What print bed mat/cover do you use?

[Bappy]

Hello

What material do you on to cover your print bed please? I've just been using paper and tape to secure which works well for printing on heavier items, but is no good for very light items (15g and under) as the paper tends to bow up in the center as item is not heavy enough to weight it down. This then results in print bed automatically being lowered during printing resulting in sub par quality prints. Therefore I need a material that is perfectly flat. What are the options please?

I know jig would be option, but I need something I can print position outlines on for smaller/one off runs also. I've come across something called 'Seklema TableMat by Rowmark' which appears to be the prefect solution, but it is very expensive. Is there alternatives? Needs to be perfectly flat for those very light items. What do you use please?

Thank you

 

[Superior_Adam]

I would guess you don't have a vacuum bed? The Seklema mat is very sticky and I would probably not use paper on it but have never tried. We use them on some of our rotary engravers and when clean small brass plates are stuck down good.

 

[Bappy]

No bed is not vacuum unfortunately. I wouldn't use paper with Seklema, I mean I'm currently just using paper now to print outlines used to position items. As said though this isn't suitable for very light weight items (15g and under) as the paper tends to bend upwards in the middle.

What are you guys using with your UV flatbed please? Any cheaper alternatives to Seklema?

 

[iprint]

How about using transfer tape to cover the bed?

 

[rjssigns]

Could try two sided carpet tape. Worked well enough to hold wood, foam and plastic parts on a 3-axis Haas.

 

[Bappy]

Thanks guys, but it sounds like these are all suggestions of things that you don't actually use yourself. Not knocking that, just surprised in the fact that it doesn't seem you use anything currently, so guess you are all using jigs? Surely you have one off jobs where you have no jig as well no; in which case what you the professionals use to print outlines to?