As you may know, there are many factors that affect the quality of a 3d print. We often focus on the most common factors such as type of 3d printer, filament, temperature, 3d printing speed, slicing quality… However, a very common but often overlooked factor is poor bed adhesion, which often happens because the printer bed is dirty, and not cleaned properly.
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Why do we need to clean the printer bed
If the print bed surface is not clean and has good adhesion, the 3d printed object may detach from the surface in the middle of the printing process (Read this to find the solution for 3D Print Not Sticking to Bed).
That’s why we need to ensure our printer bed is clean before we start any 3d printing task. Remember to always clean the printer bed after removing the 3d printed object from the build plate.
In this article, we will go through every step to properly clean 3d printer bed surface. There’ll be a separate tutorial for every common type of 3d printer bed like PEI, Glass, Adhesive Tape, Polypropylene, Anycubic Ultrabase, BuildTak
Now, let’s get started!
Type of 3d printer bed
There are various types of 3d printer beds on the market, each is made from different types of materials. Therefore, depending on the type of printer bed, there will be different cleaning methods.
Here are the most common types of 3d printer beds.
- PEI printer bed: PEI stands for Polyetherimide, an amorphous, amber-to-transparent thermoplastic with characteristics similar to the related plastic PEEK. Today, many 3d hobbyists are using PEI printer bed because of its adhesion and chemical stability. If you are using
- Glass 3D Printer Bed: Glass bed is becoming more and more popular because we can easily remove the 3d printed object from the surface of the glass bed. Glass 3D printer bed is also cheaper and easier to clean compared to other types of surface.
- Adhesive Tape: We can make the print bed more adhesive using Blue Tape. Blue tape will be applied directly to the printer bed surface (make sure the surface is clean and the blue tape strips are not overlapped in 2 layers).
- Polypropylene 3d printer bed: Polypropylene is a semi-rigid and lightweight material with good adhesion and smooth surface. Polypropylene works well with ABS, PLA, PETG, wood and many other types of filament. Thats’ why many 3d printing users are using this type of material for their 3d printer bed.
- Anycubic ultrabase 3d printer bed: Anycubic ultrabase is originally a 3d printer bed integrated within Anycubic 3d printer. Anycubic ultrabase has very good adhesion and also, it’s very easy to remove 3d printed objects off the surface after the print is finished. As this type 3d printer bed has so much love from the community, the provider decided to provide this 3d printer bed as a separate component. Today, many types of 3d printers support Anycubic ultrabase 3d printer bed.
Step by Step to clean every type of 3d printer bed
For each type of 3d printer bed, the cleaning method, as well as the materials used to clean the surface, will be different.
Here’s how to properly clean every type of 3d printer bed mentioned in the previous section of this article:
How to clean a PEI printer bed
| Things to prepare:
– Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) at 70% to 99.99% concentration – Acetone – Paper towels, microfiber cloth, or cotton – Sandpaper |
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Step 1: First, make sure that the 3d printer bed has cooled down before starting to clean.
Pour a little Isopropyl Alcohol on paper towels or microfiber cloth, start to wipe the surface of the PEI printer bed.
In most cases, 70% is a safe concentration that will not adversely affect the PEI surface.
Step 2: If alcohol is not enough to clean the plastic patches on the surface of the printer bed, use Acetone. Pour the acetone on the microfiber cloth and start wiping thoroughly the leftover plastic on the bed.
Step 3: If the sticky plastic is hard and difficult to remove, use sandpaper. Gently rub the sandpaper all over the paper in smooth, even circles to remove minor scratches and burrs.
Fine dust may be generated during rubbing with sandpaper, so be sure to wipe the printer bed surface once more with a cloth or cloth dipped in alcohol.
How to Get Rid of Glue on a PEI 3D Printer Bed
| Things to prepare:
– Window Cleaner Spray Bottle – Microfiber cloth – 3D printer scraper |
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Step 1: Spray the window cleaner you prepared into the glue area.
Step 2: Wait 2-3 minutes, then clean the area with a paper towel or microfiber cloth
Step 3: Finally, use a 3D printer scraper to remove the remaining glue from the surface. Be careful while scraping off the glue, and don’t use a sharp scraper or you will end up scratching the printer bed.
Finally, clean the surface once again with microfiber cloth.
Cleaning PLA Off a Glass Bed
| Things to prepare:
– Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) at 70% to 99.99% concentration – Disk soap – Water – An empty spray bottle |
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Step 1: First, we will make the cleaner liquid. Mix water and alcohol into an empty spray bottle with a ratio of 50/50. Finally, add 1 drop of dish soap liquid to the above mixture and shake well.
