I’m still kind of a newbie to 3D printing. I’ve had my 3D printer (Prusa i3 MK3S) for 5 months now, and I’ve learned a lot since then, but long-term maintenace is something I’m still not familiar with.
I have gone through 3 PEI-coated steel print beds, and they’ve all gotten to the point where I have to fight to get anything to adhere to them.
Example: https://i.imgur.com/u7cr8XC.jpg
I clean them regularly with IPA, and pretty much only print PLA on them (I use a textured sheet for PETG). I have tried all the rejuvenation techniques I have found (dish soap, acetone, fine grit sandpaper) but nothing seems to help. At this point, I’m assuming I’ve permanently damaged them with everything I’ve done to them, so I’ve ordered 2 more.
I don’t know if these sheets are supposed to last longer or if I’m doing something horribly wrong.
I don’t know if there’s some place local where I could get them recoated, or if they could be recycled. I hate to just throw them out.
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The PEI does lose some of it’s adhesion over time, but you shouldn’t be going through multiple beds in the course of a few months. Prusa has maintenance tips on their website. We regularly clean the ones at the makerspace with 99% IPA before printing. Make sure you are using plain IPA, and not something made as a cosmetic product as it may have oils or other additives. Occasionally I wipe the beds down with Acetone to refresh the surface, but you can’t do that very often as it will damage the bed. On my printer at home I gave one side a light sanding when I was struggling with a print that wouldn’t stick. It helped a bit, but the underlying issue was a spool of PLA that had sat out too long and absorbed moisture. Now I just keep one side permanently covered in gluestick, and that helps a lot when I’m having issues with an old spool.
You can replace the surface, but it is a pain (especially the adhesive removal), and it’s not really that much cheaper than getting a new bed. If you do decide to get rid of your old beds you can bring them to the makerspace and we will find a use for them. We have 4 MK3S printers that get quite a bit of use.
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What Christian said except I’ve never resorted to acetone. It can easily be overkill and spilled by clumsy me.
I use textured sheets because they don’t seem to damage easily and I rarely need a glass smooth bottom.
The smooth PEI and I don’t get along and when something sticks a little too aggressively, it thinks “Over my dead body. I’ll peel up before you get this part.”
