If you are a 3D printing “super-user” and have the extra budget, we would recommend the 3DM Touch as it requires the least amount of calibration in the long run. Casual users who are on a tight budget will likely be extremely happy with either a conductive or inductive type sensor. If you plan on using different build surfaces, we recommend staying away from the inductive sensors as they will fail to detect everything except metal.Īll three sensors seem to do a more than adequate job as long as you don’t plan on switching build surfaces or changing ambient temperatures drastically. This is because even though the capacitive sensor can detect polypropylene, it detects it at a different distance than spring steel. As expected, the 3DM Touch printed the same 0.24mm first layer while the capacitive (EZABL) sensor gave us a first layer height of 0.17mm which is an error of 30%. After this, we then swapped out the spring steel build surface for a polypropylene plate. For this test, we again adjusted the z-offsets on the two printers to produce a 0.24mm first layer using a spring steel build surface. We did not test the inductive sensor as it can only sense metal and knew it wouldn’t be able to handle this task.
The next test was about switching between build surfaces.
The non-contact sensors just weren’t able to give the same z-offset reading with the large change in temperature. We did this 4 more times and the results were the same each time. The 3DM Touch was the only one that was able to reproduce the same 0.24mm first layer while the other two failed to have a successful first layer. Once the z-offset was adjusted to produce a true 0.24mm first layer, we then heated the enclosure to 35☌ and hit print without adjusting anything. We then removed the print and measured it with micrometers and made adjustments until it was exactly 0.24mm. Similar to the previous accuracy test, we set our first layer height to 0.24mm and then printed an object that was only one layer thick. However, when you throw in real-world variables such as different build surfaces and drastic temperature changes present in an enclosure, the Physical-Hall Effect type sensor comes out head and shoulders above the rest. Their lack of moving parts and the sensing method give them a leg up (and was shown by Thomas Sanladerer on his YouTube comparison). On paper, the two non-contact sensors should be the most accurate. This saves both time and frustration which, in our opinion, is the most important function of a bed leveling probe. When you have several printers, you don't want to have to think about tweaking z-offsets every time your printer setup changes. Our expectations: set the z-offset once and continually get a perfect first layer, regardless of the build surface type or ambient temperature. We could have just as easily went with a capacitive or inductive style sensor which typically is much cheaper to manufacture. Because of this, we decided to partner with a sensor manufacture to develop the 3DM Touch. The fact is, we tested each type of sensor extensively in our print farm and came to the conclusion that for our needs this was the most well-rounded option.
We want to be upfront that we have not skewed our opinions based on this. When you have a print farm, the last thing you want to have to worry about is adjusting bed leveling knobs on a large number of printers.ĭisclaimer: We currently sell a physical, hall effect type probe. This allows us to level the bed once and never have to worry about it again.
#SUPER WINGS 3D PRINT UPGRADE#
The first upgrade we do to all of our printers is solid mount the bed (remove the bed springs) and add an auto bed leveling sensor. Although they technically do not level the bed, they create a topological map of your bed and adjust the Z position of the nozzle to follow imperfections of your build surface for a more consistent first layer. One of the best upgrades you can add to a 3D printer to improve both performance and ease of use is an auto bed leveling sensor.