We Finally Received Our GeckoTek Build Plate

5 Aug
2015

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We have told you about the GeckoTek build plate last year as a very promising upcoming product that started as a Kickstarter project. Back then everything sounded almost too good to be true, but along the way things changed and the end product is not as functional and versatile as it was originally promised. Nevertheless back then we’ve ordered a GeckoTek build plate along with a magnetic base for our MakerBot Replicator 2 3D printer and we have finally received something. It is the PLA only version, though originally it was promised that the plate should be compatible with both PLA and ABS prints, the end result however is a bit different as there will be two separate versions – one for PLA and one for ABS printing. The model designed for ABS is not yet available, but the PLA version is already shipping and we have received ours and it is start to share some initial impressions.

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The product comes well packaged, as already mentioned we have ordered the GeckoTek build plate (we got the PLA version) along with the magnetic plate and the package also contains bolts and nuts along with pink-purple spacers for mounting (?). The spacers are 3D printed, but not that good as apparently they did not use support material when printing them, so the end result is not that great and we did not get to print the 3D model of the spacers ourselves as apparently everyone that ordered a build plate apparently already has a 3D printer and can do that. The instructions for mounting the GeckoTek plate are not very detailed and no photos are provided for easy installation by novice users, but that should not be an issue as the procedure is pretty straight forward and easy. The finish of the special coating of the GeckoTek build plate looks decent enough, but far from perfect and the same goes for the looks of the magnetic build plate that is essentially a big aluminium piece with mounting holes and magnets. The coating of our build plate has some darker spots and fine scratches, and we even noticed a slight press mark apparently left by a hot extruder pressing a bit more on the build plate than it should – it seems the plate has been tested prior to shipping.

We are planning to start testing the GeckoTek build plate in the next few days, so you can expect our initial impressions from using it pretty soon. Unfortunately it has arrived a bit too late and is not what we initially expected it will be and we have already installed a Heated Build Plate to our Replicator 2 3D printer with a great removable build plate system that we use with BuildTak and are very happy with the results (apart from the relatively fast wearing of the BuildTak surface due to the not so easy removal of the printed parts). So if we like the results that GeckoTek provides we might think of a way to make only the build plate usable with our currently installed solution from BC Tech and the magnetic base will not get used. Also if we integrate the GeckoTek build plate to our current workflow we would also need to get one for ABS as well and at a price of $39 USD (for the PLA plate) it is not the most affordable solution, especially if you need to buy two separate plates for ABS and PLA and each of them does not manage to provide you with at least a few hundred prints before wearing off. We may still end up replying on the BuildTak as the best priced and most versatile and durable solution we have found so far, even though it is still not the perfect one we need or at least until we find a better alternative as we continue searching for one. If the GeckoTek build plate ended up what was initially promised it might’ve been a good alternative to BuildTak, but we no longer think so even if the plate we got does ends up working well…

New Innofil3D EPR PET Filament as a Promising PLA Alternative

28 Jul
2015

Innofil3D, a company specialized in making 3D printer filaments has released a newly developed filament called ERP PET that promised better results and features than traditional PLA filaments and the new ERP PET should come at a similar or slightly higher price point. PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) is well known for its wide application in making plastic bottles and it has great characteristics to bring 3D-printing to the next level. Currently PLA and ABS are the most common used monofilaments for 3D-printing. PLA is nice for consumers, but printed objects have their limits. ABS gives great results but users can experience difficulties when using it on their printer and most people dislike the smell during printing and it is not healthy to breath the fumes.

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So here comes EPR PET promising to be a a great alternative for both, a new PET-based filament specifically designed for 3D printing from Innofil3D. It is easy to use, doesn’t generate fumes, shows great detail and is recyclable. EPR PET has a larger operating window for printing (temperature vs. speed) so it can be used on every 3D-printer and there should be no need for a heated bed since EPR PET adheres very well on tape. According to Innofil3D their ERP PET filament should be as easy to print as PLA and the resulting print should be better in terms of Strength, Resolution and Appearance thus making it a great alternative to standard PLA and allowing users to use the new filament for things where PLA may not be good enough. The glass transition temperature of the ERP PET filament is listed at 62 degrees Celsius or with other words the thermal resistance is similar to that of standard PLA where normally that temperature is about 55-60 degrees Celsius. We have a spool of the new ERP PET filament from Innofil3D to try out the new material, so we are going to be sharing our feedback from using it and how it compares to PLA very soon.

