EVA Klicky probe (development and testing)

What do you do when you have had enough with the other probe options available to you? Find the best affordable option around and adapt it to the EVA system of course!#

The root of my problem is that my main machine the VCore3 regularly swaps roles from printing ABS parts in an enclosure to PLA parts with the sides open. This leads to issues with most electrical probes because their trigger distances are affected by the temperature of the probe. Whilst I could always allow everything to cool to room temperature before starting a new print, I wasn’t happy with that as a solution. I am often doing trials and development work and adding a 40 to 50-minute downtime between starting a print again after a failure for example is simply unacceptable.

I have been following the KlickyProbe mod for the Voron printers for a while now and was lucky enough to get chatting to the original creator (who goes by the name jlas1 on github) who was more than happy to give advice on how best to port the design onto the VCore3 printer and EVA carriage system. The original repository can be found here.

The reason why this probe is appealing is that it uses the trusty microswitch which is hardly affected by temperature variation and can probe regardless of bed material. Historically I have had good repeatability with physical end stops provided their attachment points are sufficiently stiff.

My aims for this project were to maintain as much compatibility with the existing probes as possible whilst also integrating with the modularity of the EVA system. In addition, I wanted to avoid losing any print volume. I opted to re-create the models from scratch in Fusion 360 due to the original files having no project history.

I started with the Probe mount. Here the key was replicating the interface found on the original KlickyProbe. It proved to be relatively easier to find a location close to the nozzle that also allowed for cable routing out from the bracket.

Designing the dock was a bit more difficult as I spent quite some time pondering the best location. In the end, I settled for the front left corner tucked away just above the lead screw. In the future I will also create a version which uses inserts however I didn’t have any of the correct size available so opted for nuts.

It was time to get printing! The magnets are quite a tight fit and the beauty of the PCB-less design shines through here allowing us to create connections between the parts all via tight mechanical fits. The probe mount fits in quite nicely with the EVA styling although I will be the first to admit it is not the sexiest mount in the world!

It took some time to get the docking and undocking macros setup (Using RRF) but now that they are done the probe is proving to be quite reliable. Take a look at the video below showing the process.

Testing (admittently just at room temperature) shows some very promising results.

Probing with docking inbetween probesgives the following results:

Probing without docking inbetween gives the following results:

Although there is a marked increase in error when also accounting for docking and undocking it is actually still well below the accuracy requirement we need to ensure a reliable first layer!

Keep an eye out for the official release of files for printing coming soon!