Manually Leveling the Build Plate on a MakerBot Replicator+

MakerBot Replicator+ systems are factory leveled, so in most cases you do not need to level them, however we have seen instances where they arrive out of level due to rough handling during shipping. The technique below and the attached files will explain how to manually level the build plate if you feel it is out of level.

Checking the level of the build plate:

Print the attached part "Leveling Rep+ Test.print" on your MakerBot Replicator+. Scroll to the bottom of this article to find the attachment. As the part is printing, watch the outline of the first layer. If the part is too close to the build plate in some areas, it will appear as a dotted line and you may hear a clicking noise. If it is too far from the build plate, you'll see a wavy line. Refer to the chart below:

Once you know where it is out of level, you can start making the appropriate adjustments.

Making the Adjustments:

Start In the Back of the Build Plate

The important thing to understand is that the leveling screws only affect the front of the build plate, so what you need to do is first get the distance from the back of the build plate set using the calibration in the software.

As you are printing the "Leveling Rep+ Test.print" file, first watch what happens in the back of the build plate. If it is too close or too far away or too close in the back, the Z Axis offset needs to be adjusted in MakerBot Print. To do this, select your printer, then go to Settings> Utilities > Calibration > Z Axis Offset:

It should only be adjusted by a maximum of 0.2mm at a time. Ideally, you are adjusting it by 0.1mm at a time, but if you are more experienced and can tell it is very far from the appropriate offest, you can adjust it by 0.2mm.

If the extruder is too close to the build plate in the back, you'll see it printing as a dotted line and may hear clicking. If that is the case, adjust it in the positive direction.

If it is too far away, you’ll see the material looks wavy as it lays on the build plate. In that case, do the opposite. Adjust it by -.1mm or -.2mm at a time.

Each time you make an adjustment, cancel the build and run it again. Check what it is doing in the back of the build plate again and continue to adjust it in the software until the material is being laid down in the back of the build plate perfectly. 

Now Adjust the Front of the Build Plate:

After you have the back of the build plate set, you move on to adjusting the screws in the front of the build plate. You will need a 4mm allen key (one was supplied with the printer) that fits the two allen screws you'll find under the front left and front right of the Replicator+'s build plate. See picture below of where these leveling screws are located:

Leveling screw locations

I prefer to do the leveling process on the fly - while the printer is printing. For instance, if the print head is coming around the front right corner and looks like its too far from the build plate (the material is wavy looking as its laid down), then I will loosen the allen screw in that corner. If it looks like it is too close (you see it is being pressed into the build plate, you see it looks like its "skipping", or you hear clicking) then you tighten that side's allen screw a bit. Please note that it will never be an absolutely perfect first layer all around the entire plate. You just really want the majority of the first layer to look good.

If you do your adjustment quickly enough, you can see how this affects the first layer in real time. I generally already have the 4 mm allen in the corner I am waiting as it is approaching. That way I can start making the adjustments immediately. If you don't do it quickly enough, you'll just have to wait until it comes around again on the next pass to see what effect your adjustment has had on that first layer.

The images below show when the extruder is too far from the build plate in the front right corner

Too far from extruder	Perfect first layer

The test print lays down 3 perimeters before it starts on the infill, so you may need to cancel and restart the test print multiple times in order to have enough time to make the adjustments while it is printing. Once you think you have it, print the test print one last time and ensure you have a smooth first layer around the entire perimeter. Please note that there are some instances where you may not have a perfect first layer across the entire perimeter no matter how you adjust it. Do not get too caught up on getting it perfect. If the majority of the perimeter looks good, your print bed is most likely level enough.

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