3D Printing
News Videos Newsletter Contact us
Home / Tips and Tricks / Bed Adhesion and Squish
qidi

Bed Adhesion and Squish

July 10, 2018

Your 3D printer is all fired up, filament loaded and ready to go, you think you have it all under control and press print. Everything seems ok at first but you leave the room for 5 minutes only to come back to a mess of filament and a dislodged print. Your print is ruined, you have to start over and this time with the constant worry if the print will fail or not. Bed adhesion and getting those first layers to stick are critical to your success at printing. Everything starts with the first layer, the foundation if you will of your printing.

PEI print surface

PEI (polyetherimide) is a surface that makes your 3D prints stick better to the print platform. It makes the use of rafts (see below) redundant. It mostly comes in the form of a sheet that you attach on for instance a glass bed. PEI sheets are available on Amazon, Aliexpress et cetera.

BuildTak

I have been using BuildTak for a few months now and thus far it sticks extremely well, almost too well. After contacting support they recommended me to find ‘the sweet spot’. It is crucial that you discover the optimal nozzle height for your 3D printer and settings. Here are some tips:

  • Start leveling at a safe nozzle height of about .25mm (or the thickness of a typical business card) and run a test print, paying close attention to the first layer. To find the sweet spot, it is always better to start with the nozzle height higher than what you might be used to with other solutions.
  • Changing your nozzle temp, material used, print speed, et cetera may require re-discovery of the optimal nozzle height.

If after reading this post and you still have adhesive problems, BuildTak will fix it. Just explicitly follow their setup instructions with little to no first layer squish otherwise your print will become part of your printer. BuildTak sheets are available in different sizes on Amazon, Aliexpress et cetera.

Related Story
BuildTak Launches New FlexPlate System For Easy Removal of 3D Prints

Print bed additives (tape, glue stick and hairspray)

A lot of people are using a variety of things applied to their print bed to get better adhesion. We are seeing things like painters tape, hairspray, glue sticks etc applied to the bed in hopes the print will stick. I don’t use any of these as I feel it’s not consistent or reliable and typically just makes a mess to clean up.

Bed_kapton

I only use Kapton tape and sometimes a self made acetone/ABS mixture. Kapton tape has many uses in the lab. It’s functional between −269 to +400 °C, is used in space and also adheres very well under water among several other attributes.

To apply the tape you’ll need to remove the glass from the build plate and apply the tape underwater or with a spray bottle and water. Get a plastic tub big enough to accommodate the glass build plate, fill with water and cut some lengths of Kapton tape and apply under the water. Be sure that there are no bubbles under the tape before applying and carefully line up the lengths of tape against each other and press down.
It’s also recommended to use a plastic scraper to press the tape down against the glass to get a bubble free layer. Hold the scraper at a diagonal and run gently along the the length of the tape. If you mess up you can just peel off and try again with little worries.

Most times I only use the Kapton tape but for some ABS builds that have little surface contact with the build plate I use ABS juice. Unfortunately this ABS/acetone mix is highly flammable, noxious off-gases, corrosive and very sticky.

warping example 3d printing
Related Story
How to Prevent Warping

I built a ventilated, thermally regulated enclosure for ABS printing. So if your clumsy and don’t have a well ventilated area, maybe hold off on the ABS/acetone for now. If you still want to make the mix it’s just a matter of dissolving ABS plastic in acetone until it gets creamy, viola you have ABS juice.

Getting proper Squish and bed Calibration

Layer_printing

Depending on your printer you will need to learn how to level the print bed for that particular printer first. Don’t cut corners on this, take the time to get each corner perfect and locked in.
Some people use a sheet a paper and many printer manufactures recommend it this way however I use a business card. The business card which is .35mm-.36mm in thickness should be of smooth finish and a non-inked surface facing up to make contact with the hot-end.  Also a business card is far easier to handle and more rigid then a sliver of paper.
Now heat up your build plate and extruder hot-end to calibrate and fine tune the printer. Obviously differing materials contract and expand differently at different temperatures. You want to replicate your actual printing environment to get really accurate results.
Furthermore the business card needs to be of non-inked surface because the hot-end will melt and pull of the finish or ink of the card. After you finish levelling it’s time to test print and adjust your G-code or Z axis off-set accordingly to get good squish on the first layer. The first layer of plastic should be flattened in appearance but not so thin to become transparent.

layers

Now we are printing reliably with some good quality filament and good bed adhesion. You should be able to print 30-40 hour prints with little worry provided you have enough filament on the spool of course.

How 3D Printing Enhances the VR and AR Gaming Experience
Related Story
3D Printers for Beginners
Best 3D Printers 2024
Related Story
Best 3D Printers – Buyers Guide
Share:
WhatsApp Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Buffer Reddit E-mail
About the author | Steve Henshaw
Steve is the founder of SolidXYZ 3D printing based in Canada. He has a past in oil and gas operations, dental, pharma, military and more recently an entrepreneur in the 3D printing space. Steve is very passionate about science with particular interests in the cosmos, Ai, robotics and cybernetics.
Join our newsletter

Our newsletter is free & you can unsubscribe any time.

