The third generation of Buildtak

Two years ago we were victims of a revolution on the market of low-budget 3D printers. An American company Ideal Jacobs Corporation decided to produce the first Buildtak – an adhesive pad for the working platform, which makes using of a 3D printer more comfortable. Now we can hear about the third generation of the product, so its  „new version”- which in definition corrects old mistakes, but also… implicates new ones.

Instead of being really innovative, the 3D printing technology causes a lot of problems. It has a great potential and that’s why it can be still developed. One of them is adhesion of elements. To improve it you can apply several methods like f.e.: kapton type, glues or even hairsprays.  Another complication is removing models from the working bed. It happens sometimes, that during this activity they crush or deform.

The first and the second generation of Buildtak were a market hit – it was hard to find an opponent of this gem. Because of that the engineers from the other side of the ocean decided to move one step closer. In 8-10 weeks the third version of the Buildtak  – FlexPlate will turn up on the market. This time it won’t have only one layer, but three:

• a magnetic, permanently affixed to your build surface on the 3D printer itself,
• a flexible plate that can magnetically attach to the mag plate,
• replaceable build surface that adheres to the flexible plate.

Magnetic combination of the two first layers lets to remove very quickly completed 3D prints. The flexibility of the middle one helps to separate 3D prints from the surface. A seemingly complicated system is just “primitively” simple.

The previous generations of Buildtak were characterised by a relatively low resistance. They wore down, with any luck, after a few months. But their low cost compensated it. The third layer practically doesn’t differ from the previous ones. A big advantage, in this case the fact, that it can be flexed to remove prints. Also, the ability to replace this layer is important as BuildTak eventually loses its ability to hold prints as you repeatedly print on it.

When you use Buildtak, remember about proper levelling of the surface after installation. When it comes into direct contact with a heated nozzle, it can be damaged. Its intensive exploitation can cause deformations. After analysing of the previous models it was told that PLA cooperated better with the pad, than ABS. In this case it may be just in contrary.

A popularity of the product of the company Ideal Jacobs Corporation is still growing. The American manufacturer set its sights high. Its aim is to create a pad coherent with a very wide group of 3D printers available on the market. But when we consider novelties offered by producers of this devices, its ambitions may turn up to be to huge and their massive sale may not be realised. – We don’t wish them that.

Source: www.fabbaloo.com / www.buildtak.eu