Anet A6 Z Synchronization and Bed Calibrator

thingiverse

Ensuring carriage rails are perfectly parallel to the bed is critical for quality printing. It's crucial that Z blocks are properly aligned before leveling the bed. I've long used calipers, but found taking accurate measurements somewhat tricky. To solve this problem, I designed a bridge to span the horizontal rails and hold calipers in place. A 100mm carbon fiber caliper (<$3.50 from AliExpress) has been dedicated to this alignment gauge. To use the gauge, set it to MM (highest resolution) and attach it next to the left-hand Z block on the rails. Measure down to the Z stepper motor mount. Zero the calipers and move them to the right side, repeating the measurement. The reading indicates how much the right-side motor needs to be manually adjusted to level the rails with the printer. If the reading is negative, lower and raise the right side; if positive, it's time to raise. Repeat this process until a zero reading appears on the right side. Once the rails are horizontal, the gauge can be used to level the bed. Calibrate one corner using the paper shim method, then measure down to that corner of the table with the gauge. Zero the calipers and adjust either the gauge or the table fore and aft to measure relative heights across all four corners. If a reading is positive at the next corner, turn the adjustment screw clockwise; if negative, turn it counterclockwise. Repeating this process should lead to further refinements, achieving table levelness within +/- .05mm (.002").