Powder Coated PEI Steel Sheet  

Re: Powder Coated PEI Steel Sheet

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Genuine question, are you guys not familiar with the $50 after market powder coated PEI sheet available on eBay and Amazon? It actually works really well and the prints look awesome.

If you're lucky enough to get one with a uniform coating on it. I have two and have high/low spots all over both sheets. Without 7x7MBL my first layers are garbage and are just okay with 7x7MBL.

Re: Powder Coated PEI Steel Sheet

....
Genuine question, are you guys not familiar with the $50 after market powder coated PEI sheet available on eBay and Amazon? It actually works really well and the prints look awesome.

If you're lucky enough to get one with a uniform coating on it. I have two and have high/low spots all over both sheets. Without 7x7MBL my first layers are garbage and are just okay with 7x7MBL.

You’re correct about that. I bought a “v3” when it came out and it wasn’t great. The seller wasn’t helpful either and wouldn’t exchange it. For some reason I decided to give it another try and they’ve made the manufacturing process much more consistent.

I have 2 sample photos that may or may not help:

Current results:

A side by side comparison of prints on both “v3” prints. The lower left hand corner is from the first sheet I received and the upper right is the new one I just got:

I have printed something large on the new sheet and it the first layer was consistent using 7 x 7 MBL. I also use 7 x 7 MBL on my official stickered sheet because the first layer wasn’t consistent on the 3 x 3 MBL with the official sheet.

Re: Powder Coated PEI Steel Sheet

I have several of the after market V3 sheets and I am very happy with them. My second one has an issue with it. I filed a complaint with Amazon and it was replaced. My two sheets work well. No as well as the PRUSA TXT PC sheet, but they work.

Re: Powder Coated PEI Steel Sheet

I have several of the after market V3 sheets and I am very happy with them. My second one has an issue with it. I filed a complaint with Amazon and it was replaced. My two sheets work well. No as well as the PRUSA TXT PC sheet, but they work.

Nice! They didn’t give you an issue when you filed for an exchange?

Re: Powder Coated PEI Steel Sheet

Nope. Not a one. Although, mine was an obvious reason for exchange that rendered the bed unusable. I bought abother that is a second hand one. I will post th condition when I get it.

Re: Powder Coated PEI Steel Sheet

Hi, you can expect the official update about powder-coated sheets status during next week in the upcoming article at prusaprinters.org. We have already shipped over 10,000 pcs of these sheets, but the production process is very complicated as we wrote in our previous articles/updates. A new batch of sheets is in production this week with the different process with different silk screen method, hopefully increasing the yield and simplifying the cooperations. Disclaimer, this is not a promise that more will ship right next week.

Right now, we have sent all vouchers for free smooth PEI sheets and for 30 USD discount and we are still waiting with powder-coated sheets vouchers (except the first batch of early MK3 orders which were already sent at the beginning of December 2018). Everyone from early orders who had the printer order on hold waiting for TXT got their free sheet. If you didn’t and there was a mistake, contact support.

Yet another weekend of great quality prints from the MK3. It really mostly is a great bit of kit. I'm just looking forward to finally getting my hands on a Powder Coated Spring Steel Sheet so I no longer have to live with the flat and shiny bottom on every print

Looking forward to the update that blixa confirmed is dropping this week.

Re: Powder Coated PEI Steel Sheet

update that blixa confirmed is dropping this week.

Who is this person and what did they confirm?

Re: Powder Coated PEI Steel Sheet

Who is this person and what did they confirm?

A forum admin / Prusa employee

Re: Powder Coated PEI Steel Sheet

Who is this person and what did they confirm?

A forum admin / Prusa employee

Thanks, I found it.

Re: Powder Coated PEI Steel Sheet

The new Prusa Blog post tells you all about the state of the powder coated sheets:

https://www.prusaprinters.org/original-prusa-i3-mk3s-and-mmu2s-release-sl1-and-powder-coated-sheets-update/

Re: Powder Coated PEI Steel Sheet

I wish they would give more details.

