I have around 850 print hours on my P1S, mostly using a Smooth PEI plate. I’ve had the occasional issue with warping, corners lifting, or partial failure due to bed adhesion, but never had anything completely let go and go “full spaghetti” before. That is, until I tried the Cool Plate Supertack.
I picked one up just so I could have a little extra assurance when printing something with a very large or very small contact area that it wouldn’t let go or lift a corner or something, but so far it is the worst build plate I’ve ever used, including my old Ender 3.
I pulled it straight out of the packaging, only handled by the edges, put it straight in the machine and got a failed print using Bambu PLA Matte. I washed the plate with hot water and dish soap, in case there was something on it from the factory. I got a successful reprint of the PLA Matte part, followed by another failure on a part using Bambu PLA Basic. Threw the Smooth PEI plate back in and got a successful print, no problem.
Absolutely terrible track record to start this thing off with. A 2/3rds failure rate and more failures in 3 prints than I’ve had in 850 hours on a Smooth PEI plate. If I can’t get my money back for it, I doubt I’ll use it much because I know I can’t trust it. Are there known issues with a recent batch of these or something?
For a little more info: I’m slicing in the latest Bambu Studio, using their plate setting for the Cool Plate Supertack. Build plate temperature is at their recommended 45C. Hot end temp at their default 220C.
Well, I tested the super tack plate a lot and I am happy with it, under my personal pre-conditions:
only use of PLA Basic (PLA+ or similar), NEVER use PLA Matt
only use for models without support structures (or only a large tree support)
only use for models without color swaps (or at least without a cleaning tower)
I am using it a lot for PLA basic prints without any issues (I had on a week ago, but might be a model issue). But I really have bad experiences with PLA matt (the first layer stick to hard to the plate, the second layer cut off) and with the removal of supports or cleaning tower, as the weak structure of these is really hard to remove.
All in all, it is not the always working solution in all cases, but it can do a great job.
I’m the opposite, my super tack has become my go to for prototyping functional parts in PLA which I later print in other filaments that require very hot beds.
The plate has saved me a fair bit in electricity by keeping the Bed at 30C and only briefly heating to 48C to release the print, also I’ve found another energy saving as I now wash the Plate in very cold water and never wipe it, I just dub the droplets with kitchen towel.
My next prints I’ll experiment with switching the bed off completely, the reasoning is the colder the Plate gets the tighter it grips, so why not switch off the bed after the first layer…
Well I don’t understand why? I got to the 30C temperature by experiment, reducing the bed temperature to where it’d hold at it’s lowest. Perhaps the fact it’s in a X1-Carbon which being enclosed doesn’t allow for direct draft.
I’ve drawn from having experienced a plate some years ago with Qidi Tech printer that I was pulling my hair out over.
What I learnt from the Qidi plate was that it’s surface material worked like this, when heated the material’s surface opens up ( imagine tiny hairs that straiten and open, opening wider per temperature rise ) allowing the hot filament to be deposited deeper towards it’s base as the plate gets hotter.
The supertack seems to work in a very similar way and grips tighter as it cools down to the point where very small parts are almost impossible to remove hence the need to warm the plate to the point where by flexing it the print releases allowing for a plastic scraper to lift the rest.
I’d experiment in your drafty environment to find that lowest grip temperature possible, if you haven’t got a small enough test part without too much wasting of filament, I can knock up a simple .stl for you to try with.
And that’s what makes me wonder about batch quality. People’s experiences with this seems to be so completely different. I’m not new to 3D printing and I tested it under what should have been ideal conditions - straight from the packaging and used with manufacturer’s filament and presets - and got garbage.
That’s an interesting idea about the first layer temperature, though. Definitely makes sense that contraction after the first layer could help adhesion. I’ll give it a try starting with 55C initial and default 45C after.
Still, if that’s the intended behavior, I’d expect Bambu to have put that in their preset. I get the feeling that they kind of rushed this thing to market to compete with the other brands of high adhesion (urethane coated?) plates. Their marketing has all of this “reliable adhesion” and “say goodbye to failed prints” stuff, but if it’s more finicky than what I already have, then none of that is really true.
I’m getting more convinced too, I’ve actually made a small video clip of an item am printing with the plate turned off after the initial heat, I’ll post it tomorrow.
there is definitely differences between batches, my first one is amazing, really good adhesion at default settings, the ones i bought a couple of weeks ago do not stick at all, with designs that print perfectly on the older one… customer support is useless addressing the issues
I reckon it’s probably to down to the cooling cycle, as if it would grip the plate if it was once warm and then cooled down making the pores grip onto the material.
That’s an important point. I wanted to order new super tack plates, as I am happy with them. However, if there are bad batches out there, I will not send my order right now…
I ordered the SuperTack last week and started to print with it, last friday.
In the beginning I had the same results as the TS. However, I forgot to open my door (X1C) and my top. After I did that, the print sticked to the plate like crazy.
I did not clean the plate. Just slapped it on and started printing.
Printing with standard settings and with BL PLA Matte.
What I do experience is an error message telling me it cannot find the bed marker. Every time. And yes, I do print ABS (not on this plate ofcource). Cleaned the lens with IPA but alas… no joy.
Without trying to hijack this topic; does anyone experience this as well?
The QR code on the plate was not in the right position from the start and/or was too dark. Switch off the plate recognition in BS.
And one of the biggest advantages of these sticky plates (I use BIQU Frostbite) is that you only need a low temperature on the bed => Ergo I can finally keep the door and lid closed with PLA. Why do you have to open it?
Thanks for your reply, Dextera. I have to open both the door and the top to prevent the same issues as the TS: corner lifting, spaghetti, bad adhesion.
Preferably I would like to print it with the door closed because that saves a lot of printing-sounds.
I am printing with BL standard settings, so 45C for the bed.
I just use the textured PAI Plate from BL if I need the nice texture on a surface. But since I’ve got the Frostbite-Plate, I didn’t lift the lid or opened the door once. It saves energy - AND prevents noice. I print PLA with 35°C and PETG with 50°C. Not a single issue since december. But I print PLA most of the time (~85%). And sometimes it sticks too well ^^ Didn’t use a brim till today with this plate. That plate had cost me 21€ - can’t complain about anything. The surface on a print on the Frostbite is shiny and totally smooth.
for my experience with the a1 mini the super cool plate from bambu lab does not work at all… every time pieces fall off, print fails. ive tried with glue as well still wont stay glued to the bed
