Easy Filament Dryer/Annealing Chamber

This is a Work in Progress….

The files are all loaded, but I'm still working on finishing the instructions and getting some better pictures of the final design.  Please let me know if you anyone has any comments about the design so far.

Thanks!

Introduction:

I was trying to print a replacement carriage for one of my printers and I was using PC CF filament per the designer’s recommendation.  But I noticed that I couldn’t get a good quality print regardless of how I adjusted the settings.  After some research, I came to the conclusion that my filament needed to be dried, but the filament dryers I have topped out at 65C.  I wanted something that could reach a min of 85C minimum.  But I also wanted to try to get to 110C if possible to support annealing temperatures if possible.  Finally, I also wanted to combine a filament dryer with a storage solution, kind of like the Polymaker Polydryer or Sunlu SP2.

Alternatives:

I could use the build plate of my printers, but that would involve tying up my printer to dry filament rather than what I got them for… actual printing.  Creality released their Space Pi X4, which seems really promising, and I may still consider it.  But at the time, there wasn’t a lot of information about it, and it only reaches 85C. Sunlu is has the S4 Filament Dryer, but it only reaches 70C.  The E2 Filament Dryer is still on pre-order.  It looks really promising, but it is $360, and only supports drying 2 rolls at once.  But it also supports annealing, which is excellent!

Objective:

While I waited for more information on the new offerings from Creality and Sunlu, I thought it would be a fun project to design my own filament dryer using relatively inexpensive components that I either already had, or were easily available.  I had the following goals:

1. Heat to a minimum of 85C, but would prefer to hit 110C
2. Dry 4 1kg rolls at a time if possible
3. Have a chamber large enough to anneal parts
4. Have the drying element separate from the storage container to enable swapping and easy storage of dried filaments
5. Keep it simple! Something that can be built in an hour (not including printing time) easily with off-the shelf parts.

Purchased Parts BOM:

1. Ezy Storage 18L/19Qt Waterproof Clear Latch Tote IP-67. You can get it at that link, but it’s overpriced.  Search for Item # FBA34060 and you’ll likely find it at your local hardware store for less than half that price.
2. W3230 Digital LED Temperature Controller (AC 110V version)
3. Centrifugal Blower Fan AC 110V
4. PTC Heating Element, 500W AC 110V
5. Brass Heatset Inserts (Specifically M3x3mm and M4x8mm.)  I ordered the linked kit because it had everything I needed, and I’ve had good success with inserts shaped like these.
6. M4x10mm Countersunk screws You can go longer if you have them.
7. M4x 8mm Cap Screws You could probably use countersunk screws from the kit above as an alternate
8. M3x8mm Cap Screws These are fairly common, but they also come in the kit above if you purchase that.
9. Any heat resistant filament should work.  I used Sunlu ABS for my trials, but something like Polymaker’s HT PLA GF or HT PLA would probably work well too.  I used CC3D’s PC for the parts I printed for a friend to try.  It’s not pure PC but should hold up to the temperatures that are needed.
10. Aluminized Fiberglass Heat Shield Mat, 12'' × 47'' You don’t need much of this, and depending on the filament you use, you may not need it at all.  I used it adjacent to heater for some added protection.

Printing the Parts:

Printed Parts BOM:

• (Qty 1) - High Temp Filament Dryer Shell V3
• (Qty 1) - High Temp Filament Dryer Mounting Plate V3
• (Qty 2) - High Temp Filament Dryer Vent Brackets V3
• (Qty 1) - Desiccant Lid V3
• (Qty 1) - Desiccant Holder V3

Printing Instructions:

I used Sunlu ABS for the prototype.  I printed the final version in CC3D’s PC for my friend to try out. 

I printed these on a Qidi Plus 4, and the parts have been designed to BARELY fit on that print bed.  I may design a version for a smaller bed like the Bambu Labs machines if there’s enough interest.

I printed all the parts (except the desiccant box) with the following settings from Orca Slicer with the 0.28 Extra Draft profile as baseline. I didn’t include all of the settings, but can answer questions if people run into issues with the print.

• Quality:
  • Layer Height: 0.28
  • Arc fitting: On
  • Precise Wall: On
    • Print Infill First: On
• Strength:
  • Walls Loops: 3 (except added modifiers in Ocra to have 4 walls around insert locations)
  • Top Shell Layers: 3
  • Bottom Shell Layers: 3
  • Sparse Infill Density: 15%
  • Sparse Infill Pattern: Cross Hatch
• Support:
  • Enable Support: Off
• Others:
  • Skirt Loops: 0
  • Brim Type: No-brim (Not enough room on the plate.  I’d recommend using glue though to prevent warping at the corners)

For the desiccant holder, I used Polymaker Clear PC Filament so it would be easier to see the color change in the desiccant.  If you’re planning on using higher temps, you’ll probably want to use something like Activated Alumina or Molecular Sieve desiccants anyway, which don’t have color change properties.  So you can probably use whatever filament you want.

For the desiccant parts, I used the same base settings as the other parts, except I used a 0.20mm Layer Height. To allow the desiccant holder to breathe, I used the part modifier feature in Orca.  I used the “Desiccant Holder Mesh V3” model as the modifier to the “Desiccant Holder V3” model as shown below.

Change the modifier settings to the following:

• Strength:
  • Walls Loops: 0
  • Top Shell Layers: 0
  • Bottom Shell Layers: 0
  • Sparse Infill Pattern: Gyroid

The preview should look something like this:

Assembly:

The assembly should be relatively straight forward, but please let me know if I’ve missed anything.  The pictures are from one of my earlier versions, so you may notice some differences, but the assembly process is the same.  I may update with new pictures later.

Heat Set inserts:

In the Shell, heat set (qty 3) M4x8mm inserts at locations shown:

In the Mounting Plate, heat set (qty 6) M3x3mm inserts at the locations shown.

In each of the (qty 2) Vent Brackets, heat set (qty 2) M4x8mm inserts at locations shown:

Shell Assembly:

Cut and apply the heat shield to the area adjacent to the heater as shown below.  You will need to notch out the side pieces to clear that mounting points.

Slide the heater into the channels as shown below.  Route the wires through the holes to the compartment where the temperature control unit will get installed.

Install the fan into the (qty 3) insert locations using M4x8mm cap screws as shown below.

Route power wires from the fan to the temperature control compartment through the hole shown below.

Route the temperature probe through the hole near the mount that is shown in the picture below.  Then mount the probe at that location shown below by sliding it into the cradle. It should slide in and stay secured with very little effort.

Connect all the wires to the controller as shown in the picture below.  You can reference the wire routing diagram shown below.

Now the Shell is ready to be mounted to the lid.

Lid Assembly:

Still in work………