New_steps = 158,0291
Write the new value on the firmware screen, and press “ok”
Finishing the calibration
After saving this value on the 3DPrinter, you should measure the result again, there will probably be a small error, Follow the previous instructions until you get the exactly 100,00mm. After fine-tuning the extruder step/mm you need to reassemble the bowden tube.
Now your Extruder is calibrated! you should not have issues with overextrusion or underextrusion again!
Remember to set the “Extrusion multiplier” to 100% on your favorite slicer, otherwise it will override the calibration!
Calibration the XYZ-steps/mm with printing parts and measuring them is wrong. You did write up fine for Extruder, but XYZ have to be calculated not measured. This article has to get reworked otherwise it is just wrong.
That’s complicated. I have readed some other guides that condemn this too, and i’m not saying its right or wrong, simply that it works. When calculating the steps/mm (i’ll use my example – using 1.8º motor + 20teeth pully ) i will get exactly 80mm. But when i print an part with (for example) 100x100x100mm, i get less or more than 100mm. In a perfect system, using really rigid 3dprinter and high quality pulley/belt/stepper, maybe this could work, but that is not the case for most of the 3dprinters on the market (specially the DIY style).
Thats why i use this method, and all my printing are within 0,1 mm for the nomimal value (including interior measurements, i’ve corrected them using the horizontal compensation, but that is for another post).
A great guide for calibration!! Respect!
Lots of info here! Now to just make sense of it…
Great guide will help when I get win this 3d printer
Right now my head is spinning a little after reading this but that’s just because I don’t have my 3D printer yet. It will be here in a couple of weeks (I think). I’ve bookmarked this article to go back over and use when I get my printer. I know that when I start working with it all this will come easier to me. Thanks for posting this! I knew there was a lot that went into 3D-printing so I’m not surprised. But I’m amazed at all the different software out there! G-CODE, EEPROM, the slicer stuff, firmware…I have a LOT to learn! But, I’m fine with that. I can’t wait until I’m able to print exactly what I want! FUN!