Filament Dryer (Work in progress)

I've developed and tested this dryer for a while now but have been reluctant to post because I couldn't find a heater that had the temperature rang required, and was safe and not so expensive as to defeat the purpose.

This is a work in progress, needing someone with more electrical knowledge to suggest a suitable heater. I've looked at lots of things like aquarium heaters, the elements that power these and heaters that are flat solid bars, but without the electrical knowledge, I can't evaluate if they will heat the space I want, or if I can supply them with power.

Print Settings

Printer Brand: Prusa

Printer:  i3 MK3

Rafts: No

Supports: No

Resolution: 0.2mm

Infill: no

Filament: PETG 
 

Notes: 

The heart of the idea is a thermostat from eBay, I've seen them as cheap as $15.They work like the PID on your printer. They heat up till a nominated temperature is reached. They then turn your heater off, when the temperature drops to another nominated temperature the heater is turned on again. This solution is perfect for this application.

BTW 1: There is another restriction to consider. In many countries, it's illegal to work on 240v projects without a licence. This restriction means DIY solutions are limited to 12v or thermostats that plug into 240v.

BTW 2: I made a proof of concept using a sealed 250w halogen light. It worked fine but am not prepared to recommend it because the lamp is not designed to sit inside an enclosure.

Category: 3D Printer Accessories