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°
The FieldPrinter prints on slopes up to 5° (or approximately 10%). 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.
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.
What the notifications mean and what to do
You'll see slope notifications on the iPad in these situations:
| When you'll see it | What's happening | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The FieldPrinter sits on a 1°–40° slope without a task for more than 1 minute | It's idle on a grade and flagging that it's holding position (idle is supported up to 40°) | Confirm the FieldPrinter is stable. Give it a task or move it if you don't intend to print here. |
| You give a printing task on a 5°+ slope | You exceeded the 5° printing limit | Above 5°, the FieldPrinter won't print. |
| The detected slope is too extreme for safe operation | The grade is steeper than the FieldPrinter can safely print on | The FieldPrinter halts printing on its own. Reposition to a less steep area (at or below 5°) to print. |
Working safely on a grade: operator checklist
- Set up on the most level area available. Even with slope safeguards, flatter ground prints more reliably and is safer to work around.
- Keep an eye on the iPad notifications. They tell you when the FieldPrinter is taking slope-mitigation actions and when conditions change.
- Swap batteries early. Take the earlier low-battery warning seriously — a FieldPrinter holding position on a grade needs power to stay put.
- 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.
- 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°) 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.