Precise levelling for MakerBot Replicator 2 by using digital indicator

thingiverse

The current design is a fixture for mounting digital indicator into MakerBot Replicator 2 for precise manual levelling of the table (I used this digital indicator https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/0-001mm-0-12-7-Digital-Dial-Indicator-DTI-High-Precision-Measuring-Tools-401033/273847979676?hash=item3fc29c8e9c:g:oXAAAOSwzixc3KAb) The fixture sits on top of the 3D printer shafts and uses small clamps to stay stable. How to use it: 1. Run the table leveling procedure on MakerBot and come to the place where the head is positioned over the table. 2. Adjust the head to be perfectly leveled in this place (use 100um piece of paper to allow smooth insertion under the head) 3. Put some mark (pencil) around this place and switch off the printer 4. Move manually the head completely to the left side 5. Place the fixture on the shafts and clamp it with 3mm screws (insert the screws to tight the holder). 6. Insert the digital indicator inside the hole of the fixture, press it down until you get some non zero readings on the display 7. Move manually the digital indicator tip over the mark point (see step 3) 8. Press zero button on digital indicator to use this Z position as target height 9. Now you can move the fixture manually over different places of the platform and see the deviation from the target height, use the 3 screws on the bottom side of the platform to level it (the process is done on multiple passes until error becomes less than 10um)