Stage 04: Programming · Makertech 3D Help Center

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Makertech 3D

Step 1 of 35

Step 1 Control Board Firmware
- Note:

Download the Marlin firmware depending on your Hotend configuration (updated 9 April 2022):

High / High
Low / High (Low thermistor on left side T0)

Unzip and copy the firmware.bin file to the micro SD card.

Insert the SD card into the control board.

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Step 2 Sanity Checks

Note: Double check all of your wiring with the wiring diagram.
Caution: In particular, the wiring of the power supply and heated bed.

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Step 3 Powering On

Plug the power cable into the back of the printer.
Power on with the switch on the front of the base.
Caution: If you find your power switch getting stuck 'ON', it is likely secured on too tightly. Loosen the nut holding it to the base.

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Step 4 Powering On Cont.

Note: Powering on for the first time should result in the following:
- Electronics Fan should spin.
- Hotend Cooling Fans should spin
- LED's should light up.
Reminder: If after 1-2 minutes your electronic's fan is not spinning, power off, wait 10 seconds and power on again.

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Step 5 Touch Screen Firmware

Note: Download the display firmware for the DSH set-up here.
Delete any files on the SD card and copy these files onto the SD card.
- Reminder: If you have already uploaded direct drive firmware to the touch screen, you can copy just the config file.
With the printer powered down, insert the SD card into the display with the adaptor.

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Step 6 Troubleshooting Touch Screen

Note: If your touch screen shows an Illegal flash app error:
- 1. Wipe the SD card and put an empty text file named reset.txt onto it.
- 2. Power off the printer, insert the SD card into the display and power on again.
- 3. After the reset, power down, wipe the SD card, and copy the firmware files again and retry the installation.

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Step 7 Wipe Touch Screen SD Card

Once the touch screen has been updated remove the SD card.
Delete the contents of the SD card, it should now be ready to use with your printer.

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Step 8 Thermistor Check

Thermistors should read room temperature.
Note: You may find that the hotend thermistor is a little off/jumpy, that's OK as it's a high temp thermistor and designed to be accurate at temps above 100C.

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Step 9 Endstop Checks

Note: Before starting, make sure that, physically, none of the endstops are being triggered.
Note: Click on Menu
- Select terminal.
- Send an M119 command.
You should receive back that X and Y endstops are open.
The Z probe should also be open, and the filament sensors should be triggered (as there's no filament loaded).

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Step 10 Endstop Checks Cont.

Move the tool head to the bottom left as shown.
- Reminder: Both the X and Y endstops should be triggered.
Note: In the terminal, send the M119 command again.
- You should receive the following back with the X and Y endstops reporting as triggered.

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Step 11 Filament Sensor Checks

Use a small piece of filament to check that the sensors are working.
Sending M119 should return back OPEN.

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Step 12 Probe Check

Place a metal object underneath the probe.
The LED on the probe should now light up.
With the metal object still under the probe, send the M119 command again - it should return as TRIGGERED.

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Step 13 Print Fan Check

In the menu screen, go to Heat/Fan
Click on Fan
Set fan to Full

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Step 14 Print Fan Check Cont.

The part cooling fans should be spinning.
Note: Switch the fan off when done.

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Step 15 Servo Check

Go to menu and then to custom.
Press T0 and T1 to toggle active hotends and check that the servo spins.

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Step 16 Installing the Servo Arm

Before installing, make sure that the servo is set to the vertical position. Set this by pressing
Secure the servo arm with an M2.5 x 6mm bolt and M2.5 shake proof washer.
- Reminder: Install the servo arm vertically like shown.
Note: Tighten firmly, doing your best to make sure that the servo's position is not changed.

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Step 17 Testing Switching

Pressing T0 will select the left hotend.
Pressing T1 will select the right hotend.

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Step 18 PC4 M6 Couplings

Fix two PC4 M6 couplings to the DSH heatsink.

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Step 19 PTFE Tubing

Note: High temp. setup:
- Cut 61cm of PTFE tubing
Note: Low temp. setup:
- Cut 65cm of PTFE tubing
Caution: Ensure you use the tubing from the DSH box, as this is a precision tubing with a 1.9mm internal diameter.

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Step 20 Fixing the Tubing

Fix the tubing to the DSH hotend.
Note: Make sure that it is pushed in firmly.
- Reminder: For the high temp side (all metal heatbreak) it should go in approximately 1 inch.
- Reminder: For the low temp side (bored heatbreak) it should go in approximately 2.5 inches, all the way to the nozzle.
Caution: Not pushing the PTFE tubing all the way into the hotend, as described above, will cause jams.

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Step 21 Tubing to Extruders

Note: Finally fix the tubing to the extruders.
- Left hotend to left extruder.
- Right hotend to right extruder.

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Step 22 Motion Check

In the menu go to Movement
Click on Move
Set the motion increments to 10mm.
Note: Use the buttons to move the X, Y and Z axes around and confirm that the printer is making the desired movements.

