Do you want the bottoms of your prints to be smooth, whether they may be PLA, TPU, or ABS? It’s worth learning how to use Kapton tape to get this.
Kapton tape is a transparent film commonly used to cover 3d printer beds. How to apply it:
To keep your prints from sticking to the bed surface and providing you with a smooth bottom, use a high-temperature covering on the bed.
Applying Kapton tape to your printer build plate
Kapton tape, also known as polyimide tape, is a high-temperature tape used in electronics.
They are made of polyamide with copper tracks and flexible PCBs. You may also weld parts onto these, as the sort of heat this material can withstand.
While printing and after cooling, covering the print bed with this tape will enable the prints to adhere to the surface and help them stick when you take them off.
Remove any remaining surface adhesives.
To begin, you must remove the old surface coating.
I’m removing the existing surface on my aluminium build plate and replacing it.
I’ve seen glass plates before — and the technique is the same.
The old coating and adhesives are removed with IPA or other solvent removers.
I bet you’ve dug into the old coating while attempting to remove prints from the bed—I know I have and muttered obscenities when doing so.
You attempt to re-insert it, but it won’t stay down and is quickly caught in the first layer.
When the printing surface is clean.
Then, using a final sponge of IPA, clean off any grease or residue from the fingertips.
Several gallons of water and soap are required.
Whether or not you like applying screen protectors to your phone, you can get away with not completing this stage; however, most of us will need to do so.
Water and some dish soap should be included in a spray bottle. It doesn’t matter if the water is cold or not.
If you’re not sure what to do first, it’s best to unplug your printer and let it dry completely. Also, make sure nothing wet is about to enter and that your printer is turned off while you work on it.
Spray the surface with a lot of water.
Different widths of Kapton tape
Polyimide tape comes in a variety of widths, and it may be applied in a variety of ways.
I have a width of 50mm (2 in) and would never go less than that, but you may go up to over 200mm (7.8 in).
Why is there a difference? You can cover the bed in one piece rather than in segments.
Before you go out and buy the larger one, consider how often you use your printer.
Do you typically print small products, or do they range in size and cover the bed wholly?
If they’re tiny, you might as well go for the strips.
I can replace a strip, and the rest of the bed will be fine, but if I do it all at once, I’ll have to change the whole surface.
I’m not sure if it makes a difference in the end, but I despise wasting stuff.
It’s time to move on to the now dry bed.
Cut a strip longer than the bed.
Make your selection based on whether you want to move side to side or front to rear.
I prefer to start at the head of the bed and work my way back.
Cover the bed with water and soap spray to ensure complete coverage.
The tape will adhere to the bed more quickly if any parts not covered in the spray are exposed. This is not what we want to happen.
Remove the blower housing and remove the fan. To ensure that you’re fixing yourself install works smoothly, you need to cut a piece of plastic (2 in) to the correct size plus 50mm or more (2 in).
Make sure the sticky surface does not contact anything, as this will cause impressions in your prints’ bottoms. When you make your printouts, look for any dirt or dust on them and remove them immediately.
Make sure it’s in the right spot on the bed.
If you have enough water, the tape may be re-positioned by hand; it will be possible to move it around.
If it doesn’t, it will try to grab—you may easily remove it spray more water on the bed surface, and repeat as necessary.
Right to the edges
Adjusters can be found in the bed’s corners.
Do you need to get to them and plan on printing to the edge of the bed? – Well, I suppose it depends on whether you need to get there and if you’re going to print all the way around.
Remember that if you’re planning on using a 50mm wide tap, you’ll have four strips of 200mm and if your bed is 220mm thick, then one thin strip down the left side.
I subtract about 10mm on each side – how I do it.
The adjuster screws are mounted on the stems.
Next, slide the first piece as far towards the edge as you can while keeping it parallel to your line of sight by eye.
Cut another strip to go beside this one. Spray the bed with more water and cut a new piece next to it.
Slide the following strip next to the first on the bed, and it should butt up against it.
However, don’t jam it into the edge; this may result in a ridge and a thickness that will hinder the first layer printing.
Spray, cut the pieces, and place them on the bed.
Squeegee away the water
Getting the water out below the tap is the next stage – this is where you want to make sure your glue is thick enough.
Use a squeegee, screen protectors, credit card, or car body filler to remove any remaining water.
Anything that won’t scratch the surface and is somewhat flexible and soft may be used.
Begin with the middle of one section and work your way out.
Prepare some paper towel on hand to mop up the extra fluid as it is squeezed out from under the tape.
Stop and remove the tape when you see a giant air bubble or fold appearing.
Remove the bubble or crease by spraying with water and repositioning.
It might take some time to learn how to do this the first time, and you may end up with a few tiny bubbles. You may chase them around to one location and toward the bed’s edge, much like the screen protector.
For all of the strips sections, follow these steps.
Heating the bed for the first time
Before printing on the surface, we should ensure that any remaining moisture has been removed.
If the bed surface was taken from the printer, install it again.
Check for any missed spots or dampness that hasn’t been vacuumed.
It’s essential to leave some overhang on the edges since they may be easily removed in the future.
Select the bed temperature, set it to 70 degrees Celsius, turn on the printer and wait.
Preparing for printing
ABS can only be printed with ABS juice (acetone and small pieces of ABS blended).
Spray on hairspray to make it stick better.
Occasionally, the PLA does not adhere to polyimide well. A little hairspray (when the bed is cold) will assist it if that occurs.
Removing your prints
Make sure no sharp corners exist on any goods you employ to lever up under your model; they can dig into the covering and rip it.
Simply lowering the model a few inches and then leveraging it with the scraper may raise a significant amount of it.
