Let's Talk Bed Adhesion

3D Printer Bed Plate Adhesion
Bed Adhesion: What you truly need to know. 
Like many of you, I am starting to experiment with exotic filaments.  One of the issues that people face when 3D printing more exotic filaments are getting their prints to stick to the build plate.  It is not that common filaments do not have adhesion challenges, but exotics often list adhesion as on their cons in nearly every instruction list.   

Lets fave the facts, some filaments are too sticky while others just won't stick at all.  If you have too little adhesion, the print could move during the print process which will cause it to fail.  If you have too much adhesion, you could damage the print or print bead during removal.  No one wants a failed print or damaged bed.

So, what is bed adhesion?

Adhesion is the tendency of two items to cling to one another.  Bed adhesion is simply the ability of 3D printed plastic to cling or “stick” to the build plate during a print.  The adhesion depends on the type of filament, type of bed, and the temperature of the beds.  It can be reduced by bed contaminates and increased by the age of the bed.  When adhesion is insufficient, the print can stick to the nozzle, peal form the build plate, curl up, or just turn into a molten mess on the nozzle and heat block.

Manufacturers have created a number of solutions to help improve print bed adhesion.  There is an unlimited number of potential solutions that are only limited by the price you are willing to pay.  There is no universal solution.  Some surfaces work better with certain filaments.  3D printers use aluminum, Buildtak, Garolite, Gekotek, glass, Kapton tape, masking tape, stainless steel, PEI (film or textured powder), or PET tape. But there is not a single bed type that works best for the adhesion of every type of filament.

To manufacturers of printers, the whole goal is to build a surface that works with most filaments.  No single surface is universally successful, but PEI is close.  Glass is very durable, but often needs help to promote adhesion with some filaments.  That being said the goal of this post is to discuss what we can do to improve or influence bed adhesion and why they work.

Adhesion is a property created by the combination of the bedplate and the filament you are printing.  Some have too much and some have too little.  Adhesion tends to increase with the age to the bed surface on most.  If you do nto have the problem now, you probably will over time.

Ways to promote adhesion:

• Make sure your bed is clean (Alcohol, Soap and water, and Acetone [ordered by risk to bed]).

• Check your Z.

• Use Hair spray (if too little adhesion)

• Bed Glues including glue sticks.

• Windex

• Scrubbing (be careful to use the right product).

• Sanding (be careful).