PLA - turn down build plate temperature after 8mm of print height is down?

[Undel 1]

Hello everyone! I purchased an ultimaker 2 this week and have been having a blast printing up terrain and models for our Pathfinder games. I'm still learning the ins and outs of 3d printing.

I had a question on the heated build plate. My PLA prints stick to the plate great if I use a brim and the heated bed. However, it seems like a waste of electricity to keep that bed heated for the duration of an 8 hour job.

Is it probably okay to turn off the heated bed once the model is 8mm high? At that point, an edge peeling up seems unlikely. Is the movement of the print head on top enough to shift the model around if the build plate is no longer heated later on in the print?

[Nicolinux 285]

Hi,

welcome to the forum.

It depends on the model. If it is flat and wide then it should probably stick. But I wouldn't turn off the bed completely. Then it is guaranteed to shift. You could use the "TweakatZ" Cura plugin to change the temp after 8mm height. Turn the temp gradually from 60° down and see where it starts to become problematic.

[tommyph1208 55]

There was just recently a question in here very similar to this (no offence, just info )

https://ultimaker.com/en/community/20322-is-it-ok-to-turn-off-heated-bed-after-a-number-of-layers-have-been-printed

Edited April 4, 2016 by Guest

[Undel 1]

Thank you, I will keep my build plate on then. (I didn't see the other topic when I posted, but thank you for the link to that too!)

[jameshs 42]

have you tried without HB - I don't have an HB and print PLA onto glass with PVA glue, no brim, and they stick perfectly! (no warping)

Other filaments need HBP, but so far PLA for me does not at all.

James

[cloakfiend 928]

My opinion is if you start with it on then leave it on to the end. If you start with it on and it cools because you turned the bed off, it will come off the plate even if you used glue. I leave the printer on all day and night and have not seen much of a dent in my electricity bill, btw.