I recently replaced the printing surface on my Printrbot Simple Pro. The new PEI started out to be very good, but as I print more, it is actually getting harder to remove the prints, as if it is sticking more and more. The last print totally fell apart when I tried to remove it and there is about 1-2 mm of PLA that I can not get off the bed. Any ideas of why this happened and how do I prevent this in the future? Thanks in advance for any help and advice you fine people can offer.
try increasing the first layer height.
When the print cools enough, place it in the freezer, the temperature difference should release it.
Hi this is just to confirm that the effect you’re seeing is real. I print pretty much 24/7 on my prusa i3 Mk2 and the PEI does get progressively stickier until it eventually needs replacing. I find that when printing with abs for example it is a good idea to put a thin layer of diluted PVA onto the bed first. The PVA acts as a barrier and makes the abs easier to remove. Same goes for petg and particularly ninjaflex / TPU.
With most any typical printer they tell you to clean with alcohol or even acetone. With aging PIE I suggest you wipe it with your hand to get as much oily skin across it as possible. It works against you anywhere else but with older PEI it actually helps you to get the parts off. I never clean mine with alcohol or any other solvent. To get the PLA off your plate. Wipe down the whole plate with only your hand to deposit oil from your skin. Then print a flat plate of PLA right on top of the stuck on material. Freeze it and the build surface after the print is complete. Hopefully it will come off with the new material you printed on top of it.
Thanks for all the info guys, I am glad I wasn’t going crazy. Its weird that the original PEI did not react this way.
@funinthefalls Are you running the bed hotter nowadays? Printing more abs or something like that? I’m wondering whether it’s the heat that eventually kills the PEI.
@Mark_Wheadon I am not running the heated bed