How to remove printed objects

[Frenzel 0]

Since one week I am gathering experience with a new Ultimaker S5. At first I started with glue on the printers' glas plate to enhance adhaesion. But this leads to small unevenness on the bottom of the printed objects. As I noticed that my objects have a sufficiently large bottom I skipped the glue and everything was fine. On the contrary I do now think that it is hard to remove the objects from the glass plate. As recommended I am using a metal spatula to get them of the glas plate.

 

But today I had to ntice that I damaged the glas plate which now has a small ugly hole in it. (I used the spatual very carefully, nearly parallel to the glass plate.) I have to add that most of the prints are done over night so that the printing bed has completely cooled down when I remove the objects.

 

What went wrong? What is the best way to remove the objects which are to "sticky"?

 

Where can I order a new glas plate?

[Smithy 1,146]

It depends very much on the material you use. But a layer between glass and object is always an advantage. Not only for adhesion, but also to protect the glass.

 

I always use either a glue stick or Magigoo. With a glue stick it is important that you don't just apply it, but make a few strokes and then take a damp cloth and spread the glue evenly. This will give you a thin, even layer.

 

I have chipped my glass often, mainly with ToughPLA or ABS. 

 

For these materials a thicker layer of glue stick can also help to protect the glass.

In any case, the spatula is certainly not the reason for your glass being damaged. 

 

You can order a new glass plate from your reseller or any other shop which sells Ultimaker printers. It should not be hard to get a new one.

[DrCeeVee 19]

Hi there,

 

As you've found out the hard way, glue not only helps with adhesion, but also protects the glass plate from damage. What I do (was instructed to do this by my reseller) is to apply a layer of glue (the glue-stick type, like the one that came with the printer), and then use a dampened micro-fibre cloth to gently rub over the glue surface to make it very thin and evenly spread out. I've found that this technique gives me smooth bottom surfaces with good adhesion and no damage to the glass plate (not yet anyway).

 

About the replacement glass plate, I'm sure you can order one from your local reseller. But... 😈

 

[Evil Idea!] ...what I would try, would be to simply go to a local glass supplier and ask them to cut a piece of glass at the exact dimensions and thickness of the original. This will cost you around 5 € (or $5 in the USA), and you can experiment without worrying about cost. Worst-case scenario: it won't work as good as the original glass plate. No harm done. Haven't tried it yet, but I think it's worth a try.

[Smithy 1,146]

1 minute ago, DrCeeVee said:

go to a local glass supplier and ask them to cut a piece of glass at the exact dimensions and thickness of the original.

Under no circumstances should it be normal window glass, otherwise there is a risk that the glass will crack if it is repeatedly heated and cooled down. I would be very careful. But borosilicate glass should work and is probably cheaper than an original plate.

[DrCeeVee 19]

6 minutes ago, Smithy said:

Under no circumstances should it be normal window glass, otherwise there is a risk that the glass will crack if it is repeatedly heated and cooled down. I would be very careful. But borosilicate glass should work and is probably cheaper than an original plate.

 

This is a valid concern, but I believe that standard glass may crack at temperatures exceeding 150~200 °C (see graph in this article), which is more than what the printer can reach. But the repeated heating up and cooling down cycles could probably alleviate the problem, so I would also suggest a piece of borosilicate glass to be absolutely safe.

 

[Smithy 1,146]

You are right, it is the repeated heating and cooling, but I am not an expert. Maybe there is something else than borosilicate glass, but even with this type of glass I guess a local shop could do it much cheaper. On the other side, the UM glass has a special coating on the side with the sticker and the glass has rounded corners and egdes. So one must not only compare the pure plate.

 

I think the coating is negligible, I have already printed on both sides and could not see any difference. Maybe if you work without glue stick.