Bambu Lab recommends to only use these with PLA or TPU so I guess they can’t even handle PETG temperature? But did someone try it anyway?
I would like to print PC on the diamond or carbon fiber effect plate and am considering simply trying it…
Bambu Lab recommends to only use these with PLA or TPU so I guess they can’t even handle PETG temperature? But did someone try it anyway?
I would like to print PC on the diamond or carbon fiber effect plate and am considering simply trying it…
I use a TK99/FR10 plate for certain jobs but in general stick with textured/smooth PEI.
I have a bunch of effect plates here and while they provide a nice finish for the first layer I find them highly overrated.
Take two examples:
1: A name plate for let’s see big meeting…
Looks just great if the visible part with the name was on the plate, no matter the effect.
2: Something like a phone case or other things you actually USE in real life…
Same as above - but HOW does this effect work ?
Correct! The pattern from the plate is transferred as a negative imprint !
Means nanosized changes of the surface…
And what happens to surface that are used?
Correct again, they wear…
PLA for example only takes a few good wipes with your thumb to make the effect go disappear.
PETG is much better here but won’t last forever either.
My card wallet that I put in my pocket lost the effect after just 3 weeks, after 5 nothing at all was left.
If want a great effect for display items and such than go for it and you won’t regret it.
If you buy them expecting these effects will last on things you use bad luck.
Not even a clearcoat helps (or I am doing something wrong) as it fills up those deformations and changes how the light is reflected.
I want to print a model on a special printing plate so that the effects are visible in the model.
But whenever I print without a glue stick, the model slips on the plate. I also reduced the speed of the first layer and the filling to 10mm/s, but unfortunately the object starts to slip.
If I use a glue stick, the model sticks, but I no longer have any effects in the model, they are no longer visible.
How can I solve the problem?
Do not print without a glue stick?
I have never used a glue stick for the last 10 years. Not once. But now I have to when printing on an effect plate. I use the BL liquid glue, works like a charm. 30 seconds of work and easy to wash off.
Thanks for the great tip. I’ll try that out.
Thank you very much for the great description!
I don’t have experience using these plates for ABS or PC.
But when printing with PETG, I can only get good adhesion (with these types of plates) when I wash the plate with soap and water, dry the plate and then spray and wipe with IPA.
This works like a charm, but I find I have to repeat the cycle with every print.
I’d try the above method with a small test piece with your advanced filaments and please let us know your results.
I had the same issues at the start…
PETG is just a nightmare with those plates.
But increasing the bed temp and doing the first layer at snails speed worked out ok so far.
The big change I made though was to take the plate out right after the print completed to place it onto the tiled floor or during the summer onto an upside down frying pan I kept in the freezer.
When the PEGT comes off by itself like this I have no issues printing over the same area several times.
It is only when I take prints off in a hurry that things mess up - there is also a clear residue visible against the light.
Same issues here with adhesion. For regular PLA I had to set the bed temp to 65 and the nozzle temp to 215 for the first layers. followed by 60 and 212 for the rest. I also slowed it down to 35mm/s and 85mm/s for the first layer and its infill with 3 slow layers and so far so good. I’m guessing the higher temps are needed since the heat has to pass through an additional plate underneath.
Funny you say that, I experienced as well that some plates need very disturbing settings.
Did you ever observe closely how the filament is put down when things went wrong in these early days ?
Despite my frustration growing fast I often found it rather interesting.
Filament comes out, hits the surface of the plate and curls up nicely, or with slightly different settings just stays right on the nozzle to form a wonderful blob…
None of it made any sense, still more or less fails to make sense.
Our nozzles are claimed to be non stick but we all know they are not, at least not for PETG and such.
Our plates however shall stick and some seem to ignore that.
But then again build plates are not known to be good thinkers nor to be considerate so we can’t blame them
One thing that really helped me to ‘fix’ my plates was the good old Kapton tape.
Not sure where I got my vintage ones from but remember I bought the box because it was advertised to have a residue free adhesive.
And well, if that stuff struggle to stick to the plate something is really wrong…
A certain, well known brand of blue painters tape turned out to work almost as good and by comparison is dirt cheap.
Had one plate with a nice carbon fibre look of the very fine kind type that was literally non stick.
Didn’t even need pics when I asked for a refund, sadly the replacement plate that arrived a few later from fresh stock had a different pattern.
I peeled the non stick sheet off the plate once stupid me wrecked the other side by accident.
Shouldn’t have done that to check with soldering irons how much heat the surface can tolerate.
Trying to clean it while really hot might have removed the non stick effect.
Long before any visible damage happened I notice faint signs of smoke where I pushed the hot iron down.
Just a short burst.
Can’t be too sure of course but rather than throwing out next time I might try some BBQ cleaner or such and then throw it out LOL