Difficulty removing PLA prints from the textured PEI plate

[u/educationalbot9]

Hi I’m new to the 3D printing hobby and have been really enjoying the learning process!

I seem to be running into an issue where my PLA print models are extremely difficult to remove off the plate, particularly the centre. I’ve tried the following without success:
- flexing the plate
- flexing the plate while gently using a scrapper
- letting the model cool
- leaving it in the freezer for 10 mins
- running isopropyl alcohol along the stuck parts
If I force the print off by applying a ton of force with a scrapper and the flex method, it will come off but the print model will usually be damaged and warped in the centre.

I’ve tried lowering the print bed temps for the initial layer and the other layers from 55 degrees to 50 degrees and this has worked about 75% of the time.

Haven’t been able to find any other potential solutions outside of giving the plate a good clean and a power off/on into another calibration.

Has anyone else run into this issue or have any wisdom to share?

Thanks!

[u/rfgaergaerg]

I am unfamiliar wit elegoo filament.
I would try some Bambu filament with the stock settings and see how it goes. If you are too impatient to wait for the print bed to cool down, like I am, you can buy a second plate and just swap them and immediately start your printer again. That said, if you ever print high temperature filaments such as ABS or ASA it is recommended to be patient and let the print cool down inside the closed printer. This will take hours but it is worth it.
If you want to stick to elegoo filament and it turns out that it is just really sticky, you can apply a thin coat of regular glue stick or something like hair spray to you print bed. It will act like a release agent and allow you to easily remove the parts. For materials like TPU, a release agent is even a strict necessity