Student Material 001: Bed Leveling Checklist & Temperature Profile Quick Reference¶

Material ID: U1M2-MAT-001 Purpose: Quick reference for bed leveling procedure and material temperature settings Format: Laminated station reference card Updated: 2026-03-19

Bed Leveling Checklist¶

Pre-Leveling Setup¶

[ ] Preheat bed to printing temperature (PLA: 60°C, ABS: 100°C, PETG: 80°C)
[ ] Wait 5 minutes for thermal expansion to stabilize
[ ] Home all axes (G28)
[ ] Disable stepper motors (M84) for manual head movement
[ ] Have 0.1mm feeler gauge ready

Four-Corner Leveling Sequence¶

Pass 1: - [ ] Front-left corner: Insert 0.1mm gauge → adjust knob → slight drag - [ ] Front-right corner: Insert gauge → adjust → slight drag - [ ] Rear-right corner: Insert gauge → adjust → slight drag - [ ] Rear-left corner: Insert gauge → adjust → slight drag - [ ] Center check: Insert gauge → verify drag is consistent

Pass 2 (re-check — adjustments affect other corners): - [ ] Front-left: re-verify - [ ] Front-right: re-verify - [ ] Rear-right: re-verify - [ ] Rear-left: re-verify - [ ] Center: re-verify

Pass 3 (if needed — repeat until all 5 points are consistent): - [ ] All 5 points verified consistent

Verification¶

[ ] Print first-layer test pattern
[ ] First layer is opaque, flat, no gaps, no ridges
[ ] First layer adheres when gently pushed with finger
[ ] Save settings / Z-offset if adjusted

Feeler Gauge Technique Guide¶

CORRECT:           TOO LOOSE:         TOO TIGHT:
┌─── Nozzle ───┐   ┌─── Nozzle ───┐   ┌─── Nozzle ───┐
│   ═══════    │   │               │   │   ═══════    │
│   gauge      │   │   ═══════    │   │   |||||||    │
│   (drag)     │   │   (slides    │   │   (stuck,    │
└──── Bed ─────┘   │    freely)   │   │    won't     │
                   └──── Bed ─────┘   │    move)     │
                                      └──── Bed ─────┘

The feel: Like sliding a credit card out of a tight wallet — resistance but not stuck.

Temperature Profile Quick Reference¶

Nozzle Temperature by Material¶

Material    Start Temp   Range        First Layer   Notes
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
PLA         200°C       195-215°C     +5°C          Most forgiving
PETG        230°C       220-245°C     +5°C          Wider window
ABS         240°C       230-250°C     +5-10°C       Needs enclosure
Nylon       250°C       240-260°C     +5-10°C       PRE-DRY required
TPU         220°C       210-230°C     Same          Very slow speed

Bed Temperature by Material¶

Material    Temp Range   Recommended   Surface Type
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────
PLA         20-60°C     50°C          PEI, glass, tape
PETG        70-90°C     80°C          PEI, glass
ABS         80-100°C    95°C          PEI, Kapton tape
Nylon       70-90°C     80°C          PEI + glue stick
TPU         20-60°C     40°C          PEI, painter's tape

Cooling Fan Settings¶

Material    Layer 1     Layer 2+     Notes
───────────────────────────────────────────
PLA         0%          100%         Maximum cooling for overhangs
PETG        0%          50-70%       Too much cooling = layer splitting
ABS         0%          0-30%        Minimal cooling; enclosed chamber
Nylon       0%          0-20%        Almost no cooling; warps easily
TPU         0%          0-30%        Low cooling for layer adhesion

Filament Loading Quick Reference¶

Loading Procedure (7 Steps)¶

Preheat nozzle to material's printing temperature
Cut filament tip at 45° angle
Release drive gear tension (if adjustable)
Insert filament through guide tube into drive gear
Engage drive gear / use "Load" command
Extrude 50-100mm until clean, consistent flow
Verify: straight extrusion, correct color, no contamination

Unloading Procedure (4 Steps)¶

Heat nozzle to current material's temperature
Use "Unload" command (retracts ~500mm)
Pull filament out gently once retraction completes
Store in sealed bag with desiccant

Material Changeover Purge Guide¶

FROM → TO       Purge Temp    Purge Amount    Notes
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
PLA → PLA       200°C         50mm            Color change only
PLA → PETG      230°C         100mm           Increase temp first
PLA → ABS       240°C         100mm           Full purge required
PETG → PLA      230°C         100mm           Purge at higher temp
ABS → PLA       240°C→230°C   150mm           Extra purge needed
Any → Nylon     250°C         150mm           Nylon absorbs residue

Z-Offset Quick Diagnostic¶

SYMPTOM                          → ADJUSTMENT
─────────────────────────────────────────────────
Lines are round, gaps visible    → Decrease Z-offset (closer) by 0.05mm
Lines are translucent, thin      → Decrease Z-offset (closer) by 0.02mm
Lines are flat, slight overlap   → CORRECT — no adjustment needed
Ridges between lines             → Increase Z-offset (farther) by 0.02mm
Nozzle scraping, no extrusion    → Increase Z-offset (farther) by 0.05mm

Belt Tension Quick Check¶

Test	Loose (Fix!)	Correct	Too Tight (Fix!)
Finger press deflection	>5mm	2-3mm	<1mm (belt singing)
Pluck sound	Dull thud	Low musical note	High-pitched ping
Print quality	Layer shifts, ghosting	Clean corners, accurate dims	Missed steps, motor noise

Calibration Cube Expected Dimensions¶

Axis    Target    Acceptable Range    Action if Out of Spec
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
X       20.0mm    19.8 - 20.2mm      Check belt tension, steps/mm
Y       20.0mm    19.8 - 20.2mm      Check belt tension, steps/mm
Z       20.0mm    19.8 - 20.2mm      Check lead screw coupling

Print this reference and keep at each printer station. Last Updated: 2026-03-19