NinjaFlex on PEI?

Filament
1

Hi all,
I’ve been trying to print NinjaFlex on my TAZ4 with a PEI bed. The NinjaFlex prints great with the FlexyDually but it sticks so well to the PEI bed I’m having difficulty getting it off. I’m not heating the bed, not using anything on the PEI, cleaning the PEI with acetone before printing. Usually when I pull stuff I’ve printed off the bed it pulls a few strands of NinjaFlex off the part. Anyone have any suggestions? What are you guys printing NinjaFlex on?

John

2

I have had success with Ninjaflex printing on completely clean PET tape

https://www.lulzbot.com/Pet-Tape-12x12-sheet-green-5-pack

I usually wipe it with a wet sponge and then with a bit of acetone before the print. It sticks well during the print and comes off easily when it’s done. I have been using the recommended settings of a 35 C print bed.

3

I’ve tried a few surfaces but I keep going back to bare glass. Ninjaflex and PLA both print fantastic on it using only a purple Elmer’s glue stick. With Ninjaflex I usually heat it to only 35C for the first layer and then have the bed heater off after that.

4

NinjaFlex sticks too much to PEI. We recommend printing on bare glass, on glue stick (as a barrier between ninjaflex and PEI), or on painters tape. You can just get a bare sheet of glass to match your printer, as it doesn’t need to be heated. If you remove the PEI sheet, it is very difficult to remove the adhesive.

5

I just started using Ninjaflex with the new Flexystruder tool head for my mini. Do I need to coat the PEI with glue stick for every single job. If so, what do I do to remove “that waxy buildup” on the PEI :laughing: (throwback to an old linolium waxing commercial)? I like the alternative of painters tape, but what do I do about self leveling with the additional thickness of the painters tape.

6

A fresh layer between jobs will be helpful, be you want to keep the layer as thin as possible. Globs on the surface can affect adhesion. The glue is more for a separating agent, that prevents the NinjaFlex from bonding with the PEI.

Glue sticks will be water soluble, so a damp paper towel can be used to clean off the plate between prints or when switching back to a more standard filament.

EDIT (I knew I saw this one somewhere)
Glue stick on PEI will prevent damage to your bed assembly: https://forum.lulzbot.com/t/how-to-remove-pei/2505/1

7

A coat or two of Aquanet helps with the release.

8

I’m with gghouck, a light mist of Aquanet before I print TPU or even some of my ABS’s as a matter of fact. (Taz 5)