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I have a generic smooth PEI bed and a Bambu PEI textured bed. I've never used this bed material before and so have no experience with it.

Does PEI have a maximum safe usage temperature or at least one that I could reasonably reach during 3D printing on an X1 Carbon?

I don't want to accidentally toast it printing with a high-temperature setting, as there don't seem to be any trips or safeguards against it in the software.

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  • For PLA you normally print with a build plate around 60 °C
  • For ABS you normally print with a build plate around 110 °C

The X1 Carbon is given for a max hot bed temp of 120 °C as per the manufacturer specs.

In fact, the PEI material itself can sustain temp up to 170 °C continuously. (Source: Duratron® U1000 PEI data sheet)

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  • $\begingroup$ PIEI as a bed surface material, not a filament $\endgroup$
    – Aaargh Zombies
    Commented Aug 28, 2023 at 14:24
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    $\begingroup$ yup with PEI bed you can go up to 120°C on the X1 $\endgroup$
    – kolergy
    Commented Aug 28, 2023 at 14:35
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Most PEI sheets are rated for use at temperatures up to around 170–180 °C on a continuous basis. The actual maximum safe temperature that a PEI sheet may be subjected to might vary with the exact formulation and thickness of the PEI sheet. For temperatures above this range, PEI beds may deform or discolor due to material degradation. It is also important to consider the maximum temperature ratings of any adhesives or mounting materials used to fix the PEI sheet to the print bed, as sometimes these have lower temperature tolerances.

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The maximum bed temperature for PEI is determined more by the way the PEI is adhered to or deposited onto the metal plate.

For PEI sheets attached with the 3M adhesive, I found that at higher (ABS at 105 °C, ASA at 100 °C) temperatures, the PEI eventually starts to detach and form bubbles, which determine the highest temperature.

The PEI powder coating has the potential to deal with higher temperatures better because the fusing and baking process used for powder coating is normally a better bond.

Keep in mind with higher bed temperatures, you have to keep the enclosure temperature high as well to avoid a steep temperature gradient from the bed to ambient internal temperatures. Temperature gradients result in differential contraction ratios which result in warping. This is why much higher bed temperatures are probably not needed unless you are printing very high-temperature filaments e.g., PEEK.

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