Q & A

 

Do I remove the protection paper?

REPLICATOR 2: Remove protection paper on the top thin plate. Remove the protection paper from ONE side of the thicker base plate. If you have already removed both sides, place a folded letter size paper between the baseplate and rack.

ALL OTHER: FLEKS3D plates comes with protection paper on one side and has texture on the other. Remove the protection paper and print happy.

cleaning FLEKS3D:

  • If there is any residue from after releasing the print use a razor blade (or similar) to scrape it off. Having some scratches on the plate won't affect performance. We also sand ours lightly ever so often.
  • If this doesn’t work, use a heat gun to loosen up the filament. Just be car full to not heat up the plate too much.
  • DO NOT USE rubbing alcohol, it messes with the texture. If you have used it already, run some coarse sand paper over it. Not too much, it a course texture you are looking for.

Using the levelling puck:

Use if the nozzle is hot while performing the self-leveling procedure. If the nozzle is cold or doesn't touch the bed, then you don't need it.

  1. Use the puck WITHOUT the plate. The puck is same thickness as plate.
  2. Run self leveling, place the puck where the leveling nozzle goes.
  3. Once, procedure is done, place plate on bed and print happy. 

 

Do I need tape or hairs spray to get the print to grip?

No. Having the 3D print to grip the build-plate is one of many challenges in 3D printing. That is why the FLEX3D™ has a proprietary texture. This texture catches the print without extra tools.

Do i need to use glue?

No, the texture will grip the filament.

Does FLEKS3D work with a heated plate?

We have now had Beta user experiment with a heated bed with great results. The FLEKS3D™ is made of a thermoform plastic with a melting point at 311 F or 155 °C. It can curl up the closer the heated plate is set to its melting point. To avoid this set the heat bed to 212 F (100°C) or lower. Let the plate cool down on a flat surface before bending it to release print.

Will the gap between the frame and plate affect my build?

This is a hair fine line that the printer head won’t register.

Why is there a frame and a build plate?

We found that removing the plate disrupts the leveling of the build plate. By having the frame permanent, thus not removing it, the leveling and setup is intact. This also gives the opportunity to have multiple build plates that are quickly replaced between prints. So the users don’t have to take off a print in between builds. This is also an advantage since many times prints fail and with a extra plate you can be quickly up and running again.

Does the frame take out from the printing area?

The frame does nibble at the printing area. But it is not good practice to print to the edge of any 3d printer. Most common is to use the center space. In chance of the printer going over the print to the frame, it does not present a issue, since the gap is hair thin.

How to I attach the frame to my printer?

When using the FLEKS3D™ for RepRaps, PrinterBot simple, Solidoodle, Ultimaker etc... the frame it attached with double stick tape. We found that this gives the slimmest profile. We have developed our proprietary clip, but we found that it’s many times in the way of the print head.

Which printer does the FLEKS3D work for?

The FLEKS3D™ work for any 3d printer available. We have 3 sizes: 6” by 6”, 8” by 8” and many more. There is also costume sizes fine tuned forMakerbot Replicator 2, Replicator (5th gen). The thickness of the plate is 1/8”. Make sure your plate can be lowered enough to facilitate this.

What material does it work with?  The FLEKS3D™ has had extensive testing for PLA and ABS. We have not tried nylon. However, the principal is the same and should work as well as it does with PLA/ABS. Same is true for any other material.

Why is there tabs in the frame and inside build plate: As accurate the manufacturing process is, there is always a chance of mistakes. These tabs ansures that the error for mistakes are minimized and there is no movement to the plate.

I can’t level my plate, what can I do?We know, it is a frustrating one. Take a deep breath, walk the dog or get a coffee. Then come back and try again. Unfortunately there is no way around it. We have found that practice makes perfect here. With the FLEKS3D plate you only have to do it once. This is since there are interchangeable plates. 

If you have any other questions or issues please do not hesitate to reach out to us at support@fleks3d.com with a photo and description of your issue!

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