Achieving excellent adhesion between your 3D print and the print bed is crucial for ensuring successful prints. If your prints aren’t sticking properly to the bed, they can warp, detach during printing, or fail altogether. While using glue, hairspray, or specialized bed adhesion products can help, many users prefer to avoid these solutions. Fortunately, there are several methods you can use to improve bed adhesion without the need for glue or other adhesive sprays.
This guide explores practical techniques and tips for increasing adhesion on your print bed naturally, without the mess of glue.
1. Ensure the Print Bed is Properly Cleaned
Why It’s Important:
A clean print bed is essential for ensuring good adhesion. Dust, oil, grease, or filament residue can prevent the first layer from sticking properly to the bed, leading to failed prints.
How to Clean:
- Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA): Use a lint-free cloth or paper towel to wipe down the print bed with 70%-99% isopropyl alcohol. This helps remove any oil or residue left from handling the bed or previous prints.
- Warm Water and Soap: For a deeper clean, wash the bed with warm water and mild dish soap. Dry thoroughly afterward to avoid water spots that could affect adhesion.
- Avoid Fingerprints: Always clean the bed before printing to remove any fingerprints, as oils from your hands can create a layer that reduces adhesion.
2. Level the Print Bed
Why It’s Important:
An improperly leveled bed can cause uneven distances between the nozzle and the bed surface, leading to poor adhesion on one side or inconsistent extrusion on the first layer.
How to Level the Bed:
- Manual Bed Leveling: If your printer has manual bed leveling, adjust each of the corner screws while moving the nozzle to each corner. Ensure the nozzle is just a hair’s width above the bed, not too high or too low.
- Auto Bed Leveling: For printers with auto-bed leveling, make sure the leveling process is completed correctly. Run the auto-leveling sequence to ensure that the bed is properly calibrated.
3. Adjust the First Layer Settings
Why It’s Important:
The first layer plays a significant role in adhesion. A proper first layer ensures that the print sticks well to the bed and prevents warping or detaching.
How to Adjust First Layer Settings:
- Lower the First Layer Height: Set the first layer height to 0.2-0.3mm (depending on your nozzle size) to help the filament “squeeze” into the bed surface, increasing surface contact and adhesion.
- Reduce the First Layer Speed: Slowing down the first layer print speed to around 20-30% of your usual print speed gives the filament more time to adhere to the bed properly.
- Increase the First Layer Extrusion: Increase the extrusion multiplier or flow rate for the first layer. This ensures a thicker, more solid first layer that adheres better.
4. Increase Bed Temperature
Why It’s Important:
A heated bed is essential for promoting better adhesion, especially with certain filament types. A warm bed can help the filament stick better by preventing warping during the initial stages of printing.
How to Adjust:
- Filament-Specific Temperatures: Check the recommended bed temperature for the material you’re using. For PLA, around 50-60°C is often ideal. ABS typically requires a bed temperature of 90-110°C.
- Gradual Heating: Make sure the bed heats up gradually before printing. Sudden temperature changes can affect adhesion and may cause warping.
5. Use a Different Print Surface
Why It’s Important:
The surface texture of your print bed can significantly affect adhesion. Some materials work better with specific bed surfaces, and using a surface that’s ideal for your filament can improve adhesion.
Different Bed Surface Options:
- Glass Bed: Glass is an excellent flat surface that can offer good adhesion when properly heated. For materials like PLA, you can sometimes print directly onto a glass bed without glue.
- BuildTak or PEI Sheets: BuildTak or PEI (Polyetherimide) sheets provide an excellent adhesive surface for a wide variety of filaments. These sheets often offer strong adhesion without the need for glue.
- Blue Painter’s Tape: Blue painter’s tape can be a low-cost alternative to adhesives. It provides a rough surface that helps with adhesion, especially for PLA.
- Magnetic Flexible Beds: Magnetic beds with flexible build plates allow easy print removal, and some materials like PLA stick well to these surfaces without glue.
6. Use Rafts or Brims
Why It’s Important:
Rafts and brims are print additions designed to improve bed adhesion. A raft is a layer of material printed under the model, while a brim is a few additional rings around the model’s perimeter.
How to Use:
- Rafts: A raft can provide better adhesion to the print bed, especially when printing on a cold or poorly leveled bed. It also helps in prints with small footprints, preventing warping.
- Brims: A brim is typically added using your slicing software and adds extra material around the base of your print to improve adhesion, especially for prints with small surface areas.
7. Optimize the Print Speed and Flow
Why It’s Important:
If the extrusion rate is too fast or slow, it can result in poor adhesion. A consistent flow of filament during the first few layers ensures proper bonding with the print bed.
How to Adjust:
- First Layer Flow: Set the extrusion multiplier (flow rate) for the first layer to about 110%-120% to increase the amount of filament extruded during the first layer. This can help the material adhere better to the bed.
- Lower Print Speed: Reduce the print speed for the first layer to allow the filament to adhere properly. Slower speeds give the material more time to bond to the bed.
8. Increase the Nozzle Temperature
Why It’s Important:
The nozzle temperature affects how the filament extrudes. A higher temperature can help improve adhesion by making the filament more fluid, ensuring it bonds better with the bed.
How to Adjust:
- Filament-Specific Temperatures: Make sure to check the recommended nozzle temperature for your filament. For PLA, a temperature between 190-210°C works well, while ABS requires higher temperatures (220-250°C).
- Increase Slightly: If you’re experiencing adhesion issues, you can try increasing the nozzle temperature by 5-10°C to help the filament adhere more effectively.
9. Use Better Filament Quality
Why It’s Important:
The quality of your filament directly affects adhesion. Low-quality filaments may have inconsistent properties, such as diameter variations, moisture content, or additives that interfere with adhesion.
How to Ensure High-Quality Filament:
- Purchase from Reliable Brands: Stick to well-known and trusted filament brands that maintain high-quality control.
- Store Filament Properly: Store your filament in a dry and cool place, as moisture can reduce print quality and adhesion. Consider using a filament dryer or desiccant to keep moisture out.
- Check Filament Consistency: Measure the filament diameter at various points to ensure it’s consistent. Irregularities in diameter can cause inconsistent extrusion and affect adhesion.
Conclusion
Improving adhesion without using glue or adhesives is achievable through proper bed cleaning, leveling, and optimizing print settings. By following the tips outlined above, such as adjusting the first layer height, temperature, and print speed, you can achieve a strong bond between your print and the bed, preventing failures and ensuring successful prints.
Remember, the key to good adhesion lies in the combination of the right settings, a clean bed, and using the appropriate surfaces and techniques. If you apply these methods, you should see a significant improvement in your prints’ adhesion quality.