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ABS not sticking to build plate


fheineman

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Posted · ABS not sticking to build plate

I'm having a problem with the ABS material not sticking to the build plate. I leveled the build plate and applied glue (glue stick) before printing. I even added a generous flange on the bottom of the part to give it extra area to stick to the build plate. Nothing works. After 3-4 layers it curls up so bad that the part comes completely unstuck from the build plate and starts to move around with the extrusion tip. I end up with a glob of ABS if I don't abort immediately.

Should I be using blue tape instead of the glue stick? Any other suggestions?

 

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    Posted · ABS not sticking to build plate

    ABS is tricky! I'm guessing you have a UM2 or a UMO with heated bed?

    What are the parameters you're using? (temperature mainly).

    Make sur your first layer is well "pressed", it's the first thing to check with poor adhesion. You might need to level the bed a bit closer to the head.

    Pictures help too ;)

     

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    Posted · ABS not sticking to build plate

    I cover the glass plate with Kapton tape.Then dip a rag into acetone and wipe it on an old failed ABS fragment to bring a little ABS onto the rag. The Kapton surface is wiped with that and it puts a fine ABS film onto the Kapton (but make sure you do it cold). It sticks like s**t to a blanket when hot and releases reasonably well when cold. The bed is heated to 110C before printing at 250C.

     

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    Posted · ABS not sticking to build plate

    @fheineman please update your user settings to show what kind of printer(s) you have.

    For ABS on glass, 110C bed temp is recommended. It takes 10 minutes so you might want to get that started before you load your part onto the SD card.

    Make sure you use the "brim" option. At least 6 passes. 10 might be better. Make sure first layer is squished down. Please provide a picture so we can see your brim.

    The glue stick is great for PLA and okay for ABS but I find hairspray is better for ABS. I could be wrong maybe they are about the same. If you *do* use glue stick you want it very very thin - it should dry to invisible. So use a wet napkin to spread it thin and let dry for a minute (will dry fast at 110C! better to spread water when still only below 70C).

    For hairspray use aquanet unscented. Spray on tissue and then spread onto glass thin layer. It's good for laundry stains also - spray on stain on clothing before washing.

    capture-aquanet-hairspray-1980s.jpg

     

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    Posted · ABS not sticking to build plate

    If you find the thread titled:

    Any advice on how to get ABS to stick to the glass - Solved. Started by Wallan on Jan 5th 2014

    http://umforum.ultimaker.com/index.php?/topic/3955-any-advice-on-how-to-get-abs-to-stick-to-the-glass-solved/?p=73145

    ( I don't know how others link / cut and paste other threads into their comments)

    Entry number 18 from SOLID PRINT 3D details how to put an ADS and acetone wash onto the glass. I have done this and found it to be just great. I made a slight adjustment by dissolving some ABS in acetone in a glass jam jar. Then tea spoon a small amount onto the glass and spread it out with the puck or scrap ABS part. I have a number of colours of was to suit different filament colours that I use. This wash helps to stop it lifting and also becomes fused into the first layer of the print, resulting in a wonderfully smooth bottom. It also lifts off the glass after printing - once cooled down - very easily.

    The acetone wash is very flammable while it is evaporating, so I always take the glass sheet into the shed and give it a coating there until it is dry. this only takes a minute or two.

    I have been printing with the bed at 90 deg C and nozzle at 230 deg C. Keep the fan off! I cover the front opening for the whole print and put a Perspex box on top for the first 5 to 10 mm. I then remove the lid on top of the box which helps reduce distortion in the rest of the print.

    Its all trial and error so give it a go.

     

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    Posted · ABS not sticking to build plate

    Oh and as gr5 sais, I use a good brim too.

     

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    Posted · ABS not sticking to build plate

    Added the link to the topic mentionned by Nick ;)

    To get a link from a particular post in a topic, click on the number of the post (#7 for example) a window with the link will pop up, then copy and paste in you subject (with the Link button)

     

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    Posted · ABS not sticking to build plate

    Hey Didier,

    Congratulations on your upgrade, now the hard work starts :wink:

     

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    Posted · ABS not sticking to build plate

    Maybe you are next, Woofy?

