From the course: Additive Manufacturing: Tips, Tricks, and Techniques

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Checking printer platform calibration

Checking printer platform calibration

- [Instructor] Your printer might have some auto calibration features, but some functions may still require manual calibration. The most common automatic function is called build plate auto-leveling This name is a little misleading though. Auto-leveling actually works by measuring the tilt of a printer's platform. Then, rather than adjusting the platform so it's properly aligned within the machine, the printer tilts your model to align it to the plate. This makes operating the printer a lot easier, but it has its downsides. The printers axis work in discrete steps. Printing lines that are almost but not quite horizontal, means that the printer makes vertical steps and frequently. Like the steps between layers, these steps are more visible when they're farther apart. We're just beginning to see machines with the ability to actively change the tilt of their platforms to adjust themselves, rather than tilting the print and…

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