Step 2: Next, we will warm up the printer bed, the optimal temperature is about 50-60 degrees so that the material becomes softer and does not cause burns when we clean it.
Step 3: Now everything is ready, let’s spray the detergent mixture we created in step 1 onto a soft cloth and gently cleaning the printer bed in smooth, even circles.
Cleaning ABS Off a Glass Bed
| Things to prepare:
– Acetone – Microfiber Cloth |
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Cleaning ABS off a glass bed is quite easy. all you need to prepare is Acetone and Microfiber Cloth. (That’s one reason why people love using ABS on their glass printer bed!)
Step 1: First, remove the printed object from the printer bed and wait until the surface has cooled down.
Step 2: Apply Acetone to the surface and wait for about 3 minutes. Finally, clean the surface with a Microfiber cloth.
How to clean Adhesive Tape Bed
| Things to prepare:
– Alcohol – Metal spatula – Replacement adhesive tape |
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Adhesive tape is a cheap and easy-to-replace material for 3d printed beds. The most convenient way to clean the printer bed using adhesive tape is to use a metal spatula. Although it’s quite simple to clean the adhesive tape printer beds, there are a few points to keep in mind if you do not want to damage the printer bed or affect the quality of the 3d print.
Step 1: Use a metal spatula to clean up the remaining 3d printed material on the surface of the adhesive tape
If the printer bed is clean and the adhesive tape surface is not damaged, simply use a soft cloth soaked in alcohol and gently wipe it again.
If the panel is scratched or peeled, skip to step 2
Step 2: In case the adhesive printer bed surface is peeled or scratched, we need to patch the damaged area or replace the entire surface of the adhesive tape.
Use your hands to peel off the damaged adhesive tape on the surface first. Next, use alcohol or soap to soak the microfiber towel and wipe away any remaining adhesive.
Step 3: Once the surface has been cleaned, use the new blue tape you prepared to apply to the printer bed surface.
Make sure the replacement tape surface is flat so that the 3d printed object does not detach from the surface during the printing process. When applying the new tape, remember to rub the surface to ensure that no air bubbles remain.
Polypropylene 3d printer bed
| Things to prepare:
– Alcohol – Microfiber Cloth |
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Polypropylene is a polymer with high mechanical strength. In 3d printing industry, Polypropylene is a very popular material for printer beds because of its affordability and natural adhesion.
The method of cleaning the printer bed made of polypropylene is quite similar to that of glass. However, there are a few things you should keep in mind to avoid losing the adhesion of the printer bed surface.
Step 1: Remove the 3d printed object from the printer bed
Step 2: Clean the surface with a microfiber cloth soaked in 90% alcohol
Remember to use a soft cloth and avoid rubbing the surface vigorously because Polypropylene is not a scratch-resistant material. If the surface is warped, consider replacing it with a new Polypropylene sheet to avoid affecting the 3d printing quality.
Anycubic ultrabase 3d printer bed
| Things to prepare:
– PE Cleaner – Thin tube – Dust-free cloth |
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Step 1: In order to obtain good adhesion, its necessary to ensure no grease on the surface
Step 2: Take out the pe cleaner agent and insert the thin tube into the orifice
Step 3: Wait for the hot bed temperature to drop to room temperature, about 33-34 degrees Celsius is fine.
Step 4: Spray a small amount of PE cleaner agent to the Anycubic ultrabase surface
Take out the dust-free cloth and rub it from one side to the other. Remember not to rub it back and forth repeatedly to avoid oil residue on the ultrabase surface
In order to protect the ultrabase coating, do not make the following mistake.
- Do not repeatedly wipe the ultrabase back and forth because it’s easy to leave oil stains on the ultrabase.
- Do not wipe the ultrabase vigorously, it is easy to damage the ultrabase coating.
- Do not immerse the ultrabase into a large amount of cleaning solution, which will damage the ultrabase coating
- Ultrabase surface cleaning should not be carried out when the temperature is still high, which will affect the microstructure of the printer bed.
Somethings you should keep in mind
Depending on the type of material of the pinter bed, cleaning methods and chemicals are also different. Before cleaning the printer bed, it is recommended that users read the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions.
If there’s no instruction, use the appropriate cleaning method based on the material of the printer bed.
When cleaning the surface of the printer bed, always remember to use a soft cloth and avoid scratching and warping the printer bed. Otherwise, you will have to pay extra to replace the new panel.
If you do not find a way to clean the type of printer bed you are using in this article, please leave a comment below. We are happy to guide you!
