Tramming cylinder printer test
Description
Tramming is usually done on milling machines etc. but on printers it is a bit extreme. Everything we print is a leaning tower of Pisa and this test lets you measure how much. Honestly this is only important if you print threads or gears or parts that you bolt together. The idea behind tramming is to make the three motion axis perpendicular to each other. Inexpensive printers do this with software which can create print artifacts. With this you can verify how well the software tramming functions or go the extra mile and correct the printer mechanical inaccuracies. This test is for a well functioning printer. Your first printer test should be X-Y calibration which is all about printing round cylinders or right angle squares, then an extrusion calibration test. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3983705 Configure the slicer to NOT support threads and 30 degree overhanging surfaces or just turn off supports! Print the cylinder on a raft. Mark on the cylinder the orientation to the table with a felt pen before removing from the build surface. Print 4 nuts Print the base but do not remove it from the build surface for the remainder of this test. Bolt the cylinder to the base. Only the tapered surfaces must position and locate the cylinder and specifically not the flat cylinder bottom so you can sand the cylinder bottom and remove bumps if needed. Use a dial gauge, China quality is more than adequate for a printer, the pricing starts at $15 to $20us on ebay. Holder for the dial gauge that fits into my nozzle. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3603753 Make a reference measurement near the top edge of the cylinder at layer height where you don't have printing artifacts or surface bumps. Twist the gauge face and make this the measurement point zero. Next unbolt and rotate the cylinder 180 degrees and then re bolt being careful to not bump the gauge, any axis or rotate a stepper. If you do mess up just repeat both measurements. The measurement rotated and not rotated should be the same if the printer is well trammed either by software or by mechanical adjustment. Repeat the measurements for the other horizontal axis. The difference measurement you make is twice the leaning inaccuracy so if you want to adjust the axis only correct for half of this difference. It is not actually that straight forward an adjustment because the vertical axis pivot point is not at the base of the print. When done correctly the Z axis will be at right angle to the horizontal extruding layer plane. Then you can run the Z axis up and down with the dial gauge measuring changes in the cylinder distance but if adjusted correctly the readings on the dial gauge should be constant. Rotating the cylinder in 90 degree steps also produces a constant measurement if the printed cylinder is round. Lastly to verify mechanical adjustments reprint everything except the nuts. If all goes well keep the final cylinder and nuts as a master reference and only print the bolt base to tramm other printers. If you happen to own a gauge block set that is what I use now https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3843188 Printed using a 0.1 mm layer with a 0.4 line width. Designed in Fusion 360 and printed to adjust a Cetus mk2 extended. Have fun -Peter
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