Lifespan of the Textured PEI Plate?

Bambu Lab A1 Series Bambu Lab A1 mini
1

Does anyone have an idea of the durability/lifespan of the Textured PEI Plate

As it reads from the “Considerations” section:
“The Textured PEI plate is considered a consumable part, which will degrade over time.”

So, after how many hours of printing does this degradation occur (approximately)? Or what will I notice about this degradation?

Any thoughts on this?

2

I don’t have an exact number but there are certain variables in play. I’m sure if you printing lower temp filaments like PLA it will last longer than ones that require a higher temp.
Also make sure you clean the PEI sheet on a regular basis with a de greasing liquid detergent and HOT water, don’t make the mistake of using a soap with lotion in it. It took me forever to get that stuff off… :stuck_out_tongue:
I also use a soft dish brush to scrub the plate since it is a texture you need to get down in there with hot water and bristles.
I have noticed that the rear of the plate where the print head cleans itself seems to wear out the coating, I’m curious if that makes a difference in how clean the nozzle gets.
I’ve had my machine since Feb. I still have the original sheet, I have purchased 2 spares so I don’t have to keep the printer down while I clean the sheet. I will admit the original is showing some signs of use but is still works fine.
Oh and here is something I’ve found over the years using these sheets on all my printers. Don’t rush to get a print off the sheet. Let it naturally cool and the print simply comes off. Bending the sheet to get a print to break loose is not good for the surface nor the plate. I think if the plate is really hot it actually leaves some of the surface material on the print. Overtime this will cause the sheet to fail too
Seeya
M1

1 Like
3

I have at least 1250+ hours printed on my original p1s plates. They are quite resilient when treated well.

I even have one plate that I have printed hundreds of times exactly the same. You can see a slight bit of wear but it doesn’t impact print.

4

You’ll notice one or the other of:

  1. prints aren’t sticking as well as before
  2. chunks of the coating are visibly missing.

There are various ways to revive #1 to maybe get some extra life out of it. #2 is usually grounds for retirement, unless you don’t mind the marks transferring to your print.

5

Thank you all for the replies and tips.
I think I can still have plenty of printing fun from my current plate!

6

Probably at least a year till you see some damage. Then you flip it on the other side since it’s dual-sided :slightly_smiling_face:

7

500hrs on it looks like new

8

See the “Wipe zone on the Build Plate” section of this wiki article. It is expected behavior and probably the number one asked question on Reddit by new Bambu users.

https://wiki.bambulab.com/en/filament-acc/acc/plates

9

Those plates last a long time.

10

They do, I have 3 plates now and if I’m doing a ton of printing I take the 1st plate off and allow it to cool, while that’s cooling I put another plate on the machine and I’m up and running again. Allowing the first plate to cool all the way helps the prints to just fall off with little or no force which helps save the surface material.
Seeya
M1

1 Like
11

Good the know that these plates last a long time.
I just ordered a ‘spare’ plate, just in case… :stuck_out_tongue:

12

Cant say for certain their lifetime as ive never had to replace one. My K1 max has close to 3k hours on it with 0 replacement parts. My A1 is nearing 1500 hours also all original parts. Only time I’ve seen one be replaced is from a nozzle getting dug into the bed.