Polypropylene Build plate

[rayholland 6]

Hi,

I was using those PEI sheets and my prints were sticking very well, but i had some problems with durability.

After a while the sheet was coming loose and/or i saw some damages on the sheet surface.

 

So, i'm looking for an alternative solution and would like to try a solid 4mm Polypropylene Plate as Build plate.

 

See:

https://www.flexinplex.nl/technische-kunststoffen/constructie-kunststoffen/polyproplyeen/polyproplyeen-platen/polyproplyeen-op-maat/configureerbaar-168?SID=d0a9193e17da08614cdddab561411948

 

Price is very cheep, just around 5 euro for a 254 x 228 x 4 mm plate.

 

But i have some questions (maybe someone here could give me some advice):

Would these plates be usable for 3d printing?

Do you guys think the prints will stick as well as PEI?

What max temp. could i use with such a plate?

Do they conduct the heat the same way as the glass plates?

Are Polypropylene plates as flat as the glass plates?

How about durability? I assume a 4mm thick plate will last longer compared to thin PEI sheets?

 

Oh, just a remark: I'm printing mainly with PLA and PETG

 

Cheers Ray

 

 

[Smithy 1,128]

4 hours ago, rayholland said:

I'm printing mainly with PLA and PETG

Why not use just the glass, maybe with some glue stick? In my opinion it is still the best way and works very well.

[rayholland 6]

True, but i'm lazy. Don't want to constantly clean the glass plate when the glue gets hard

[Smithy 1,128]

😉 - me too, but I only clean the glass from time to time, maybe every 30-40 prints. I use just a little bit of the stick and then distribute it with a wet towel to get a very thin layer.