This guide explains how the FieldPrinter 2 behaves when it's working on a slope (an incline, grade, or ramp) and what you should do when the iPad alerts you. The FieldPrinter has built-in safeguards that keep it from rolling and that warn you when conditions get too steep, but you still play a part in working safely on a grade.

If your floor isn't flat — a sloped slab, a ramp, a graded surface, or a transition between levels — this article is for you.

How the FieldPrinter behaves on a slope

The FieldPrinter watches its own tilt and changes its behavior automatically once it detects a grade. You don't have to turn anything on.

It won't print on a slope steeper than 5.8°

The FieldPrinter prints on slopes up to 5.8° (or approximately 10.16%). For perspective, a standard ADA-compliant ramp is about 4.8°, so the printing limit is just above a typical ramp grade. If you try to print on a steeper grade, the FieldPrinter will not perform the print.

5.8° is the maximum, not a guarantee. That limit assumes the FieldPrinter's wheels have enough grip on your surface to hold position and drive without slipping. On a slick surface the wheels can slip — and the FieldPrinter can slide downhill — at a grade well below 5.8°, even though the Dusty App allowed the print. Grip depends on your surface, so you have to confirm it yourself before you rely on the slope limit.

The FieldPrinter can still sit idle (not printing) on much steeper grades — up to 40° — where its anti-roll and wheel-parking safeguards keep it stable. The 5.8° limit applies only to printing.

It parks its wheels across the slope

When the FieldPrinter detects it's on a slope greater than 1°, it automatically rotates so its wheels sit parallel to the slope before it goes idle or to sleep. Aligning the wheels this way reduces the risk of the FieldPrinter rolling on its own.

It resists rolling when idle

On a slope, the FieldPrinter actively resists rolling while it's sitting still. When you're manually moving the FieldPrinter by hand, the wheels lock far less often than they used to, so repositioning on a grade is smoother.

It uses more battery to hold position

Holding position on a slope draws extra power. Because of this, the iPad warns you about low battery earlier when you're working on a grade, and it shows a slope-specific low-battery message. The earlier warning gives you more time to swap batteries before the FieldPrinter has to hold itself in place under load.

It keeps you informed

When the FieldPrinter is operating on a slope, the iPad shows notifications about what it's doing and why — including the slope-mitigation actions it's taking. Read these as your cue to check the situation, not just dismiss them.

Confirm your surface has enough grip

Before you print on any slope, confirm the FieldPrinter's wheels have enough grip on that surface to keep it from sliding. The 5.8° printing limit is based on tilt alone — the FieldPrinter does not know how slick your surface is, and the iPad will let you start a print on a grade where the wheels can still slip.

Traction varies a lot by surface and condition. Dry, broom-finished concrete grips well. A smooth troweled or sealed slab, a coating or waterproofing membrane, or a slab that's wet, dusty, sandy, or covered in debris can all let the wheels slip at a grade lower than 5.8°. Slope and slick conditions often show up together on a ramp or graded slab, so don't assume a surface is safe just because you've printed on flat ground nearby.

Because grip depends on your jobsite, you are responsible for verifying the surface before you print on a slope. Test the actual surface and grade you'll be printing on — not a flat area near it — and only print once you've confirmed the FieldPrinter holds position and drives without slipping.

If the wheels slip during a print, stop the print, move the FieldPrinter to a surface or area with better grip, and clean or dry the slab if the slick condition is something you can fix.

What the notifications mean and what to do

You'll see slope notifications on the iPad in these situations:

Working safely on a grade: operator checklist

1. Set up on the most level area available. Even with slope safeguards, flatter ground prints more reliably and is safer to work around.
2. Confirm the surface has enough grip before you print on the slope. The 5.8° limit assumes the wheels won't slip. Test the actual surface and grade, and don't rely on the limit until you've confirmed the FieldPrinter holds and drives without slipping. A slick, wet, dusty, or coated slab can let it slide below 5.8°.
3. Keep an eye on the iPad notifications. They tell you when the FieldPrinter is taking slope-mitigation actions and when conditions change.
4. Swap batteries early. Take the earlier low-battery warning seriously — a FieldPrinter holding position on a grade needs power to stay put.
5. Don't leave the FieldPrinter unattended on a steep grade. Even though it parks its wheels across the slope and resists rolling, confirm it's stable before stepping away.
6. If you get the "too extreme" warning, reposition. The FieldPrinter stops printing on its own — move it to a less steep area (at or below 5.8°) to continue.

Verify it's working

You'll know the slope safeguards are active when:

• The FieldPrinter rotates to sit across the slope before going idle or to sleep.
• The iPad shows slope notifications describing what the FieldPrinter is doing.
• Low-battery warnings appear earlier than they would on flat ground.

Related articles

• How to Level the Tripod for Accurate Printing
• Layout in a Tilt-Up Environment: Key Differences & Best Practices