Re: Powder Coated PEI Steel Sheet

I replied to the email about receiving the sheet a while back and I was wondering if the voucher should be in my account by now which it isn’t. I’m not in a hurry but has anyone else received a voucher yet? Thanks.

Re: Powder Coated PEI Steel Sheet

The new Prusa Blog post tells you all about the state of the powder coated sheets:

https://www.prusaprinters.org/original-prusa-i3-mk3s-and-mmu2s-release-sl1-and-powder-coated-sheets-update/

Disappointing that nothing's a little more concrete considering we've been hearing that the Powder Coated sheers will be ready 'soon' going on 15 odd months. As has been said by many over the past year it's hard not to recognise the struggles and challenges that the Powder Coated sheets have created, but it would be nice to see some transparency surrounding their expected supply timeline.

What does 'soon' mean? What variables are at play, and how do these affect what order customers receive their sheets? Are they being produced and sent out in batches of 1000/2500/5000/10000 etc? If so, how long does the batch take to manufacture? Are the batches being sent in priority of MK3 Printer order date (those who ordered first get there sheet fulfilled first) or is fulfilment being met in line with who chose their 'voucher' first followed by who paid the remaining sum for their sheet once the voucher finally arrived? And when are the vouchers even arriving?

Prusa doesn't need to offer exact dates (which I'd imagine nobody unfairly expects) in order to provide improved transparency about the situation. In real terms 'soon' means almost nothing and it's yet another 'holding' update that's designed to encourage whilst actually leaving many thousands of customers in the dark.

soon
/suːn/

adverb
adverb: soon; comparative adverb: sooner; superlative adverb: soonest

1. in or after a short time.
"everyone will soon know"

How long is a short time?

During the long term, all factors are variable. A length of time is relative to the expectations relating to the measure surrounding the event.

Re: Powder Coated PEI Steel Sheet

I replied to the email about receiving the sheet a while back and I was wondering if the voucher should be in my account by now which it isn’t. I’m not in a hurry but has anyone else received a voucher yet? Thanks.

According to one or two people (earlier in this thread) vouchers have gone out to some early adopters (2017) and shaun.m3 even reports to having received a sheet 3 weeks ago now. But it looks like the majority of people are still waiting to receive their vouchers (me included). I think it could still be some weeks/months before the vouchers arrive, especially if you purchased your Mk3 Printer in 2018.

Re: Powder Coated PEI Steel Sheet

hopped in to find some news about the ordered powdered pei-sheet ... and noticed others have the same question.

So, the same for me:
ordered the MK3 with powdered sheet september 2017 I think.
Received the MK3 around april 2018-ish ...
read multiple reports about the powdered sheet,
got an e-mail about the vouchers ... answered and confirmed my desire to still want that powdered sheet ..
never heared from Prusa about this issue again ...

Re: Powder Coated PEI Steel Sheet

I replied to the email about receiving the sheet a while back and I was wondering if the voucher should be in my account by now which it isn’t. I’m not in a hurry but has anyone else received a voucher yet? Thanks.

According to one or two people (earlier in this thread) vouchers have gone out to some early adopters (2017) and shaun.m3 even reports to having received a sheet 3 weeks ago now. But it looks like the majority of people are still waiting to receive their vouchers (me included). I think it could still be some weeks/months before the vouchers arrive, especially if you purchased your Mk3 Printer in 2018.

You may be correct. The correct version is that the majority of folsk that post to the forum.

Re: Powder Coated PEI Steel Sheet

I havent read the entire thread (sorry) but there is a guy on eBay selling a textured plate that will work with the MK3. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Prusa-i3-MK3-Mk2-5-Double-sided-Pei-TEXTURED-Powder-Coated-spring-steel-sheet-V3/232936788378?epid=17028314681&hash=item363c1d519a:g:8YIAAOSwespbpYZ-:rk:2:pf:1&frcectupt=true

My 1st Mk3 I got last August came with a textured plate and its been a great experience. Very reliable prints, few failures, excellent results. Those results are why I ordered a 2nd printer just a month ago. Unfortunately that one came with the smooth plate. I can 100% tell you that if the 1st printer had come with the smooth plate I would never have ordered a 2nd machine. Its been a nightmare to dial in and at least 50% of the prints fail. Thank goodness Im running it on Octoprint and the Exclude Region plugin. That's the only reason I get anything off the new printer.

