Review on 📏 Natural Standard Tolerance Thickness Polyetherimide by Charles Galan

PEI material is a wonderful addition to any 3D printer platform. This eliminates the need for tape, hairspray, etc. to hold the prints in place. To attach to the build plate, use 3M 468MP (search the Revain website for TapeCase 468MP), a thin, heat-resistant adhesive strip. The 3M tape is applied to the PEI and then glued to the frame (or vice versa). Just be aware that the 3M material is VERY sticky and sticks strongly. If you make a mistake, it's almost impossible to remove the PEI and change the position. In terms of performance, I've printed with it for hundreds of hours with great results. I have tried PLA, ABS, nGEN and PETG from different manufacturers with great success. Printed with the right settings, elements adhere, won't slip or warp, and are easy to remove. PLA does not need to be heated or processed and sticks and releases very well. ABS, nGen and PETG work best with table heat and are recommended for all of these materials. The degree of heating of the table is very important. If you normally heat your bed to 90°C for ABS, you need to lower the temperature to 70°C or 60°C, otherwise it becomes VERY difficult to get the pressure back. I have found that nGEN adheres so well (even at 40C) that it tends to rip off the bottom shell rather than releasing the print once the platform has fully cooled. PETG also withstood well up to 50°C. Over time, air bubbles began to form under the PEI. The tape layer is basically starting to give up. This, combined with very hard scrubbing to remove thin layers from the surface while it's still hot, results in an uneven surface. Also, leveling the bed across the entire surface becomes more difficult when the tape comes loose. If the first printed layer is thin (<0.10mm), it is extremely difficult to remove it from the table. .03 PEI has a glossy side and a matte side. The matte side leaves a smooth and slightly textured surface and adheres very well. The shiny side leaves a glassy finish on the piece. Both hold up very well, but I found the shiny side released the ABS more easily. After using mine for a year, I took it off the table. The matte side was scratched and not smooth. I scraped it down hard with a spatula, removing all the remnants of the old stuff. I then sanded it down with 1000 grit sandpaper and it was like new again. I used the matte side as the mounting side and the finish is like new again. I don't think this material will ever wear out. Trimming of the PEI was performed with an Xacto knife and ruler. Simply cut through the PEI a few times, place the cut edge on the edge of the table and press firmly. In my case with the thinnest PEI, it took me half my weight to break it off. However, the edge was clean and required no further cleaning. It can also be cut with a saw, such as a fine-toothed circular or band saw. If you have clips for a glass platform (e.g. the Ultimaker 2), be sure to cut the grooves around the clips. I bent my terminals to put them on PEI but one broke in the process. After a while, I found that alongside those pinched bruises, PEI would also be bubbling up. I later cut the grooves with my bandsaw and yes it tore in one corner although I was very careful. The .06 material is probably easier to cut on a bandsaw since it doesn't flex as much. If you need to remove PEI to restore it, be prepared. Removing the PEI from my glass plate was a breeze. With a bit of effort it came off, didn't bend or break. The problem was peeling off the 3M tape. I've used literally every chemical at my disposal: paint thinner, acetone, mek, and goof off. The whole thing is very frustrating to work with and literally took me over an hour to pour about a pint of Goof Off onto a plate and scrape very hard with a plastic spatula. It was a holy mess. I felt like I had to be in a hazmat suit all the time. I later found that it was much easier to remove the 3M adhesive just using a paint scraper - a kind of razor blade. Once most of this has been removed, the Goof Off wipe will remove the rest of the residue. WD40 is also a way to remove any leftover residue. Another PEI option is Buildtak. Buildtak is not as strong as PEI but has its own adhesive and removes without leaving any residue. If you get confused about how to attach this stuff, it can be taken off and put back on (I've seen this from my own experience). The surface is almost vinyl-like and works the same as PEI, but prints adhere even better. However, she is much more temperamental and sensitive to the temperature of the bed. Large ABS prints can also be much more difficult to remove. It's thinner than the thinnest PEI, so unlike PEI, it fits under the bed clips. Overall, PEI is an amazing material and my favorite material for building wafers.