Dual extruder calibration test

thingiverse

Use for fine tuning the XY offsets of the second extruder. Update May 3, 2016: I've been printing these while working on new extruders and hotends, and the original print time was getting really annoying. So, I created a mini version without numbers. It's a bit harder to use but does the job in under 5 minutes. Pegs are 1mm wide, so if you slice with 0.5mm width, you'll get a sensible tool path. Update April 3, 2016: I added a V2 of the test which is functionally equivalent but adds a base to part 1, so you don't have to remember to add a raft each time. I also slimmed the design down by moving the Y axis under the X axis and renamed the parts to remind me how to assign them. V2 takes a little longer to print than V1, especially without a raft, so use whichever works best for you. Load both parts into your slicer/host software. Make sure they're at the same XY position (some plater software will try and autoplace the two parts and mess up the alignment). In Repetier host, assign both parts to the same group using the "Object informations" dialog that pops up when you click the cog icon to the right of the part name in the object placement tab. You also need to assign the parts to the right extruders. In Cura, use the "dual extrusion merge" right menu option by right-clicking on one of the parts after loading them. With Slic3r stand-alone, load the first part and then open the settings dialog to associate the second part using the "load part..." button. Then assign the right extruder to each sub-part in the object in the same settings dialog. Each axis has 19 pairs of pegs. When the offsets are correct, the middle pegs will line up (the rest won't). It's best to get the offsets roughly right using a ruler or calipers, but if you're way off, you can still measure the distance between the centre pegs to get started. Once the error is less than 1mm, find the best matching pegs and read the digit beside them – that's the correction needed in units of 0.1mm. You can either figure out the sign from the arrangement of the extruders or use trial and error. In the photo of the V2 print (red ABS and blue nylon), it looks like I need an additional 0.1 to 0.2mm of correction for both axes. Print Settings Printer Brand: RepRap Printer: Own design/Prusa i3-ish Rafts: Yes Supports: No Notes: The pegs are 2mm wide, so they should print with a variety of extrusion widths. I had trouble getting the first layer down with the fiddly detail, so I used a one-layer thick raft to provide a base (V2 has a supporting base built in, so no raft is required). Best to print slowly and accurately for this test. How I Designed This Made in OnShape. Part 1 uses 5mm spacing, part 2 uses 4.9 to give a 0.1mm difference in peg alignment per step.