How do I print onto a non metallic surface without the nozzle smashing into it?
I'm trying to print onto a 1mm thick plastic surface. In the printer settings, I set the print offset to 1mm which works when it gets to the actual print but before that, when it does the calibration points, it smashes into the plastic surface.
How do I solve this?
Thanks!
RE: How do I print onto a non metallic surface without the nozzle smashing into it?
I haven't done this yet but have been thinking through similar problems. I think what you need to do is measure the difference between a flex steel sheet and your plastic. Home (and maybe do Live-Z calibration) with your steel sheet, then add a pause in your gcode to swap in the plastic and reposition 0 to the new offset. Something like this can be used to reposition 0 (use at your own risk, untested!):
G91 ; Use relative positioning
G1 Z<diff> F500 ; Raise Z by the difference in thickness of your plastic
G92 Z0 ; This redefines the zero Z level
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RE: How do I print onto a non metallic surface without the nozzle smashing into it?
I think you can do the same approach like 3D printing nerd did with the glass bed.
- Add pause gcode after calibration
- Do the calibration with regular empty sheet
- Replace the empty sheet with a sheet with an object on it
- Proceed with printing
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RE: How do I print onto a non metallic surface without the nozzle smashing into it?
Could this work?
- Place plastic sheet between hot bed and steel sheet.
- calibrate
- pause print
- swap sheets
- resume print
RE: How do I print onto a non metallic surface without the nozzle smashing into it?
That should most likely work. Only small issue would be that during calibration the steel sheet may not be attracted by the magnets a lot. But you can always use binder clips.
Other then that it sounds like the easiest approach.
RE: How do I print onto a non metallic surface without the nozzle smashing into it?
for anyone who's interested, this is how I did it.
I added M600 to the gcode after the z calibration. So it went to change filament (I don't even have any other filament) and in the space of time I quickly taped my surface to the bed then pressed the knob to continue. Worked great!