Can I put Kapton and PEI on either side of the glass?

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ChrisERAU
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Joined: Thu Nov 12, 2015 1:23 am

Can I put Kapton and PEI on either side of the glass?

Post by ChrisERAU » Thu Nov 12, 2015 1:39 am

Hey guys, I just got an M2 and I've covered part of the bed with the included Kapton tape to use solely for PLA (for now). I ordered a PEI sheet (and 3M transfer tape) also, which should be coming any day now. The Kapton is working pretty well (much better than blue painters' tape with Makerbots), and I want to keep using it to compare with the PEI. So, I was wondering if I put Kapton on one side of the glass bed and PEI on the other, can I flip the glass and not have to worry about the side contacting the heated bed melting? I'm pretty sure nothing will melt, but the other concern was the PEI insulating the glass if I have the Kapton side up. I've read that PEI isn't a good heat conductor, but the PEI sheet I got is only .030" thick.

Thoughts?

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Jules
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Re: Can I put Kapton and PEI on either side of the glass?

Post by Jules » Thu Nov 12, 2015 3:02 pm

Ehhhhhh....I don't know that i would take a chance on it. I think i'd either purchase a spare borosilicate plate to put the PEI on, or just remove the Kapton tape. (I have both set up, but i keep them on separate plates. And i never use the Kapton one anymore - it became the spare.) ;)

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PcS
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Location: Michigan

Re: Can I put Kapton and PEI on either side of the glass?

Post by PcS » Thu Nov 12, 2015 5:48 pm

I did this for a short period with no ill effects. I never run the bed hotter than 90c . Your mileage might vary though.

ChrisERAU
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Joined: Thu Nov 12, 2015 1:23 am

Re: Can I put Kapton and PEI on either side of the glass?

Post by ChrisERAU » Mon Nov 16, 2015 4:36 am

So I found out that the melting points of kapton and PEI are much higher than what we deal with for printing. I have PEI on my bed now and it's working well. I like the matte surface too. I don't think I'll bother with the kapton...

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