Latest posts

Fraunhofer, MacLean-Fogg, and Toyota Develop Large-Scale 3D Printing System for Automotive Die Casting Molds

The Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT has partnered with powder manufacturer MacLean-Fogg and Toyota to develop a 3D printing solution for manufacturing... read more »

3D Printing Metal
Fraunhofer, MacLean-Fogg, and Toyota Develop Large-Scale 3D Printing System for Automotive Die Casting Molds

ASTM International Approves New Standard to Streamline AM Processes

ASTM International's additive manufacturing technologies committee (F42) has approved a new standard designed to help businesses navigate the procurement and delivery of 3D... read more »

News
ASTM International Approves New Standard to Streamline AM Processes

Trek Launches 3D Printed AirLoom Saddle Line

Trek has introduced its first 3D-printed saddle series, the Aeolus AirLoom, featuring what the company calls AirLoom lattice technology. The new design updates... read more »

News
Trek Launches 3D Printed AirLoom Saddle Line

QuesTek Partners with Niobium Producer to Develop High-Temperature 3D Printing Alloy

QuesTek Innovations has partnered with a global niobium producer to develop a high-temperature alloy designed for additive manufacturing. The project targets aerospace and... read more »

3D Printing Metal
QuesTek Partners with Niobium Producer to Develop High-Temperature 3D Printing Alloy

Autodesk Research and Additive Tectonics Develop 3D Printed Floor System with Alternative Materials

Autodesk Research has partnered with Additive Tectonics to develop a new approach to concrete floor construction using 3D printing technology. The collaboration combines... read more »

Construction

NREL Acquires Large-Scale Metal 3D Printer to Advance Marine Energy Research

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has installed a new laser-powered metal 3D printer at its Flatirons Campus to support marine energy device... read more »

3D Printing Metal
NREL Acquires Large-Scale Metal 3D Printer to Advance Marine Energy Research

Apple Adopts 3D Printing for Titanium USB-C Ports in New iPhone Air

Apple’s latest smartphone release marks a quiet but notable step in consumer electronics manufacturing: the company has confirmed that its new iPhone Air... read more »

3D Printing Metal
Apple Iphone 17 air

GKN Aerospace Expands Connecticut Facility for 3D Printed Engine Components

GKN Aerospace announced the expansion of its Newington, Connecticut facility to include a new production line for additively manufactured Fan Case Mount Ring... read more »

Aerospace
GKN Aerospace Expands Connecticut Facility for 3D Printed Engine Components

UltiMaker Launches Secure 3D Printing Line for Defense Applications

UltiMaker has introduced its Secure Line of 3D printing products specifically designed for defense and high-security environments. The initial lineup includes the UltiMaker... read more »

News
UltiMaker Launches Secure 3D Printing Line for Defense Applications

Digital Manufacturing Centre Delivers 90kg 3D Printed Military Vehicle Component

The Digital Manufacturing Centre (DMC) has completed production of its largest additive manufacturing metal component to date - a 90kg suspension and differential... read more »

3D Printing Metal
Digital Manufacturing Centre Delivers 90kg 3D Printed Military Vehicle Component

Social

  • Facebook Facebook 3D Printing
  • Linkedin Linkedin 3D Printing
Join our newsletter

Our newsletter is free & you can unsubscribe any time.

Featured Industries

  • Automotive
  • Aerospace
  • Construction
  • Dental
  • Environmental
  • Electronics
  • Fashion
  • Medical
  • Military
  • Snapmaker Artisan Premium 3-in-1

    • - Print size: 400 x 400 x 400 mm
    • - comes with enclosure
    More details »
    $2,999.00 Snapmaker
    Buy Now
  • QIDI Tech Q1 Pro

    • - Print size: 245 x 245 x 245 mm
    • - 600mm/s max speed
    More details »
    $449.00 QIDI Store
    Buy Now
  • QIDI Plus4

    • - Print size: 305 x 305 x 280 mm
    • - print temperature of 370°C
    More details »
    $799.00 QIDI Store
    Buy Now
  • QIDI Tech X-Max 3

    • - Print size: 325 x 325 x 315 mm
    • - fully enclosed
    More details »
    $799.00 QIDI Store
    Buy Now

Company Information

  • What is 3D Printing?
  • Contact us
  • Join our mailing list
  • Advertise with us
  • Media Kit
  • Nederland 3D Printing

Blog

  • Latest News
  • Use Cases
  • Reviews
  • 3D Printers
  • 3D Printing Metal

Featured Reviews

  • Anycubic Photon Mono M5s
  • Creality Ender 5 S1
  • The Mole 3D Scanner
  • Flashforge Creator 3 Pro

Featured Industries

  • Automotive
  • Aerospace
  • Construction
  • Dental
  • Environmental
  • Electronics
  • Medical
  • Military
  • Fashion
  • Art
2025 — Strikwerda en Dehue
  • Home
  • Join our mailing list
  • Contact us
Blog
  • Latest News
  • Use Cases
  • Reviews
  • 3D Printers
  • 3D Printing Metal
Featured Industries
  • Automotive
  • Aerospace
  • Construction
  • Dental
  • Environmental
  • Electronics
  • Medical
  • Military
  • Fashion
  • Art
Company Information
  • What is 3D Printing?
  • Contact us
  • Join our mailing list
  • Advertise with us
  • Media Kit
  • Nederland 3D Printing