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Pump Calibration Guide

A simple guide for calibrating the multi-material printer pumps to ensure accurate material dispensing.

Why Calibrate?

Calibration measures how much resin each pump dispenses per second. This ensures:

  • Accurate material changes during prints
  • Consistent vat filling and draining
  • Predictable material usage

When to calibrate:

  • ✅ Initial setup (before first multi-material print)
  • ✅ After replacing pump tubing or motors
  • ✅ Every 6 months (routine maintenance)
  • ✅ If material flow seems inconsistent

What You'll Need

  • Graduated cylinder or measuring cup (100-200ml)
  • Resin (same type you'll be printing with)
  • Pen and paper for notes
  • 30-45 minutes per pump

Calibration Steps

1. Prepare the Pumps

Fill reservoirs:

  • Make sure each material reservoir is at least half full
  • Use the actual resin you'll be printing with

Prime the pumps (remove air bubbles):

  1. Open the web interface: http://10.10.36.109:5000
  2. Go to Manual Controls page
  3. For each pump (A, B, C, D):
    • Select the pump
    • Choose "Forward" direction
    • Set duration to 15 seconds
    • Click "Run Pump"
    • Watch for steady flow (no sputtering)

2. Run Calibration Tests

For each pump you want to calibrate:

  1. Start calibration:

    • Go to Configuration → Pump Settings
    • Find the pump card (e.g., "Pump A")
    • Click "Calibrate" button
    • Confirm when prompted

  2. Place graduated cylinder under drain:

    • Position it to catch all dispensed resin
    • Make sure it's empty and dry

  3. Watch the automatic sequence:

    • The pump will run 3 times automatically:
      • 5 seconds → 2 second pause
      • 10 seconds → 2 second pause
      • 15 seconds → done
    • Total time: ~35 seconds

  4. Measure and record results:

    After each test run, write down the volume:

    Pump A Calibration:
- 5 second test:  _____ ml
- 10 second test: _____ ml
- 15 second test: _____ ml

3. Calculate Flow Rate

For each test, calculate the flow rate:

Flow Rate = Volume ÷ Time

Example:

  • 5s test dispensed 26ml → 26 ÷ 5 = 5.2 ml/s
  • 10s test dispensed 51ml → 51 ÷ 10 = 5.1 ml/s
  • 15s test dispensed 75ml → 75 ÷ 15 = 5.0 ml/s

Average the three results:

(5.2 + 5.1 + 5.0) ÷ 3 = 5.1 ml/s

✅ Good: Results within 10% of each other ⚠️ Problem: Results vary by more than 10% → Check for air bubbles and re-prime

4. Update Configuration

Option A: Via Web Interface (if available)

  1. Configuration → Pump Settings
  2. Find the pump you calibrated
  3. Update "Flow Rate (ml/s)" field with your calculated value
  4. Click "Save Pump Configuration"

Option B: Via File Edit (SSH required)

  1. Connect to Raspberry Pi:

    ssh pidlp@10.10.36.109

    Password: pidlp

  2. Open configuration file:

    cd /home/pidlp/pidlp/multi-material-printer
nano config/pump_profiles.json

  3. Find your pump and update the flow rate:

    "pump_a": {
    "flow_rate_ml_per_second": 5.1,  ← Change this number

  4. Save: Press Ctrl+O, then Enter, then Ctrl+X

5. Apply Changes

Restart the system to use new calibration:

  1. Stop and restart services:

    cd /home/pidlp/pidlp/multi-material-printer
./stop_services.sh
./start_services.sh

  2. Refresh your web browser:

    • Press Ctrl+Shift+R (force refresh)
    • Check that new flow rate appears in Configuration page

  3. Test it: Run a quick 5-second test to verify accuracy

Expected Values

Pump Normal Range Typical Value
Pump A 3-7 ml/s 5 ml/s
Pump B 3-7 ml/s 5 ml/s
Pump C 3-7 ml/s 5 ml/s
Drain Pump D 4-8 ml/s 6 ml/s

Note: Values outside this range might indicate:

  • Clogged tubing
  • Air in the lines
  • Motor/hardware issues

Troubleshooting

Flow is Inconsistent (varies >10% between tests)

Possible causes:

  1. Air bubbles in tubing

    • Solution: Prime pump for 30 seconds until flow is steady

  2. Low reservoir level

    • Solution: Refill to at least 50%

  3. Clogged tubing

    • Solution: Check for cured resin, clean or replace tubing

  4. Pump motor slipping

    • Solution: Check motor coupling, contact technician

Pump Doesn't Run During Calibration

  1. Check that services are running:

    • Look for green "Backend Online" indicator in web UI
    • If red, restart services (see Step 5 above)

  2. Check for error messages in the web interface

  3. If still not working, contact support

New Values Don't Apply

Checklist:

  • Did you save the configuration file?
  • Did you restart the services?
  • Did you force-refresh the browser (Ctrl+Shift+R)?

Quick Reference

Calibration Checklist

Before starting:

  • Reservoirs filled >50%
  • Pumps primed (no air bubbles)
  • Graduated cylinder ready
  • Web interface open

During calibration:

  • Run calibration (3 tests automatic)
  • Measure volume after each test
  • Calculate flow rate for each test
  • Average the three results

After calibration:

  • Update config file with new flow rate
  • Restart services
  • Force-refresh browser
  • Verify new values loaded
  • Run test to confirm

Useful Commands

# Connect to Raspberry Pi
ssh pidlp@10.10.36.109

# Navigate to project folder
cd /home/pidlp/pidlp/multi-material-printer

# Edit pump config
nano config/pump_profiles.json

# Restart services
./stop_services.sh
./start_services.sh

# Check if services are running
pgrep -f "app.py|print_manager.py"

Web Interface Locations

  • Configuration: http://10.10.36.109:5000 → Configuration tab
  • Manual Controls: http://10.10.36.109:5000 → Manual tab
  • Calibrate Button: Configuration → Pump Settings → Click "Calibrate" on pump card

Tips for Best Results

  1. Use the 15-second test as your most accurate measurement
  2. Calibrate at room temperature (20-25°C) for consistent results
  3. Write down all measurements - you'll need them if you re-calibrate
  4. Do one pump at a time - don't rush
  5. Empty the graduated cylinder between tests

Need Help?

Check logs for errors:

tail -f /home/pidlp/pidlp/multi-material-printer/print_manager.log

Configuration file location:

/home/pidlp/pidlp/multi-material-printer/config/pump_profiles.json

For technical support, provide:

  • Which pump you're calibrating
  • Your measured values (all 3 tests)
  • Any error messages from the web interface
  • Screenshots if possible