PETG bonds to PEI like superglue!
Posted: Mon Jan 20, 2020 9:41 pm
Hi,
I use to have problems with prints warping when printing on Kapton tape or glass. I tried hairspray and Elmers glue on glass, which improved the situation, but still allowed some warping. About a month ago I switched to PEI; I purchased a sheet of PEI, cut it to 8x10 and used the double sided tape they include to attach to to the MakerGear glass bed. Once I did that, PLA printed perfect with zero warping no matter how big the object. However, now I have a new problem: PETG bonds to it so strong that it's impossible to remove without damaging the printed object. In some cases, I've actually torn apart the print when trying to remove it off the PEI sheet. PETG is practically impossible to remove off the PEI sheet.
I've tried suggestions I have seen online: 1) remove the print before the bed cools; 2) reheat the bed to 60 - 80 C; 3) squirt some isopropyl alcohol around the edges before prying off the object; but none have worked. I use PLA for prototyping and PETG for final printing and I am desperately trying to find a way to get it to work. I do not want to give up the perfectly flat prints I get with PEI but I also don't want to destroy the plate trying to remove the object. I've seen suggestions online of using Windex or Elmer's glue to weaken the bonding between PEI and PETG but I am reluctant to go down those messy paths (and I like the flat, smooth almost molded like appearance I currently get). Lately, I tried using Simplify3D to increase the separation between the nozzle and the PEI for the first layer (setting First Layer Height to 115%) but that didn't seem to work (though I am going to try increasing it to 150% to see if that helps).
Any ideas? Help?
I use to have problems with prints warping when printing on Kapton tape or glass. I tried hairspray and Elmers glue on glass, which improved the situation, but still allowed some warping. About a month ago I switched to PEI; I purchased a sheet of PEI, cut it to 8x10 and used the double sided tape they include to attach to to the MakerGear glass bed. Once I did that, PLA printed perfect with zero warping no matter how big the object. However, now I have a new problem: PETG bonds to it so strong that it's impossible to remove without damaging the printed object. In some cases, I've actually torn apart the print when trying to remove it off the PEI sheet. PETG is practically impossible to remove off the PEI sheet.
I've tried suggestions I have seen online: 1) remove the print before the bed cools; 2) reheat the bed to 60 - 80 C; 3) squirt some isopropyl alcohol around the edges before prying off the object; but none have worked. I use PLA for prototyping and PETG for final printing and I am desperately trying to find a way to get it to work. I do not want to give up the perfectly flat prints I get with PEI but I also don't want to destroy the plate trying to remove the object. I've seen suggestions online of using Windex or Elmer's glue to weaken the bonding between PEI and PETG but I am reluctant to go down those messy paths (and I like the flat, smooth almost molded like appearance I currently get). Lately, I tried using Simplify3D to increase the separation between the nozzle and the PEI for the first layer (setting First Layer Height to 115%) but that didn't seem to work (though I am going to try increasing it to 150% to see if that helps).
Any ideas? Help?