Addressing a common problem, Fleks3D is an add-on for desktop 3D printers that promises to make 3D printing easier and less frustrating.

Successfully 3D printing an object is tricky enough. But when it comes to removing that thing from the build-plate? Hoo-boy.

You see, getting that first layer of fused filament to stick to the print bed is essential. If it warps or moves, then the rest of your print job is going to be completely futzed.

With this in mind, makers resort to all kinds of tricks to make it stay put: glue sticks, hairspray, double-sided sticky tape, human sacrifice on a black altar… We can verify that the human sacrifice approach doesn’t always work.

And even when it works, you’ll find that your completed model has practically bonded to the build-plate. You’ll need a scraper to remove it, at the very least, and the chances of damaging the underside of the object are higher than Willy Nelson.

Which is why Fleks3D is such a miraculous invention.

How much do we love you, Fleks3D? Let us Count the ways

The Fleks3D team had a previously successful Kickstarter campaign a year ago. This new effort adds improved performance and additional sizes to the mix.

The system is basically a bendy build-plate that’s overlaid on top of the existing print bed. When the print is finished, you simply take out the plate and give it a flex, and the finished object pops off.

There’s a “proprietary texture” on the plate that grips that first layer of fused filament at the beginning of the print job, so you won’t have to mess around with glue guns and gaffer tape anymore. Banish them from your desktop, forever more!

The plates are made for all the major brands of FDM printer, including Ultimaker and Makerbot, and start at around $15. Once they hit their target, they plan to start shipping in February.

Perhaps it all sounds incredibly obvious, but the fact is that no other manufacturer offers anything like it. At a bare minimum, the gang at Fleks3D should be awarded a knighthood and a small, uninhabited island for the stress and hassle they’ve spared the maker community.