Desktop Metal: X/Y Calibration

The X/Y Calibration on a Desktop Metal 3D Printer is intended to calibrate the offset between the metal and interface extruders. The process consists of printing a series of metal lines and then printing interface atop those metal lines. The user then visually inspects the location of the interface lines and enters the found values to the user interface screen on the printer.

Notes:

X/Y Calibration is required upon the first print

• X/Y Calibration may also be run if you experience poor calibration or issues with shifted layers between the metal and interface materials
• The X/Y Calibration setting may be changed to occur before every print if desired

Process:

1. With the Printer ON, navigate via the Menu to the ‘Maintenance’ tab
2. Locate the ‘Run X/Y Before Print’ switch in the bottom right corner
3. Set the ‘Run X/Y Before Print’ switch to ‘ON’
   1. NOTE: The printer will run the X/Y Calibration before every print until this is set to ‘OFF’
4. Return to the home screen
5. Insert a new print sheet and select a job from the print queue
6. Start the selected print job
   1. NOTE: The printer will run the X/Y Calibration before every print until the ‘Run X/Y Before Print’ switch is set to ‘OFF’
7. The printer will home all axes and begin a Z calibration before printing the X/Y Calibration grid
8. The X/Y Calibration grid consists of a set of numbered horizontal and vertical metal lines beneath horizontal and vertical lines of interface material
   1. NOTE: This print takes approximately 10 minutes to complete
9. Once the print has completed, all axes will home and instructions will appear on the user interface
10. Remove the print sheet from the printer and insert a new print sheet
11. Inspect the X/Y Calibration grid
    1. IF an interface line centers on a metal line:
       1. Locate the best values from the X/Y Calibration grid wherein the interface line is most centered onto the metal line
       2. Enter the corresponding values found for both X and Y
       3. Select ‘Submit’ to save these values
       4. Ensure a new build sheet is installed
       5. Select ‘Done / Print’ to begin the print job
    2. IF NO interface line centers on a metal line:
       1. Locate the closest value from the X/Y Calibration grid wherein the interface line is closest to a corresponding metal line
       2. Enter the closest value found for both X and Y
       3. Select ‘Submit’ to save these values
       4. Ensure a new build sheet is installed
       5. Select ‘Done / Print’ to begin the print job
       6. Once the print has begun, select ‘Abort’ to cancel the attempted print
       7. THEN, repeat the X/Y Calibration process from step 6

See example below:

John Dessoffy
Support Manager
Computer Aided Technology, LLC