Is auto bed levelling worth it?

[FryingSaucer]

Does anyone have auto bed levelling?

I'm considering adding it to my Anet A8, but I'm not sure whether it's really worth the effort. It doesn't take me long to manually level before each print. Am I correct I'll still need to manually level the bed occasionally with auto bed levelling?

To do this mod, I have to replace the firmware with Marlin, make mods to the electronics (easy enough), fit the inductive sensor (and there's some doubt how well it will work through the glass over my bed). Possibly, though not absolutely required I'd get a different motherboard at the same time.

Given manually levelling the bed is easy, is it worth adding auto bed levelling?

 

[The Hat]

Does anyone have auto bed levelling?

I’ve never considered adding auto levelling, it’s not that hard to do it manually, and it only takes seconds, my biggest problem is remembering to check the bed levels before I start a print project, so auto levelling wont wouldn’t help if I don’t remember to use it.

I reckon a stable firm platform that moves smoothly with without jerks and bumps, is more important, and I don’t even know by adding a Z screw and motor did anything to improve my overall quality, because I have no way of checking.

Since moving to using a glass bed I have very little lifting of my projects, but it still happens from time to time and that is one area I am currently focused on improving, my printer hasn’t rested since getting it operational again...
Does this help you with your decision ?

P.S. I use 160gm paper for a tight fit, and if it moves, it’s just right...

 

[FryingSaucer]

Does this help you with your decision ?

Yes, it confirms my thoughts. Maybe some beds are harder to level than mine, but for me, it's really not difficult. I usually remember to check, but I'm not running my printer continually like you.

I may change the firmware to Marlin at some point though. It's got additional safety features such as detecting thermal runaway. The A8 is a bit basic in safety features.

 

[The Hat]

Excuse my ignorance, because it may sound like I know a lot about 3D printers, but what I’ve learned came mostly from @ninj, question: “What is thermal runway” ...

 

[FryingSaucer]

“What is thermal runway” ...

It's where the firmware sees the temperature of the hot end has dropped so keeps heating it up, but what has actually happened is the thermistor has stopped working. So your house burns down

The current version of Marlin has a more sophisticated check and shuts down the printer if it thinks there's a problem.

 

[Nifty]

I’ve never considered adding auto levelling, it’s not that hard to do it manually, and it only takes seconds, my biggest problem is remembering to check the bed levels before I start a print project

I'm the same! Also, I've seen videos where it actually starts to complicate things.

Maybe I'd go with it on a high-end printer that was built with it included... but I don't know that I want to fuss with it as an addon.

 

[The Hat]

but what has actually happened is the thermistor has stopped working. So your house burns down

I knew 3D printers could build houses, but I didn’t know they could burn them down too...
That’s a real leveller...

 

[flowrider]

I've been thinking of a BL Touch bed leveling sensor because my Y carriage was so wonky being made of acrylic. I just installed my aluminium Y carriage the other day and it's night and day. It stay much more level now between prints.

 

[Marcadian]

I have a auto levelling sensor in my RepRap Ormerod and find it very useful. The way I use it is that the G32 runs the bed levelling and I have implemented this in the custom G-Code starting script of Simplify 3D. So bed levelling is always performed at the beginning of the actual print.

 

[FryingSaucer]

have a auto levelling sensor in my RepRap Ormerod and find it very useful. The way I use it is that the G32 runs the bed levelling and I have implemented this in the custom G-Code starting script of Simplify 3D. So bed levelling is always performed at the beginning of the actual print.

That seems a good way to operate. Do you still have to occasionally re-level the bed itself?
I'm assuming that as the bed gradually gets physically out of alignment, the sensor will be moving the z axis up and down as it moves across the bed. Is this how it works, or have I misunderstood?