3D Printing: Beneficial Bed Surface Materials That Make for Better Adhesion

Bed adhesion is the first and most important step when it comes to starting off on the right foot with your prints. Good adhesion prevents warping and by ensuring it, you can have a piece of mind that you’re not putting in all of that effort in vain. Warping can occur due to the fact that as plastic begins to cool down, it starts to contract and that process can pull the corners of the print inwards. So, now that we’ve established its importance, let’s see in what ways can better adhesion be achieved.

Some users decide to print directly on the glass or aluminium surface that the printer comes with by default. If you decide to go this route, make sure you clean the surface with isopropyl alcohol as to be able to get rid of any dust or oils. Just keep in mind that however careful you may be, since glass and aluminium are quite smooth materials without any creases or nooks, it is likely that your creations will be more prone to warping.

A more foolproof way to go about it is to rely on a masking tape. The reason why this type of tape is very useful for good adhesion is its rough surface. Plastic can hold on to such surface much better than it can on a smoother one. Although some people opt for any type of masking or painter’s tape, it is best to go with a 3d printer tape that is specifically designed for that purpose. A quality 3d printer tape is one that is made to withstand a heated bed and peel off sticky back for ease of use which is exactly what you need for feeling more confident about your projects.

Another way to ensure adhesion is to use washable glue-sticks. Some people opt for these cause they don’t want to attach anything on the printer’s bed. The glue can be applied directly onto the glass or aluminium surface and it’s a convenient option for materials that are very likely to warp such as ABC or polycarbonate. And if you’re worried about how you can get rid of the glue once the job is done, the answer is – easy, you can wipe it off just by using water. Also, you’ll need to check your model as well and see if there is some glue on the bottom of it (which can be easily removed with a little bit of water).