Feeler gauge

Feeler gauge is a basic tool that must belong to the repair and maintenance kit of a 3D printer. Feeler gauge appear in the maintenance of machines as a need to accurately adjust distances between elements. These separations are necessary to compensate thermal expansion (elements of combustion engines), give a margin of separation between elements that fit together or precisely adjust the distance between two elements. This last case is what happens in 3D printing, it is necessary to separate the nozzle dfrom the base a very fair length, which will affect getting a good impression. This distance depends on each 3D printer, each nozzle and even the printing temperature, but a value that usually works is always 0.10 mm.

Image 1: Feeler gauge 0.10 mm

To level the base sthe extruder is brought to the "Home" of the Z axis and to the center of the base. Once there, with the gauge of 0.10 mm thick, we adjust the height between the nozzle and the base until the gauge of 0.10 mm enters and comes out justly. The same operation is performed in the four corners of the base. Once the first adjustment is finished, the whole process is repeated to verify that the base is perfectly leveled and a test print is made. If the extruder is very close to the base the first layer will be very stepped and thin; on the other hand, if the extruder is too far away, the layer probably does not adhere to the base.

Another point where a thickness gauge is necessary is in the assembly of extrusders and HotEnd, where the manufacturers indicate in their assembly manuals a series of gaps for the correct operation of all the elements that form them.

These feeler gauge is manufactured in wear-resistant stainless steel and calibrated with professional measuring instruments to ensure accurate measurement.