I just bought a new build plate from Bambu Lab that is described as Engineering Plate. I was anticipating it to be a smooth plate but it has a texture to it. Not smooth like a Garolite but nowhere near as textured as the gold plate and maybe a little less than the Super Tack.
I mostly print using PLA or ABS on the smooth plates I have and do not use anything at all as either a release agent or something to help bed adhesion.
I seem to think I had what was referred to as a High Temp/Engineering Plate early in my printing adventure but it was definitely smooth so was surprised to see the texture on this plate. It went in the trash when something bonded to the plate that would have required a brick masonâs chisel to remove.
YMMV, but for me, as long as I keep the build plate degreased (from handling), the bed adhesion is just fine.
I have the Bambu Lab Smooth Plate and it has the same Use a glue stick nte on the plate and I never use anything on that plate. A quick scuffing with a wet sanding block using the decreaser and it is ready to go for 2 - 3 prints
Since this is a new build plate surface for me, does this plate really need glue stick and is it being recommended as a release agent or an adhesion agent. Iâm hoping the answer is no because if yes, I probably wonât use it.
Iâm confused⌠is the Eng. plate for P series different than the Eng. plate for H series? Because thatâs quite smooth (relatively speaking, but not quite as smooth as super tack pro, or e.g. Darkmoon CFX). Itâs not PEI. And glue is required for anything to stick to it, as advertised, according to my experience and most users here. Iâve only seen one person on these forums say anything sticks to it w/out glue. I mean you could just try it and see, depending on the print, YMMV, but I wouldnât count on it.
I posted some comparison photos of prints from textured PEI, super tack pro, and eng.plate here: Bambu Engineering Plate surface finish - #8 by MaxThreeD
It says right in the product description: Important Glue must be applied before printing any material on the Engineering Plate.
To avoid glue lines from unevenly applied glue, I make my own liquid spray with IPA and glue stick. It works very well, but recently, I accidentally used an overly diluted mix and destroyed a plate.
The reason I asked the question was because I also have the BL Smooth PEI plate which says
Only PLA filament does not require glue, while printing with other filaments requires the use of gluing to prevent the PEI sheet from tearing.
I asked the question because the smooth PEI plate has the same âYou must use glueâ caution and I know from my own use that is not the case.
I print pretty much only using PLA and ABS, and I print on smooth build plates. Iâm not saying that as a good thing or a bad thing. I imagine most people have their personal go to filament and go to build plates. For me the smooth build plate started as an aesthetic thing. I did what everyone that buys a P1S (back in the day) does. I started on the on the gold plate. Never ever had had an issue with model adhesion on that texture but I like smooth so bought a smooth build plate. Other than the pretty standard âNoobie not washing his plateâ fails back early on.
There are two things that I do, that I do not hear many if any people do. Maybe some do but I have not seen that particular message. I use a Lowes Hardware brand purple degreaser rather than soap, and use 320 or 420 grit scuff blocks. as my scrubbing medium rather than a brush. The decreaser has the consistency of water.
I have long wondered if using those scuff pads on the smooth plates puts an almost etch-like surface on the plate and that is enough texture for the bottom to cling to. I know from experience if I go to remove a beefy ABS print from the build while the build plate is still hot, it will not come off, even with some hard pulling, but once the build plate goes to ambient the model will have already released entirely from the build plate.
You donât need glue on the smooth plate to get it to stick, you need glue to get it to come off. I simply wash with dish soap, I never have a lack of adhesion, on my smooth pei plate I have a very hard time removing PETG if I donât use glue/hairspray. Even tried 24hrs in the freezer. I dont believe I have ever printed ABS on the smooth plate and dont print enough PLA to remember if it sticks hard.
I understand the glue stick is a release agent acting similar to when they put release agents in a boat hull mold before they paint it with gelcoat. Or casting molds
What I was getting at, The smooth plate doesnât need any help, it sticks too good already, I have damaged 1 of my smooth plates, not from tearing the coating but wrestling with it and dropping it while trying to get stuff off ,2 corners are damaged where they hit the floor and the coating is lifting around the dent.
I think the last time I used a glue stick was in time proximity to when I was in open war and the enemy was a Creality Ender 3 Pro running Marlin software. That Creality machine was almost the end of me ever 3D printing again.
I get the Glue stick as release agent entirely. That would have saved a build plate of mine from the trash can. I printed an orange halloween pumpkin that took up the entire build plate and it came out beautiful but if I wanted to use that pumpkin as a candy holder, the build plate was going to have to be part of the decoration. I ripped the pumpkin to shreds and spent way too much time trying to get that orange pumpkin off that build plate. I think in the end the only way I was going to salvage that plate was by finding a solvent to dissolve whatever plastic filament I had used. The plate coating never failed.
Now I have forever questioned the glue stick as adhesion agent because it gets baked dry in the bed heatup process. Any glue that is readily available to the public is mostly designed to harden at ambient temperature. Short of using an unheated bed, you heat the bed up to whatever temp is programmed in and all the volatiles are going to boil off in a blink.
The primary volatile in glue stick is water, so yes, it does dry. It would make a soggy mess of paper if it did not, and the glue remains weak until it has dried out. Anyone who has ever used a glue stick to keep a print from warping or sliding around the plate can verify that it does adhere.
Glue also serves as a release agent because it is weaker than plastic. The glue layer can pull apart before the part breaks or the plate coating comes off. Often, there is a thin layer of glue left on the part.
