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Hi Thomas,

I have the plus as well but mine is for beta testing and the bed assembly is aluminum, using the the same flex bed and it’s totally flat all across the bed. I don’t bend it much, instead I’ve got a very sharp kitchen knife to slide it under the print and it just pops right off.
There is no problem printing with raft (except the waste of time and material), I even recommend you to use it for high resolutions like 150 to 50 microns. For like 50 microns it’s really hard to get a hair line filament coming out of the extruder and make it stick to the bed without raft. Beside helping your model being steady during the print, it also helps to print the first few layers perfectly without the hassle of (micro) leveling for different layer heights every time you want to print and scratch the bed and damage the extruder. That’s the nature of a flex bed that it’s not super flat like a glass bed.
I hope they soon add the advanced settings to the Makerbot Print software so we can customize different setting like Makerbot Desktop.

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Thanks for all of the input. Makerbot is now sending a new plate & if it is too warped to work, I will start trying some of these other options. Thanks, Tom

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Only when desktop 3D printers came in has there been the desire to print without rafting. I’ve ran FDM1600, FDM2000, and Dimension professional grade machine that all dictated the use of rafting. Rafting certainly can minimize your chances of building curled up parts. I have a 2X and resort to rafting when needed. It’s just part of the tweaking process. You should also run a single layer test part to assure levelness is maximized.

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Once I got to talk with the right person, I have a better feeling for Makerbot support. The new plate is a definite improvement. Thanks to everyone

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Two years later. I got a Replicator+ for Christmas and I am having the exact same problems as @Duck_9. The extruded first line on the edge is fine but the plate dips in the middle and so the print is in the air and doesn’t adhere.

The build plate I received was not level. I had to downgrade the firmware to 2.5.0 because they removed the build leveling procedure in subsequent firmware. It seems that leveling is not enough because the build plate dips in the middle.

Turning off the raft is not a problem. The MakerBot Print Software lets you turn it off under Printer Settings.

I object to people saying that printing with rafts is fine and even preferable. Printing with a raft leaves a residue that is almost impossible to remove. Tweaking the vertical offsets help a little but still leave an ugly and rough base layer when removed. I should be able to print to the plate directly on a $2800 printer. I’ve seen <$200 printers print perfectly without rafts. The bottom of the print should be nice and smooth. Not rough and bumpy.

I have even observed the first layer above the raft and it still fails. The lines are not sharp and don’t adhere properly. It’s weird. It prints the raft perfectly but then fails to print the first layer of the model properly.

I’ve tried a second build plate but had the exact same issue.
I’ve tried blue tape with no difference. I’ve tried hair spray with no difference.

I was able to mitigate this problem by moving the model to the near edge but that is just a workaround. It printed a 3D Benchy’s first layer fine but eventually fails at 70% when the whole thing comes off the base.

I think MakerBot should fix their build plates so they are level. They made a big mistake with this product. It is not acceptable that a model can’t be printed without a raft. Their official stance when I contacted customer support is that they don’t recommend printing without a raft or Brim + Padded base. Note that a Padded Base is a permanent addition to the structure that does not detach and will ruin a design that has to move freely (like a fidget cube or anything with articulated joints)

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I ran into the same issue with my Replicator+. I was about to toss it for a Prusa or Ultimaker. I searched around the net for a solution and found a fix that allowed me to level the build plate. I just adjusted some screws on the plate and voila!

My Replicator+ worked great for a few months and it just began having prints peel off the bed. I tried everything under the sun. Makerbot’s site was no help at all. I wish their products and support matched their price.

If you’re interested here is a link to the instructions I found to level the build plate. https://raverobot.com/how-to-level-the-makerbot-replicator-3d-printer-flex-build-plate/

I hope this helps you all like it helped me.