Skip to content

Printer Maintenance, Calibration, and more

A Brief History

Prusa Research is a 3D printing company based in Prague, Czech Republic. Founded by Josef Průša, it has quickly become one of the leading companies in the 3D printing industry, known for its open-source approach and high-quality printers.

From the start, Prusa Research embraced the open-source ethos, ensuring all their printer designs are available for the community. This has fostered innovation, trust, and a robust community around Prusa products.

Timeline

2009: The Beginning

  • RepRap Project: Josef Průša's journey began with the RepRap project, an initiative focused on creating self-replicating machines. Josef introduced the Prusa Mendel, an iteration of the RepRap Mendel design, which became one of the most popular 3D printer designs worldwide.

2012: Birth of Prusa i3

  • The Prusa i3 design was launched, further simplifying and improving upon previous models. This became the cornerstone for future printers.

2014: Formation of Prusa Research

  • Josef Průša officially established Prusa Research, transitioning from a passionate hobbyist to a business entrepreneur.

2016: Introduction of the Prusa i3 MK2

  • This model brought several innovations, notably the Multi-Material Upgrade and an auto-bed leveling system using an inductive sensor.

2017-2019: Rapid Innovations

  • Prusa Research released the MK3 and MK3S versions, incorporating features like a removable print bed, quieter operation, and filament sensors.
  • Prusa SL1, a resin-based 3D printer using Stereolithography (SLA), was introduced.

2020 and Beyond

  • Prusa MINI was launched, offering a more affordable and compact 3D printing solution.
  • Continuous updates, both in hardware and software (like PrusaSlicer), have been provided to ensure users get the best 3D printing experience.

Calibration and Maintenance

All of the calibration routines can be reached via the printer menu under the "Calibration" entry. Please see Prusa's Calibration Page for the most up-to-date steps on how to calibrate your printer.

Note

Calibration is not just for first-time setup. There are MANY reasons to recalibrate, including but not limited to changes in the motion system, hotend, or other, upgrades that add/reduce weight, firmware updates, and more

For regular maintenance articles, please refer to Prusa's printer maintenance index for a vast library of tasks that should periodically be done to ensure that your printer continues to provide reliable prints for a long time. Don't forget to clean and lubricate all the rods, use compressed air to keep debris at bay, update to new firmware, changing and replacing the nozzle, and more.