Apparatuses, systems, and methods for performing three-dimensional calibration for additive manufacturing

A print head for a 3D printer, comprising:

• a nozzle assembly for depositing a material for forming an object, comprising
• a nozzle having a nozzle tip to deposit the material;
• and
• a sensor at least partially attached to the nozzle;
• wherein the sensor is configured to detect a contact between the nozzle tip and a surface.

A 3D printer, comprising:

• a print bed;
• a print head comprising:
• at least one nozzle assembly for depositing a material for forming an object, comprising a nozzle having a nozzle tip to deposit a material and a sensor at least partially attached to the nozzle, wherein the sensor is configured to detect a contact between the nozzle tip and a surface;
• and
• a positioning instrument configured to move the print head and the print bed relative to each other vertically and/or horizontally.

A method for determining a position of a nozzle of a 3D printer, the method comprising:

• moving a nozzle assembly and a surface relative to each other, the nozzle assembly comprising the nozzle and a sensor at least partially attached to the nozzle, the nozzle comprising a nozzle tip;
• detecting, by the sensor, a contact between the surface and the nozzle tip;
• reading, by a positioning instrument, a vertical position of the nozzle upon contacting the surface;
• and
• determining a vertical position of an end point of the nozzle.

A method for determining a position of a nozzle of a 3D printer, the method comprising:

• moving a nozzle assembly relative to a test feature of a calibration object such that a nozzle tip contacts the test feature for a plurality of times, the nozzle assembly comprising the nozzle that has the nozzle tip;
• reading positions of the nozzle when the nozzle tip contacts the test feature;
• and
• determining a relative position of an end point of the nozzle relative to a reference point.

A method for 3D printing an object, comprising

• determining an offset of a nozzle having a nozzle tip, comprising
• moving the nozzle assembly relative to a test feature of a calibration object such that the nozzle tip contacts the test feature for a plurality of times, the nozzle assembly comprising the nozzle;
• reading positions of the nozzle when the nozzle tip contacts the test feature;
• and
• determining the offset of the nozzle based on the read positions;
• calibrating a position of the nozzle based on the offset;
• and
• printing the object.