Firstly, a disclaimer. Other than my purchase through Kickstarter I have no commercial relationship with the company that makes this thing.
@Rainie I hope it is OK to post this on the Snapmaker forum?
I find that prints adhere very well to the Snapmaker PEI build plate (kudos to Snapmaker for that) and sometimes my clumsiness means that I break a print when trying to remove one that is very well adhered. So, I recently funded the Ziflex magnetic removable print bed on Kickstarter to see if it would help out. They had a size specifically for the Snapmaker. I received it last week and installed it today.
I don’t believe it is yet available to purchase but like most successful Kickstarter projects it should be available soon after the Kickstarter is closed.
It’s a removable print bed which magnetically attaches to a second magnetic sticker which is applied directly to the existing PLA. Interestingly it is directional which helps align the sheet to the bed when you slide it back on. It allows a completed build to be removed by sliding the magnetic build plate off and simply flexing it to get the print to pop off.
I’ve tried it once so far and it worked perfectly. I have a second print on the go now. It’s one that I have found very troublesome and have broken while removing a few times. It will be the ultimate test.
Longevity and durability is of course unknown. Before and after photos below. Video on my Instagram. I’ll report further when I have been using it for a while.
Hi @doug
It was a piece of cake to install. I gave the Snapmaker PEI bed a good clean with alcohol, wiping with the included isopropyl swabs to make really sure, and just stuck it on.
A quick recalibrate (remembering to raise the print module up beforehand) and it was right to go.
A quick warning though - the build plate is now higher after installation of the Ziflex and the bottom of the 3d print module hits it when doing the ‘lowering’ movement before the extrusion and wipe. The build plate flexes a bit but all seems OK. I’m thinking that raising the 3d module might help but it’s not worrying me too much at the moment.
I’ve done a couple of smaller prints with my Ziflex on the Snapmaker, it releases very well. I don’t seem to have to have the calibration as tight to the bed as I did before, but then my original Snapmaker sticker was pretty much worn out and about to need replacing.
Installing was easy, I just made sure the surface of the heated bed was very clean, and lined it up along the edge and gradually removed the backing paper while smoothing it down. AS the instructions say, make sure you have it the correct way round, so the top part can be slid off towards you.
My results look very promising so far, I’m happy I backed it on Kickstarter.
Hi @WokkaWokka. Yesterday did a couple of my trickiest prints (in terms of removing from the bed) and they just popped off the Ziflex. I agree that the calibration height works better slightly higher as I now have the paper barely catching the nozzle during calibration for good adhesion.
My results are all with PLA (3D Fillies PLA+) so far. Have you tried PETG (which sticks like crazy to my Snapmaker PEI bed) yet?
This guy had an interesting solution to the problems created by the thicker bed - he raised the print module. I am a little concerned about the long term effects of the print module hitting the bed during the startup ‘home and wipe’ cycle.
Can you ask you software team if there is a way to select a different home height to accommodate the Zifflex plate. There will be many users who will be affected.
I’ve just noticed on a tall print that the Snapmaker drops on the Z axis a little before it pushes out the bed at the end of the print. This is enough for the print module to catch on the top of a tall print. Another reason to be able to change the calibration for fitting the Ziflex bed.
People could use this who are having trouble using their Ziflex bed. I have not experienced any calibration problems with my Ziflex however some people have. The extra spacing might help them.
I was in the process of buying ZiFlex and noticed there was an option for discount code at checkout. A quick search and I found a code for 50% discount!! I don’t know how long it will last (says expires 3/29/10), so if you were thinking of getting one, do it now!! I am not affiliated with Zimple in any way.
After installing a 3mm thick glass bed I ran into the same Z axis homing issue as some of you are encountering.
A simple solution that has worked for me was to adjust the arm that actions the Z axis homing micro switch. I simply bent the arm up ever so slightly. It now engages sooner when then Z axis is lowered, activating the homing switch. Note, doing this means you will loose the distance off the total Z axis travel (my build volume will now be 125x125x~122mm).
