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Totally confused about the print Bed. PEI? Glass? Adhesion?

Discussion in 'General Questions' started by Hanover, Jul 22, 2017.

  1. Hanover

    Hanover Member

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    Hi there,

    I just need to understand. Is the black, glassy surface of the print bed PEI? Is it replaceable?

    After double and triple checking to make sure I wasn't supposed to use adhesive, I've been printing directly on the surface of the bed and I'm starting to see little nicks and chips in the surface. That's really worrying me. I'm not sure if that's supposed to be normal and if it's fixable.

    I don't really see how you could replace the PEI...
     
    #1 Hanover, Jul 22, 2017
  2. Geof

    Geof Volunteer Moderator
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    the bed is a heater, aluminum then a piece of PEI. The PEI can be replaced. Contact Robo since you'l be under warranty and ask for a replacement and instruction.
     
    #2 Geof, Jul 22, 2017
  3. WheresWaldo

    WheresWaldo Volunteer ( ͠° ͟ʖ ͡°)
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    If the PEI is not damaged in any way, but you are simply having adhesion issues, those may be corrected with a light sanding of the surface to rough up the PEI just a bit. According to what Braydon told Joel Telling (the 3DPrintNerd) the PEI is pre-sanded, but may require sanding at later points in is lifetime.
     
    #3 WheresWaldo, Jul 23, 2017
  4. Hanover

    Hanover Member

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    Actually, mine has little nicks in it, creating an uneven surface right in the center. Does that mean I need to sand it? I have an extra 8x8 PEI sheet available to use if I need to replace it. I can't find any documentation on how to replace the PEI sheet though.
     
    #4 Hanover, Jul 24, 2017
  5. WheresWaldo

    WheresWaldo Volunteer ( ͠° ͟ʖ ͡°)
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    Documentation appears to be a work in progress. I am sure either someone in the Community (like a fellow C2 /R2 users or Robo will get the documentation squared away. Little nicks, if they are just that shouldn't really be an issue if adherence is good in the rest of the bed.
     
    #5 WheresWaldo, Jul 25, 2017
  6. daniel871

    daniel871 Well-Known Member

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    Depending on how thick the actual PEI used in the design happens to be, instructions on replacement probably won't be too far removed from the instructions on how to replace the PEI on the Prusa MK2.

    Short version is: Careful use of scraper and small amounts of acetone on a cloth rag while power is disconnected to remove the old PEI, then clean the bed plate very carefully with more acetone on a cloth rag, then wait until bed is completely dry before re-applying new PEI with adhesive, making sure not to trap any air bubbles between the PEI and the heated build plate, then go back to printing.
     
    #6 daniel871, Jul 25, 2017

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