PEI powder coating damaged?
Hi,
I noticed the ??bubbles?? on the PEI steel plate after just 2 prints of an admittedly challenging PLA object.
It's a surfboard fin using the entire diagonal print bed size. The area where these ??bubbles?? have already started to show is the same area where the PEI sheet gets sucked up into a larger dome on the Pruse i3 MK2. This is due to warping forces.
On the MK2 bed, I used to rotate the fin print orientation and sometimes placed a glass plate and weight on top of the PEI sheet to flatten it again after a few prints.
The photo was taken at the start of a 17hr print, similar to the 2 previous prints and shows the early stage of the print, with the damage done by the previous print. I'll put the steel plate under the microscope once the print is finished to check if these are ??bubbles?? or gaps or whatever.
Should I be worried? Will these just get worse and remove the PEI from the steel within a few prints?
Thanks for any explanations or help with this!
Re: PEI powder coating damaged?
The bubbles are normal and will go away in time.
Re: PEI powder coating damaged?
The bubbles are normal and will go away in time.
Thanks for that!
Should I 'rest' the area by rotating the object to the other diagonal and by rotating the steel sheet?
Or would it be better to use the same location on the bed all the time and leave the other diagonals like new for later on?
I would prefer to print the fin with the same orientation all the time, because that makes it easier to spot differences due to changed settings.
Re: PEI powder coating damaged?
Should I 'rest' the area by rotating the object to the other diagonal and by rotating the steel sheet?
Or would it be better to use the same location on the bed all the time and leave the other diagonals like new for later on?
Are you sure you have the powder coated sheet and not the doubled sided glossy PEI stickered sheet? To me it looks like you are using the later. If that is the case, general advice that I have read here in the forums is to print on the other side for a bit and the bubbles will disappear.
On the same subject. I washed my PEI with soap and water and then printed PLA without using IPA. the Print was difficult to remove and left the spots as shown in the photo below. Have I damaged my PEI? Prints still appear to stick, but is that because they are sticking to everywhere BUT the marks?
Proud owner of a Mk3 that is producing very nice prints. There is room for improvement as I learn more about it, but so far I am very happy.
Re: PEI powder coating damaged?
I had no idea there are 2 versions of steel sheet, I thought they are all powder coated. I need to have a closer look at it when the print is finished.
If there is a version of stick-on PEI sheet, then that explains why those thinks look like bubbles. I do not think there could be bubbles under a powder coat.
I do not clean the PEI between prints (if using PLA), it's a waste of time. It looks stained from haszy PLA remnants, but sticks and releases very well.
The stuff still stuck to your PEI must be PLA, therefore PLA prints will definitely stick to it well.
Acetone will probably clean it if you find it annoying.
Re: PEI powder coating damaged?
The stuff still stuck to your PEI must be PLA, therefore PLA prints will definitely stick to it well.
Acetone will probably clean it if you find it annoying.
It doesn't feel like there is anything stuck TO the PEI and it doesn't feel as though anything is missing from the PEI, it is still smooth, just discoloured.
Proud owner of a Mk3 that is producing very nice prints. There is room for improvement as I learn more about it, but so far I am very happy.
Re: PEI powder coating damaged?
MrMik: There are no powder coated sheets yet. Prusa have been unable to supply them so far. Your steel sheet has two stick on PEI sheets, what you have is bubbles (they all do this) and it would be better to vary the position of your item.
Bill: Try cleaning your bed with acetone. It dissolved PLA.
Re: PEI powder coating damaged?
Bill: Try cleaning your bed with acetone. It dissolved PLA.
MrMik and Alfred; Acetone did the job. cleaned it right up. Thanks
Proud owner of a Mk3 that is producing very nice prints. There is room for improvement as I learn more about it, but so far I am very happy.