     

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    Posted · ABS not sticking to build plate

    Thank you all for your comments, they were all very helpful. I resolved the problem by spreading the glue stick very thin with a wet paper towel, then turning up the build plate temp to 110 C (it was at the default ABS setting of 90C). With all the suggestions to run the build plate at 110 C, I think Ultimaker should change their firmware to make this the default ABS setting rather than 90 C. The difference is amazing. ABS is working beautifully now. If I wait for the build plate to cool down after printing, the part comes off easily.

     

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    Posted · ABS not sticking to build plate

    I recently started getting perfect, non-warping ABS prints with my U2. I've been spreading a thin layer of Elmer's All Purpose Glue Stick, heating up my build plate to 105c (will start trying 110c), but the best thing (I believe) I've done is build an acrylic cover and added an acrylic door. The enclosure isn't air tight by any means, but it keeps enough of the heat in during the print. So much so that the PLA cable chain I printed before I built the enclosure melts a little bit with every ABS print!

    I use the Aquanet unscented hair spray for PLA with great success, but it wouldn't make ABS stick for me. I take the acrylic cover off when printing PLA.

     

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    Posted · ABS not sticking to build plate

    Hi,

    Just bought this on eBay. FlexiPlate.

    But for £18 thought i would give it a go. Just arrived and very sceptical... looks like a cheap piece of perspex..... not very professionally finished around the edges. cheap milling and polish burns still on the edges....

    Anyway. Just put it on print bed and tried ABS for the first time.

    All i can say is..... 'It does exactly what it says on the can'. absolutely amazed and prints perfectly. no glue, no tape. Set bed to 90c and nozzle temp to 240c and printed perfectly.

    Took it of the bed when finished and bend. I know eeeks.... but model popped of with no drama. just goes to show you can not judge everything by appearances....

    On 10th print now and had no problems...

    Simon

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    Posted · ABS not sticking to build plate
    On 9/18/2016 at 7:27 PM, derillion said:

     

    Just bought this on eBay. FlexiPlate.

     

    Any pictures please? I am not having any success with my ABS. Thanks!

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    Posted (edited) · ABS not sticking to build plate

    I use a clean PEI build surface for everything except nylon and polycarbonate. No rafts and only very rarely a brim or “hold-down tabs” for certain geometries. The temperatures may need to be adjusted but it usually works so well. I keep an extra build plate for the minority of materials that don’t work with PEI, flipping over the existing build plate works in a pinch to apply some other hold material for plastics containing nylon or PC.

    Edited by JRDM
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    Posted · ABS not sticking to build plate

    I noticed that when you have 2 different materials, in my case ABS and PLA, the buildplate temperature needed does not change when you switch. So, I was using all PLA before so the temperature was at 60˚C, when I switch one material to ABS, instead of changing, cura stayed on the initial temperature. I was changing the settings on the printer to no avail. So I checked every single setting on cura and lo and behold, it's the material settings>build plate temperature.

     

    Now it's working, I just have to remember switching when I change materials.

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    Posted · ABS not sticking to build plate
    1 hour ago, Ghene said:

    I noticed that when you have 2 different materials, in my case ABS and PLA, the buildplate temperature needed does not change when you switch. So, I was using all PLA before so the temperature was at 60˚C, when I switch one material to ABS, instead of changing, cura stayed on the initial temperature. I was changing the settings on the printer to no avail. So I checked every single setting on cura and lo and behold, it's the material settings>build plate temperature.

     

    Now it's working, I just have to remember switching when I change materials.

    When you change materials, you should be getting a dialogue window asking if you want to discard chagnes. This would reset your temps and everything for that material. Are you getting that?

     

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    Posted · ABS not sticking to build plate
    6 minutes ago, kmanstudios said:

    When you change materials, you should be getting a dialogue window asking if you want to discard chagnes. This would reset your temps and everything for that material. Are you getting that?

     

    I didn't notice that. ?

     

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    Posted · ABS not sticking to build plate

    If you did not notice, then it did not pop up. It is hard to not see.....

    Keep_Discard.thumb.jpg.39d8436cb9cde9a8e92361d43967d621.jpg

     

    But, no worries, until the patch this issue, just click on the down arrow (circled below) and then click on the "Discard Current Changes" and it will set everything for that material and nozzle size chosen.

    DiscardChanges.thumb.jpg.d1876dabc7b36ed86ca0d78cb8bdee30.jpg

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    Posted · ABS not sticking to build plate

    Thank you!

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    Posted · ABS not sticking to build plate

    yer welcome :)

     

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