Bigtreetech sells a number of products aimed at the Bambu Lab printers, all using the Panda moniker. Marketing-wise it's a great idea. Product-wise the SSS plate is a bit of a disaster.
It looks like PEI (but only at first glance). It isn't though. It might be epoxy, some other unholy coating, or it might be a kind of truck bedliner / oily paint.
Nobody knows, including Bigtreetech.
Summary
- From: Panda / Bigtreetech (AliExpress)
- Weight: 224 gr
- Thickness: 0.5 mm
- Aruco: yes (New Textured PEI)
- Cleaning: water and soap, rubbing with alcohol
- Head cleaning section: yes, coated
- Holes: no
- Note: It's hard to get decent answer from Bigtreetech / BIQU
- Link: Product / Bigtreetech Official Store AliExpress / Bigtreetech product page
- Printed: PLA
- Full test: no
BIQU
Apparently, BIQU and Bigtreetech are the same company? Oh well. Tell me, Bigtreetech, what is the difference between a 'BIQU SSS Super Spring Steel Sheet' (which is more expensive on Ali Express than on the BIQU website) and a regular Textured PEI plate?
Let's have a look at it on AliExpress: the Bigtreetech official store (of which there is more than one?) sells these plates. Here is a nice collection.
So, they sell both a gold dual side textured PEI plate (which doesn't have the Super Sprint Steel moniker) as well as a black SSS plate. But what's the difference?
After trying to contact Bigtreetech, and unable to figure out which one is the real Bigtreetech (I found several official shops on AliExpress, and one website which looks like a factory outlet) and dropping my question on all those sites I didn't get a single reply. Which is a pity because Bigtreetech carries some interesting products.
Anyway, the plate came in, and it's one of the smoothest Textured plates I've seen thus far. I haven't yet had the change to print something on it, but at first glance the quality appears fine. So what makes this so special? Nothing? Or just the price? 😏
I asked around, and this appears to be an older product, which for some strange reason made the jump to the Bambu X1C, but nobody seems to be able to figure out why. The general consensus seems to be that this plate stinks. I got some feedback from other users, who compared it to 'printing cookies on oiled paper', so not everyone is impressed.
But if you want to try the plate, it's currently on discount - though only on their main website. No, wait, it's on discount on AliExpress as well now. Looks like I should have waited a week before buying my plates... 😢
Update 30.07.2024
I did get a reply when I kept asking... One that didn't make much sense.
They got the size wrong, the material wrong, the thickness wrong, the image wrong, the plate wrong.
I think he's quoting the specs of a new type of SSS plate (found here) but it seems the specs are wrong, or that's not the one I have.
And then Bigtreetech stopped replying. Duh.
Update 02.08.2024
Okay, they confirmed they gave the wrong specs. Now, upon further studying the page I'm getting confused on useable materials. At the top of this page it reads:
Only PLA and PETG?
But... scroll down and you'll find this:
Why make things so complicated?!?
Next question out, and waiting for a reply...
Update 05.08.2024
Well, they said they got it wrong again, and that the plate is indeed usable for other materials such ABS and TPU. It's all very confidence inspiring... not.
First prints
What a horrid piece of sh*t. It won't print even the simplest PLA - it's like printing on oil paper. I wonder if that's what the SSS stands for... Super Sh*t Sheet.
Lessee' if Bigtreetech answers, and if any such answers will improve the results... Or perhaps this is the perfect plate for TPU? Who knows...
Update 01.08.2024
I did get a model to print after some intense cleaning. Soap and water didn't do it. Rubbing with alcohol didn't do it. Next step: a scouring pad, just with soapy water, though that green spongy stuff is tough enough to 'gray up' the material of the plate.
After some intense scrubbing (which doesn't bode well for the surface) I've managed to get the plate to work - more than just a simple wash. Note that I can see exactly what printed where - which doesn't bode well for longevity. Effectively, cleaning up using this kind of sponge will add countless microscopic scratches to the surfcae, roughening it up and increasing adhesion.
I need to do a few more prints to see if it now actually works reliably.
Come on, Bigtreetech, give some straight answers. If this is just an old, discontinued product, then stop pushing it. Just tell me why it's discontinued and send me the new version. This is getting silly.
Go Gold!
Did you know this plate has a golden sibling / successor? That one does appear to be a PEI variant and passed a first test print.
I'm not sure I should tell you to buy either one, after Bigtreetech's responses...
More
- More Textured (PEI) Plates
- Plate Lab Overview
- Plate Lab Posts
- 3D Printing
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