Since it looks like there is no chance of getting another textured plate from Prusa anytime soon I'm really tempted to just order the one off eBay. I'm sure its not the same quality but anything has to be better then the smooth plate.

Just my two cents. Prusa needs to find another source for the textured plates. I find it very hard to believe there isn't a manufacture in Shenzhen that couldn't pump these out all day at a fair price.

Re: Powder Coated PEI Steel Sheet

I havent read the entire thread (sorry) but there is a guy on eBay selling a textured plate that will work with the MK3. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Prusa-i3-MK3-Mk2-5-Double-sided-Pei-TEXTURED-Powder-Coated-spring-steel-sheet-V3/232936788378?epid=17028314681&hash=item363c1d519a:g:8YIAAOSwespbpYZ-:rk:2:pf:1&frcectupt=true

My 1st Mk3 I got last August came with a textured plate and its been a great experience. Very reliable prints, few failures, excellent results. Those results are why I ordered a 2nd printer just a month ago. Unfortunately that one came with the smooth plate. I can 100% tell you that if the 1st printer had come with the smooth plate I would never have ordered a 2nd machine. Its been a nightmare to dial in and at least 50% of the prints fail. Thank goodness Im running it on Octoprint and the Exclude Region plugin. That's the only reason I get anything off the new printer.

Since it looks like there is no chance of getting another textured plate from Prusa anytime soon I'm really tempted to just order the one off eBay. I'm sure its not the same quality but anything has to be better then the smooth plate.

Just my two cents. Prusa needs to find another source for the textured plates. I find it very hard to believe there isn't a manufacture in Shenzhen that couldn't pump these out all day at a fair price.

If you read the blog post there are numerous suppliers that can *make* them, but not to the level of adhesion they want, which specifically considers that they don't want users tearing chunks out of the coating when they try to remove flex or PETG prints.

In contrast I've had zero adhesion issues with the smooth sheet once I learned how to handle and care for it.

Re: Powder Coated PEI Steel Sheet

For PLA the smooth sheet is fine but I mostly print in PETG and the 1st few layers are always an issue. No matter how much tweaking I do or what glue stick i try its nearly always lifts or detaches completely. I've tried over and over again adjusting Z and speeds, and temps, its always the same. Poor bed adhesion and many many failed prints. Again if it wasn't for Octoprint nearly all of them would be trash.

Don't get me wrong the printer is fine and like I said my 1st printer with the textured sheet is great. I've run it nearly non stop for the last several months and aside from normal maintenance it just prints, and prints, and prints. But the smooth sheet with PETG sucks.

Now its completely understandable that Prusa doesn't want to make promises they cant keep. I don't think anyone blames them for not setting ETA's, but it would be a great ideal to post updates somewhere. Maybe a weekly blog post like. "This Weeks Textured Plate Hurtles". Spend 1/2 hour a week updating the blog and let customers comment on what may help move this ball along. I'm sure Prusa and the plate manufacture have top engineers working on it but they cant know everything and it sometimes takes a fresh perspective to fix a problem. Just saying it couldn't hurt and if customers could see that progress is being made that would buy Prusa more time and help build customer relations.

Re: Powder Coated PEI Steel Sheet

I find obviously depending on your settings, that if you lower the nozzle for the beginning of the print, example Z at -0.475 to start print, and then when first layer is finished move Z up to -0.275 this gets me good results with PETG, however I normally have to abort 1 or 2 first layer prints, after this all works well, maybe it is a heatbed issue, but maybe firmware updates might resolve this later.................. 😉 😉 😉