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M3 Probes Breaking

Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2018 4:54 am
by pyronaught
We got 10 new M3 printers at work recently and have been running into issues with the Z probe tips bending frequently. I think they drag across a defect or blob left on the print surface and this causes them to bend and require replacement. Has anyone else run into this? Seems like a more rugged sensor should be used for this.

Re: M3 Probes Breaking

Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2018 3:27 am
by makeal
Yep they are fragile. Someone posted about this that they broke 2 . Also seen it on other forums

Re: M3 Probes Breaking

Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2018 12:32 pm
by SIERRA086
Did I see correctly that the m3 uses a bl touch? Oh man how I despise those things. One of the projects on my list is to convert my z-probe-less M2 to accept a piezo disk so the nozzle will act as the probe. I did a piezo conversion on my other printer and have to say that it’s the best z probe I have tried yet.

Re: M3 Probes Breaking

Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2018 2:12 pm
by ednisley
SIERRA086 wrote:
Sat Nov 10, 2018 12:32 pm
the best z probe I have tried yet
At the risk of auto-horn-blowing, a simple microswitch on the X gantry has behaved pretty nearly perfectly for the last five years:

Image

It has some compelling advantages, at least for me:
  • Senses the actual top surface of whatever platform you're using
  • Doesn't require a metallic sheet
  • Uses straightforward G-Code, not even a wizard / app / whatever
  • It. Just. Works.
Installation required a bit of metal bending:

https://softsolder.com/2015/03/10/maker ... is-switch/

Marlin 1.1 changed the G-Code tweakage:

https://softsolder.com/2018/02/13/m2-pl ... confusion/

AFAICT, it's a whole lot easier than a BL Touch installation.

Bonus: no fragile / expensive / fiddly components!

I started with the switch on a plastic block and perhaps something like that will work on an M3:

https://softsolder.com/2013/10/14/maker ... in-switch/

Re: M3 Probes Breaking

Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2018 6:18 pm
by SIERRA086
Hey - to each his own - looks good though ed. The micro switch method is solid as well.

Re: M3 Probes Breaking

Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2018 6:54 pm
by makeal
SIERRA086 wrote:
Sat Nov 10, 2018 12:32 pm
Did I see correctly that the m3 uses a bl touch? Oh man how I despise those things. One of the projects on my list is to convert my z-probe-less M2 to accept a piezo disk so the nozzle will act as the probe. I did a piezo conversion on my other printer and have to say that it’s the best z probe I have tried yet.
Yep it uses bltouch on left head only

Re: M3 Probes Breaking

Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2018 7:34 pm
by airscapes
SIERRA086 wrote:
Sat Nov 10, 2018 12:32 pm
Did I see correctly that the m3 uses a bl touch? Oh man how I despise those things. One of the projects on my list is to convert my z-probe-less M2 to accept a piezo disk so the nozzle will act as the probe. I did a piezo conversion on my other printer and have to say that it’s the best z probe I have tried yet.
Can you post a link to the particulars of this conversion?

Re: M3 Probes Breaking

Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2018 7:50 pm
by SIERRA086
airscapes wrote:
Sat Nov 10, 2018 7:34 pm
Can you post a link to the particulars of this conversion?
https://www.precisionpiezo.co.uk/ - I'm not in any way sure how I'd go about adapting it on the m2 yet, but this is where I got the piezo setup for my custom built printer

After trying going with no z probe, then a mechanical switch, then an IR sensor, I finally landed on the piezo setup after reading through this: https://duet3d.dozuki.com/Wiki/Choosing_a_Z_probe.

I'm sure some people might think I'm full of it or overdoing it, but really isn't this the beauty of 3d printing? There's 100 different ways to do something and we are each free to find what works best for us. I'm just sharing my personal experience.