Heatbed is it necessary

While I have a heated bed I never use it and wonder why so many think they need it except in Antartica. Perhaps when using ABS but for PLA or PETG I never use it and things print fine. Unless the printer has a heavy duty PSU to heat the bed it simply robs power from the steppers and hotend and fans run slower. Eventually it even burns out board connections and MOSFETs and frustrates newbies. It is not needed to make parts stick as glue stick on glass works great and if that don't work most likely the bed is unlevel and layer height is wrong. So enlighten me why I need a heated bed

For ABS and PC for example. There is no use for it wit PLA or PETG. I am not sure what you ask here, it is common knowledge for what a heatbed is usefull or not.

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[www.bonkers.de]
[merlin-hotend.de]
[www.hackerspace-ffm.de]

If you can get the first layer to stick without heat, a heated bed is unnecessary. Printing with ABS requires that the first layer stay stick to the bed surface and requires a warm (45-50C) enclosure. Even if you get the first layer to stick without heat, you still have to warm the enclosure. If you use a heated bed it helps the print stick and helps warm the print chamber. If you don't heat the bed you will have to add heat for the enclosure.

You can print ABS (and PLA, and probably any other plastic) on unheated PIR foam.

If all you ever print is PLA, you don't need a heated bed.

If your bed heater causes power supply voltage to drop you need a beefier power supply. If it burns out PCB traces and MOSFETs you need to buy a better quality controller board or use an SSR to switch power to the heater.

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Ultra MegaMax Dominator 3D printer: [drmrehorst.blogspot.com]

heatbed is not needed, this is my i3

[www.youtube.com]

I tested this with ABS, PLA and PETG

I printed ABS at 220c nozzle temp and it was the best ABS test print I ever had

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/26/2016 04:38PM by deaconfrost.

try to make that cube bigger and use infill, not hollow.

I trid a 30mm with 20% infill, and used 5mm brim, no problem, I've sent the plate back for replacement as only one side is flat, I will try make bigger part when I get the replacement back in

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/26/2016 05:47PM by deaconfrost.

[www.youtube.com]

Printing a Chimera mount with capacitive sensor mount, the over hang is a little bit messy underneath but no warping otherwise, tiny lift at corners after removing the brim no major lifting off the bed , so far so good.

Print setting
250c
100 micron
80mm/s
60% infill
0.2mm first layer 20mm/s
15mm brim, could have done with less by the looks of it but I went 15 just be on the safe side

an enclosure might help

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/10/2016 08:56PM by deaconfrost.