Heated Build Platform “Bed”

The next item to change was the build platform.  The standard one is an Acrylic plate covered by  masking tape and I really dislike it.  The bed adjustment screws also needed an improvement.   There are two basic ways to add a heated bed:

1. Use low voltage high current heater.  It is usually an etched pattern on a PCB and an external high current DC power supply.

2. Use a mains operated heater and no separate high current power supply is needed.  Of course working with mains has additional risks but so does wiring a high current power supply that also needs to be connected to the mains.

I obtained a boro-silicate glass plate of the correct size and since I already had 120V heating pads that can be attached by a high temperature adhesive, I attached them to a matching size aluminum plate to evenly spread the heat since glass has poor heat conduction.  I added a thermocouple sensor to the glass itself and the heaters are controlled by a commercial digital PID controller that I also happened to have.

After adding new mounting and leveling screws I am now very happy with that section.

2 thoughts on “Heated Build Platform “Bed”

  1. Hello, we are a furniture store in Brazil and you really provided good ideas here, I’ve just subscribed. We need to agregate value into the product using information like that, nowadays inovation are a mandatory factor to make the business grow, specially in our niche. Thanks!

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