Petg Glass plate damage

[mickyblueeyes 1]

I have printed with PETG many times with different printers and it is one of my favourite materials  I currently use an Ultimaker 3.

 

The glass flake problem was a constant problem so recently i had a metal supplier make me some 3mm thick titanium plates the same size as the glass plates and i print on them instead, i use Dimafix on the plate and when i need to release I lift up  with a thin spatula when cold, it can also help to  pour a little water on the plate to soften the Dimafix.

 

Top Tip! -  I have also found that as Dimafix is water soluble  I just add a few drops of water to the plate and use a plastic "puck" to smear the melted goo back around the plate, it is then good to go and this can be repeated for quite a few prints before adding another squirt of  Dimafix, this works for Petg and many other materials but not all as I think some respond to the matt finish of the sprayed product but give it a try!.

 

Mike

[UlrichC-DE 108]

Just use hairspray. It is also water-soluble. The chemical base aka liquid polimer is similar.

 

Many greetings

[geert_2 556]

Out of curiosity: is there a specific reason why you have chosen titanium? Instead of ceramics, steel, aluminum, filled composites, or other materials? And what did it cost, as titanium is not the cheapest?

 

[JohnInOttawa 103]

I'd like to know more about the titanium choice as well.  At this point, my guess is less warping of the build plate when heated when compared to Aluminum.  I seem to recall  plate flatness at temperature was a a factor when the S5 abandoned the option.  Maybe they should have tried another metal.

 

From the interweb, coefficient of expansion for Titanium:

Coefficient of Linear Thermal Expansion – 8.6  x 10-6 K-1  (this is a little lower than steel but half that of aluminum)

Edited June 3, 2021 by JohnInOttawa

[mickyblueeyes 1]

I chose titanium because it is tough, temp stable, doesnt rust, it has a much harder surface than aluminium so unlikely to be damaged when my scraper is used.

so I thought I would probably only need to buy 2 plates for the life of the printer where as with the glass plates its a continuous problem, the cost was around £90.00 per plate. the plates were laser cut so i had to smooth the sides and corners before use.

Titanium is a lot lighter than steel and I was trying to not add too much weight to the bed as the springs under it are not that strong especially at the back where half of the weight of the plate is held up by a single spring on the end, the plates weighed  800g compared to 560g for the original plate, I could have tried a 2mm thickness which would have been around 530g and reworked the clips but i wanted the option of using the glass for some materials.

the other advantage is that when you remove a plate from the printer it would be impossible to break it through dropping or accidental rough handling or temperature shock.

Being metal the heat from the heated bed is conducted more efficiently to the surface.

Considering the £3000 price tag for the printer I am less concerned about the £180 to improve the usability of it.

Edited June 4, 2021 by mickyblueeyes
added content

[geert_2 556]

Thanks for that info. Yes, that all makes good sense...

 

Is that titanium plate smooth and high gloss, or rather sand-blasted? Could you print PLA or some materials without any bonding at all, like on glass?

 

As for a 2mm version: maybe you could glue a couple of tiny 1mm plates on the titanium plate under the clips, so that you do not have to rework the clips, but you can still use a lightweight 2mm plate (if that would be stable and stiff enough)? In this way you would still have the option to use the original glass.

 

[UlrichC-DE 108]

Thanks for the information.
I hadn't read about the titanium plate.

 

I often use 4mm aluminium plates on the S5. That also works well. But only for nylon and polycarbonate.

 

Many greetings

[mickyblueeyes 1]

Hi  geert-2 , The Titanium is a sandblasted type finish, the spacer idea under the clips would work, I might give that a try if the weight becomes an issue.

I haven't tried to print anything anything directly on the plate I will try some PLA and see how it goes.

 

Mike