Recommended printer settings for ERP PET:
– Nozzle temperature: 210-230 °C
– Heated bed temperature: 75-85 °C (when applicable)
– No heated bed: use tape for bed adhesion
– Printing speeds: 40-100 mm/s (depends on nozzle temperature)
– Layer height: 0.08-0.2 mm
– Layer thickness: 0.8-1.0 mm thickness makes it possible to print water tight objects

– For additional information about the ERP PET 3D printer filament visit Innofil3D…

Removable Heated Build Plate Upgrade for MakerBot Replicator 2

20 Jul
2015

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The Removable Heated Build Plate Upgrade for MakerBot Replicator 2 3D printers from BC Technological Solutions is a must have upgrade for anyone with a MakerBot Replicator 2 3D printer looking to add HBP capabilities for example to print with ABS or other filaments requiring it. The upgrade kit from BC Technological Solutions may not be the cheapest solution out there to provide you with a Heated Build Platform, but is probably the best in terms of ease of installation and ease of usage. The BC Tech upgrade kit will cost you $175 USD without the shipping and you would need to also get a more powerful power supply capable of at least 9.2A @ 24V if you are using Replicator 2 (another $100 USD or so). The upgrade kit is also compatible with Replicator 2X, but there you already have HBP by default though not as good as this one, as well as with Replicator 1 3D printers and some clones of these devices such as Flash Forge Creator, though make sure you order the specific version you need.

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The standard power adapter of the Replicator 2 is a 24 Volt 6.25A and this is not enough to handle the additional power requirements of the Heated Build Platform. So we have purchased a compatible 24V 9.2A power adapter from Mean Well (GS220A24-R7B) that can be plugged in directly in the printer without the need to modify the adapter connector. If you get a more generic 24V power adapter with a different connector you may need to replace the connector, BC Tech sell a power supply connector for $6 USD that you can use to make generic power supplies compatible with the Replicator 2. So make sure you get a power supply that meet the requirements and preferably has the right power connector already to save some trouble like we did with the Mean Well PSU that is ready to be plugged in and works just fine.

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We have mentioned that the installation procedure is very simple, you remove the standard build plate of the MakerBot Replicator 2 3D printer and attache the new aluminum HBP plate with a heating element on bottom. You route the cables trough a hole on the bottom of the printer case (you need to remove a plastic cap first) and can directly connect the heating element and the thermal sensor to the main board of the 3D printer – the have dedicated connectors available, so no soldering or anything like that is needed. All in all you can have the new HBP installed in less than 30 minutes when you have everything needed available and be ready to start using it, unlike for example the much harder and more time consuming installation of the Aluminum Arm Upgrade from BC Technological Solutions that we have also recently installed.

Now, after you install the new HBP upgrade you can notice how convenient the removable glass plate can be after you print something in order to easily remove it from the build plate. The glass build plate is attached to the aluminum base with magnets, so it is being attached with enough strength, but is still easy to be removed when needed. Thanks to the removable glass build plate we have seen a significant reduction in the number of times we need to readjust the build plate height between prints compared to using the standard 3D printer build plate. Again we are going to say that in our opinion the Removable Heated Build Plate Upgrade for MakerBot Replicator 2 3D printers from BC Technological Solutions is a must have upgrade for anyone with a MakerBot Replicator 2 3D printer. That is if you want to get an easy to install solution and one that works great and problem free and actually makes your life easier working with the printer even when hot using the heating feature of the build plate.

Do note that after installing a HBP to your Replicator 2 3D printer you will need to tell your slicer software that you have this capability in order to be able to use it, so we have guides available on how to enable this in the software:
– How to Use Heated Build Plate on Replicator 2 with MakerBot Desktop
– How to Use MakerBot Replicator 2 with Heated Build Platform in Simplify3D

– For more information about the Replicator 2 HBP upgrade from BC Technological Solutions…

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