Powder coated PEI Sheet Use  

RE: Powder coated PEI Sheet Use

Posted by: robert.b47

Going from a Prusa PEI sheet to Prusa powder coated my Live-Z changed slightly, from -1.25 to -1.30.

That seems like too small of a jump.  Mine was like -0.25 difference.  

RE: Powder coated PEI Sheet Use

Posted by: robert.b47

Going from a Prusa PEI sheet to Prusa powder coated my Live-Z changed slightly, from -1.25 to -1.30.

Something doesn't sound correct here. Either the pc sheets have gotten thicker or the stickered sheets have gotten thinner, me thinks you are doing something incorrect my friend. 🙄 

The difference in live z in the Prusa pc sheet and Prusa stickered sheets 
I have is around 0.300.

A little tip for: If you don't already own a set of vernier callipers go out and buy a decent set, preferably a digital set for ease of use and then measure both of your sheets and this should give you a good starting point when calibrating your live z. 😀 

RE: Powder coated PEI Sheet Use

Posted by: tony.s8

Posted by: robert.b47

Going from a Prusa PEI sheet to Prusa powder coated my Live-Z changed slightly, from -1.25 to -1.30.

Something doesn't sound correct here. Either the pc sheets have gotten thicker or the stickered sheets have gotten thinner, me thinks you are doing something incorrect my friend. 🙄 

The difference in live z in the Prusa pc sheet and Prusa stickered sheets 
I have is around 0.300.

A little tip for: If you don't already own a set of vernier callipers go out and buy a decent set, preferably a digital set for ease of use and then measure both of your sheets and this should give you a good starting point when calibrating your live z. 😀 

Physically and reality are not always the same with live Z. I agree it should be close, but it rarely measures out to the same as the difference in thickness.  

RE: Powder coated PEI Sheet Use

Posted by: robert.b47

Going from a Prusa PEI sheet to Prusa powder coated my Live-Z changed slightly, from -1.25 to -1.30.

Try going further... My original sheet was -0.375 and I just got my Textured sheet and increased it to 0.4 (thinking that people had recommended +0.025, rather than 0.25) and it was fine.. But then I realised my mistake and went closer and each time the quality improved.

And finally, like everyone I found that +0.25 extra did the trick.. So I am now at 0.625)... And this is no surprise as I measured the bed and the original is 1.1mm.. And the textured is only around 0.85mm.

So if you have only increased by a fraction, you might find that your quality will improve further if you go a bit more...

RE: Powder coated PEI Sheet Use

Posted by: charles.h13

Posted by: tony.s8

Posted by: robert.b47

Going from a Prusa PEI sheet to Prusa powder coated my Live-Z changed slightly, from -1.25 to -1.30.

Something doesn't sound correct here. Either the pc sheets have gotten thicker or the stickered sheets have gotten thinner, me thinks you are doing something incorrect my friend. 🙄 

The difference in live z in the Prusa pc sheet and Prusa stickered sheets 
I have is around 0.300.

A little tip for: If you don't already own a set of vernier callipers go out and buy a decent set, preferably a digital set for ease of use and then measure both of your sheets and this should give you a good starting point when calibrating your live z. 😀 

Physically and reality are not always the same with live Z. I agree it should be close, but it rarely measures out to the same as the difference in thickness.  

That is about my same experience.  Live and learn from your mistakes.   Some will seem like you are right until you try to print a more sensative filament.  

RE: Powder coated PEI Sheet Use

Posted by: jbinfl

[...] I use a small square of painters tape that I made into a tab and stuck to the edge of all the sheets, like the stick on tabs you can get for file folders and numbered the sheets and include a side a and b with a sharpie pen.

The blue painters tape tabs have held up well, no effect from the heat of the heatbed or washing with dish soap for months. It is only on maybe a 1/4 inch of the edge of the sheet and is probably 3/8 of an inch by 3/8 of an inch hangover. works pretty well and is a handy grab point for dish soap washes.

We seem to have lost the ability to send PMs. Just wanted to follow-up on this great idea:

RE: Powder coated PEI Sheet Use

This is what I have done instead:

I've defined a new printer preset for each of the bed sheets. The Smooth PEI bed is 'base', meaning 0.0 Z offset, the Garolite is thicker (positive Z offset), the Powder Coated is thinner (negative Z offset). Now when I print I just select the right printer and don't need to care about blue tape. 🙂

Plus, when I disassemble the printer again and the PINDA probe is at a different height, I don't need to redo the blue tape markings, because I calibrate for the Smooth PEI and the Garolite and Powder Coated offsets are added automatically to that Live Z value.

(I wonder if I should also tweak the total printer Z height.)

RE: Powder coated PEI Sheet Use

I think I am going to try the Z-offset.  I am working on an article on various powder coated sheets.  I will use the tape and z-offset in it.  

RE: Powder coated PEI Sheet Use

Just another approach to the blue tape...  I kind of like to keep track of the usage of the plates and flip them with each use.  I started using Brother PTouch labels to identify the sheet number and side.  Something like "PC 1 Side 1" and "PC 1 side 2".  I have 3 PEI sheets and 2 PC sheets.   Putting the Z Height on them would be a great idea.  Until now I have been keeping a log for each sheet.

The labels are NOT affected by  IPA/Windex/Soap

Robin

RE: Powder coated PEI Sheet Use

Robin:

I like the label maker idea. High Tech!  I created a little table in excel that I print out and write the various live-Z values on and tape to the front of my enclosure.  That way it can be updated for nozzle changes and such.

I wonder if it would be hard for Prusa to add an "A" and "B" to the printed on ink on the sheets during production...  Like in an out of the way top corner or something and further, why they did not do that already.  Maybe I will suggest that as an improvement for future production since so many people have multiple sheets now. 😲 😲 

The Z offset in Plicer is also intriguing, but I do wonder if changing nozzle sizes may impact the usefulness since there is slight Z changes that I noticed after changing nozzles...  Also, does that mean that the gcode is only created for that specific sheet and live Z?  That could be a downside since I create batches of Gcodes and then switch sheets after a print to allow the sheet that was used to cool down naturally and then go right into a new print after adjusting to a new live z.  I read that they were implementing multiple live z values in a future firmware update and cannot wait to try that out.

Finally, thank you Bobstro for the shout out!

RE: Powder coated PEI Sheet Use

I have been labeling my z-offset on the sheet for about a month or 2.  I use a bother labeler.  It works great

RE: Powder coated PEI Sheet Use

Jbin/Charles/All,

My labels stick nicely.  I have not thought to remove them and I am not sure I would want to risk it after heat/cool cycles.  They are currently used for sheet number and side of the sheet.  The Brother PTouch labels stick well under heat and I have used them for about 6 months.  I am working with 2 PEI sheets right now though 3 are labeled and I just got the new Powder Coated ones.  They initially stuck well but are starting to act up.  I will have to try Bobstro's website tricks for getting the Z offset/first layer correct since they have been through a few heat/cool cycles since I got them and PETG no longer sticks well.  I have started a table for my sheets.  I may need to tune each one separately.

Robin