What is it?

While specifically designed for use with the Shapeoko, this Auto Level Probe can also be used with any machine featuring a 1/8" (3.175mm) collet.

Featuring a 1/8" shaft, the probe is easily inserted into the spindle collet. Connect the cable to the Z-probe headers of your CNC controller board. At the bottom of the probe, a small button acts as a "sensor" when the machine probes the Z height of the workpiece. This signal is then sent to the CNC machine's controller, allowing the Z-axis to be adjusted to compensate for any variances in workpiece height. Since the sensor is a simple push button, it does not rely on your workpiece being conductive.

A few use cases:

PCB Milling: When milling printed circuit boards (PCBs), the Shapeoko CNC auto level probe can be used to ensure that the milling depth is consistent across the board. This ensures that the copper traces are cut to the correct depth, and that the board is milled to the desired thickness.

Engraving: When engraving designs onto a material, the Shapeoko CNC auto level probe can be used to scan the surface of the material and create a height map. This height map can then be used to adjust the engraving depth for each pass, ensuring that the final product is accurate and consistent.