Creality Filament Dry Box: Essential Upgrade kit for 3D Printers
【Adjustable temperature 45℃-65℃, Suitable for Multiple Filaments】
【24 Hours Timer Function: Heated to 65℃ within 15 Min】
【Real-time Humidity Monitoring】
【Compatible with 1.75mm/ 2.85mm Diameter Filaments】
【360° Hot-air Heating】
【Improvement of Print Quality】
Creality Filament Dry Box: The Essential Tool to Protect Your Filament
2024-01-17 10:34:58
The world of 3D printing is vast and complex and what makes it this way, is due to the significance of the finest of the details. The printing material i.e. Filaments are meant to be protected by storing them in a controlled environment to get the best out of them. Keeping this in mind, the remarkable Filament Dry Box is introduced to enhance your 3D printing experience.
What Exactly Is a Filament Dry Box?
It is often called a Filament Storage Box. Filament Dry Box is a simple device that is crucial in maintaining the performance and the quality of the 3D printing filament. Each type of filament either PLA, Nylonz, ABS or PETG are hygroscopic, a term for a thing that absorbs moisture.
This absorbed moisture can later turn out to be a nightmare for the 3D Printed material as this can cause cracks, bubbles or pops in the printed material. The filament dry box helps in preventing this moisture absorption that preserves the integrity of filament and ensures perfect prints.
Benefits of Filament Storage Dry Box
Either for profession or the hobby, you’d expect high quality and error-free prints from your 3D printer. It is obvious that you would not be printing most of the time, and one fine day you decided to print and realized that your printing material has gone bad. The filament usually goes bad as they absorb the moisture and this can later manifest into bubbles, cracks and pops in the printed material.
Filament Dry Box provides the following benefits:
1. Multipurpose Usage:
The enhanced version of filament dry box provides in-box filament feeding, heated drying for various types of filaments and lastly allows you to measure the filament use.
2. Filament Durability:
The dry box storage for filament keeps the filament in the optimal condition, which maintains and preserves it for the next use. If you don’t happen to have the filament dry box, then the spare filaments will degrade overtime.
3. Quality Print:
This is a no-brainer, since the quality of filament is preserved, the prints with this filament are high quality and free from any errors.
Types of Filament Dry Boxes
There are a wide range of filament dry boxes available, from DIY boxes to the advanced boxes with multiple integrated features. However, they fit into two main categories.
1. Passive Dry Boxes
These are more of a DIY tool where a desiccant (which absorbs the moisture) is kept inside the box, and it relies on it for preventing the moisture getting absorbed by the filament stored in it.
2. Active Dry Boxes
The active dry boxes are an advanced tool which uses the technology to continuously dry the filament and maintain the optimal humidity levels as they also come with in-built heating systems.
Ways To Dry Filament
There are times when the filament has not been stored properly and they absorb the moisture which leads to poor layer adhesion and a little tensile strength in your printed objects. In addition to this, it can also lead to filament popping during printing. It can also cause visual defects in your prints and therefore ensuring the filament remains dry before printing is crucial.
The process of drying filament is straightforward and it involves exposing it to low, stable heat over the extended period.
Methods to dry filament:
1. Oven Drying:
In this method, the regular oven is used to dry out the filament. Ensure that the oven's temperature is precise and remains below the filament's glass transition temperature. It's advisable to keep the oven door ajar a bit to enable the steam to dissipate.
2. Dehydrator:
It works almost the same as Oven Drying. You can simply place the filament into the food dehydrator and then run it for several hours till the filament is dried.
3. Filament Dryer or Filament Dry Box:
It is a tool especially made for the drying of Filament and for the storage of the filament. It is technologically advanced and provides you with a precisely controlled drying process. Our most advanced Creality Filament Dry Box with great features allows you to dry out even the various diameter filaments with real time monitoring of humidity.
Choosing The Right Filament Dry Box
When it comes to choosing the right filament dry storage box totally depends on the amount of spare filaments you have lying around with you. You can consider the volume and dimension of filaments you usually use for your projects as this can influence the size of the box.
We always recommend you to choose the active dry boxes if you are more engaged in the 3D printing since it will require you to have various spools of filaments stored with you. Since the active dry boxes come with built-in thermostats for automated heating control, while others have airtight seals ensuring better moisture protection.
The dry box should provide ease of use and our Creality Filament Dry Box 2.0 allows you to use the filament while it is in the dry box itself. More importantly, do not forget to put in some time to research and then get hands on the Filament Dry Box.
Creality Filament Dry Box 2.0
Creality Filament Dry Box Recommened Temperature & Duration
|
Filament Type |
Temperature (℃) |
Recommended Duration |
|
PLA |
50℃ |
≥4H |
|
TPU |
55℃ |
≥4H |
|
PP |
55℃ |
≥6H |
|
ABS |
60℃ |
≥2H |
|
ASA |
60℃ |
≥4H |
|
PETG |
65℃ |
≥2H |
|
PC |
65℃ |
≥8H |
|
PA |
65℃ |
≥12H |
How to Make Use of Filament Dry Box
Maintaining the integrity of your 3D printer filament is imperative, and for this, a filament dry box proves to be a vital tool. Here is a structured guide to setting up and utilizing a filament dry box:
1. Unpacking - Start by carefully unpacking your filament dry box from its original packaging, avoiding any damage to the box or its components.
2. Assembly - Adhere to the assembly instructions provided by the manufacturer. Some models might be straightforward to set up with minimal assembly, while others could require a more comprehensive installation process. Double-check everything is securely in place.
3. Filament Cleaning - Prepping your filament before storage is important. Make sure the filament is devoid of dust or any other small particles. Simple tools like a soft cloth or a brush should suffice for the cleanup.
4. Inserting the Filament - Cautiously elevate the filament spool into the dry box. If your box comes with a loading mechanism or a spool carrier, ascertain the filament is correctly mounted or inserted.
5. Filament Connection - If your dry box facilitates feeding the filament directly to the printer, thread the filament meticulously through the designated outlet(s), ensuring a smooth, unobstructed progression.
6. Securing the Box - Upon the setup completion, seal the box efficiently to prevent the intrusion of moisture or dust during storage.
7. Temperature Configuration - If your filament dry box offers temperature management, adjust to the temperature recommended for your filament type. Always refer to the filament manufacturer's guidelines to determine the optimal and safest temperature.
Please be advised that all the filament types above might be suitable with a dry box but the frequency and necessity of drying may vary. For example, hygroscopic materials like Nylon and PVA benefit the most, whereas PLA and ABS might not require as frequent drying.
Conclusion
Just as a brushed canvas to an artist, an uncompromised filament gives life to an unflawed 3D printed masterpiece. The filament dry box, with its numerous benefits, is the secret tool to realizing every 3D print enthusiast's goal.
Every hobby or profession requires the interplay of the right elements to create worthwhile results. In 3D printing, the filament dry box serves as that pivotal component, ensuring the longevity and reliability of your precious filament.
Keep your filament as fresh as day one, choosing a dry box that suits your needs and budget.
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