After numerous prints we are finding the build platform is becoming scratched and dented from part removal.
we have been able to regrind the surface to achieve a smooth uniform finish.
When printing after the regrind becomes difficult to release from the reground platform, is there a coating on the platform (were guessing something like a Teflon coating)?
If anyone can shine some light as to the build platform construction it would be highly appreciated.
It would probably be cheaper and less hassle just to buy a new build platform.
its not cost that’s the issue, we are able to apply coatings inhouse along with regrinding. we are just curious to whether there is a coating applied
I never heard of any coating. Depending on how you grind your platform, there will be different surface structures, leading to different adhesion.
Same here, never read about any coating and didn’t see anything on the new BP I have seen. They look sandblasted and there is probably some natural oxidation going on but AFAIK nothing else.
I think that making the platform as smooth as possible isn’t a good idea in my opinion, as it will create more succion when trying to remove the part from the platform. Sandblasting or a light pass of sandpaper will do a better job at mimicking the original surface.
That being said, so long as I don’t see a risk of damaging the surface of the tank I do not resurface my BPs as I haven’t found that a rough surface caused issues. I have only sanded them lightly when we make an accidendal big dent during part removal.
hi john,
Thanks for your advice we have actually received new platforms today and I have just inspected them and agree with the sand blasting.
They do appear roughed, I am going to be spending a while working on the surface to find what finish provides the best build deck. I will be happy to share what I find over the coming weeks
Hey there everyone! Thanks so much for taking the time to contribute to the conversation!
I can confirm that there’s no coating on the Build Platform. It’s just a raw aluminum plate.
The platform should hold parts just fine when it’s fresh out of the box, and over time as it naturally gets scratched up those scratches should actually improve adherence. If, after a long enough time, the plate gets too chewed up to hold parts properly(to be honest, platforms actually getting to this point is exceedingly rare) it’s perfectly fine to sand the surface down a little bit. That being said, roughing up the metal can potentially improve adherence maybe a little too much and make things pretty tricky to remove. In this situation it might be easier to just get a fresh platform from us.
Most platforms should last years before getting to this point though, unless the type of printing you’re doing necessitates some pretty serious work to get parts off the platform for whatever reason.
I hope that’s helpful but if folks have further questions I’m happy to address them!
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