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Step 23 Homing X/Y

Go to the Movement menu
Click on Home
Home X and Y
Note: The printer should home those axes.

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Step 24 Homing Z

Note: Before starting, place the flexplate onto the heated bed, if you've not already done so.
Before homing the Z-axis, manually raise the platform to meet the tool carriage at the centre of the print platform.
- Reminder: Before being able to move the carriage by hand, you will need to disable the stepper motors. This button can be found in the movement menu (Disarm All).
The platform should trigger the probe (red light comes on) before the tip of the nozzle touches the flexplate.
- The probe should always remain above the tip of the nozzle.
With the above confirmed, home the Z-axis from the dispay.

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Step 25 Hotend Height Alignment

Use a piece of paper to to determine the same amount of friction between the two nozzles and the print surface when switching between hotends.
Lower the nozzle that sits higher by loosening the bolts holding it in place.
- Reminder: You will likely need to raise the platform manually so that the piece of paper can be gripped between the nozzle and the bed.

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Step 26 Hotend Heater Checks

Note: From the home screen click on the hotend.
- Heat Hotend 0 to 400C.
- Heat Hotend 1 to 400C.
Use the nozzle button to toggle between hotends.
Reminder: For a low temp hotend setup heat to 250C.

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Step 27 Hot Tightening Nozzles

Note: With the hotends hot, tighten the nozzles.
Do this using two pliers. Use one to hold the heater block,
use the other to tighten the nozzle.
Caution: Be careful doing this, the hotend is hot enough to cause burns!

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Step 28 Extruder Check

Reminder: There is no need to now run the hotends at max temp, bring them down 200C.
Note: With the hotends hot you can send an extrude command to check the extruders are working correctly.
In the main menu go to Movement
Then go to Extrude
Use Nozzle to toggle between extruders.
- Reminder: E0 should be the left side extruder. E1 should be the right side extruder.
Both extruders should turn anti-clockwise when loading filament and clockwise when unloading.

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Step 29 Heated Bed Check

From the home screen, click on Bed
Heat the bed to 70C.
Reminder: MIC-6 NOTE: The printer reads the temperature of the silicone heater, not the platform. Therefore, even though the printer may report back that it has reached its temp, it will take approx 5-10 min for the platform surface to actually reach that temp.

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Step 30 Probe Offset

Note: Before beginning this step, make sure that the heated bed and hotend are heated up to your desired printing temp. We recommend 220C on the hotend and 70C on the heated bed as a good starting point.
- Reminder: The hotend and platform, when hot, would have expanded. Therefore, the z-offset is different for when the printer is hot versus cold.
Go to the Movement menu and then to the Bed Level menu.
Click on P Offset
- Press ON to begin the offset calibration.

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Step 31 P-Offset Cont.

Toggle the adjustment increment to 0.1mm.
Place a sheet of paper under the nozzle.
- Reminder: Make sure you are doing this with Hotend 0 selected.
Lower the nozzle (raise the bed) in 0.1mm increments until the sheet of paper is trapped between the nozzle and platform.
- In our case, we had to lower the nozzle by 1.3mm before this happened.

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Step 32 Saving the Probe Offset

Press next until the save button appears.
Press the save button and then press OK to save the offset to the printers' memory.

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Step 33 Auto-Levelling Mesh

In the Movement -> Bed Level menu, click on UBL
Click Start
- Reminder: The Proforge 3 should then run through the auto-levelling procedure.
Click OK when done.

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Step 34 Saving the Mesh

Click Save to save the mesh.
Save to slot 0
Press OK to confirm the save.

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Step 35 Ready to Print

Note: With all of these steps now completed, you are ready to begin your first print.

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Step 1 Control Board Firmware

Step 2 Sanity Checks

Step 3 Powering On

Step 4 Powering On Cont.

Step 5 Touch Screen Firmware

Step 6 Troubleshooting Touch Screen

Step 7 Wipe Touch Screen SD Card

Step 8 Thermistor Check

Step 9 Endstop Checks

Step 10 Endstop Checks Cont.

Step 11 Filament Sensor Checks

Step 12 Probe Check

Step 13 Print Fan Check

Step 14 Print Fan Check Cont.

Step 15 Servo Check

Step 16 Installing the Servo Arm

Step 17 Testing Switching

Step 18 PC4 M6 Couplings

Step 19 PTFE Tubing

Step 20 Fixing the Tubing

Step 21 Tubing to Extruders

Step 22 Motion Check

Step 23 Homing X/Y

Step 24 Homing Z

Step 25 Hotend Height Alignment

Step 26 Hotend Heater Checks

Step 27 Hot Tightening Nozzles

Step 28 Extruder Check

Step 29 Heated Bed Check

Step 30 Probe Offset

Step 31 P-Offset Cont.

Step 32 Saving the Probe Offset

Step 33 Auto-Levelling Mesh

Step 34 Saving the Mesh

Step 35 Ready to Print