We have been having increasing difficulty lifting the finished prints from the build platform. Initially we would only have to get the edge of a beveled scraper under one of the support areas designed to allow for print removal, put a bit of pressure, and the print would come off fairly easily.
Lately it had gotten to the point where you had to “get a running start”. You had to start the scraper away from the support base and run it into the base, basically “chipping” the print off of the platform.
Well a couple of prints ago I was scrapping the platform prior to a print job just to make sure no cured resin was still present. I noticed that the scraping action was forming a black, rather sticky substance…?? So I got the “bright idea” to sand the aluminum. The coarsest we had on hand was 220 grit. I used that and the aluminum looked great. Nice, clean and smooth. I cleaned it with IPA and paper towels until no black residue was on the used towel.
Proceeded with the build. Came back to check on it a couple hours later and the print was not completely attached to the platform. I cancelled the print and assumed that I had the aluminum plate too smooth for the cured resin to stick. I then took the non-beveled scraper (the one supplied with the machine) and scraped the aluminum to restore some roughness to the platform.
The prints from that point on have stuck to the platform well…If you have read this far now you get the good part… The prints now come off the platform as they did in the past…no “chipping” with the scraper anymore.
So, my conclusion is that when the prints become difficult to remove, the aluminum should be lightly sanded and cleaned well. The next time I will try 100 grit paper and compare it to an unused build platform (we placed an order today), if need be I’ll step down to 80 grit. But, whichever the case, this seems to be an easy “fix” for increasingly difficult to remove prints.
Hope this helps anyone having similar problems.