Eureka Dry Tech ADL-3D77
Humidity Controlled Filament Storage Cabinet>
Print Test Part 1
PLA / PVA / TPU
3D printing is a new market that we have seen lots of demands for humidity controlled storage. Since 2017 we have offered the ADL-3D77 as a storage solution to meet this demand and next year we will be expanding product offerings for the 3D printing market with a few additional products.
In 2020, we performed some in house testing to gather data on how our product will perform in terms of keep filaments dry for optimal printing. The main goal of our test is to determine whether storage in our humidity controlled dry cabinets will have any impact on print quality of various filament polymers.
Please keep in mind, 3D printing isn't our niche market, so our experience with 3D printing is a novice at best.
Hardware Utilized during this test:
- Creality Original Ender 3 purchased in 2018. Since we planned on printing TPU, a direct drive conversion was added as well as some LEDs to illuminate the print for time lapse photos.
- Testo 175-H1 Humidity / Temperature Data loggers were used inside and outside the cabinet to record the storage conditions during the test.
- Eureka Dry Tech ADL-3D77 <10%RH filament Storage Dry Cabinet
Note: The subject of the test was not specific to any filament brand but specific to each filament material. Some variance may be observed with different brands but overall effects of humidity exposure should be expected regardless of brand.
This test was conducted on a Creality Ender 3 with generic brand filament materials : ABS / PLA / PVA / PETG / Nylon / TPU
The intent of this test is to see:
- Whether storing filament in a 10% RH or less environment was beneficial to print quality?
- Whether exposure to 55% RH ambient environment affects the filaments print quality?
- Whether print quality can be restored by storing in Eureka Dry Tech's 3D Printing Filament Dry Cabinet?
Each test consists of 3 parts.
- 50mm extrusion feed thru hot end.
This is to observe whether any irregularity ( popping or sizzling) is observed when filament is passed thru the heated nozzle. - Filament flex test
This is to observe whether there are any stiffness or brittleness difference between dry and wet filament. - 3DBenchy Model Print test.
This is to observe whether print quality is affected between storage in humidity controlled environment versus storage in a uncontrolled ambient room condition. The same machine, same sliced file was used during each print.
Initially, we planned on using 2 printers to print 3 types of materials on each printer during each work day. However, one of the printers (Tree Maker on the left) sat for quite some time and had substantial problems that we were constantly chasing and unable to resolve. So the test was split into 2 separate runs of 3 material groups, PLA / PVA / TPU during the first run and Nylon / ABS / PETG during the second run. All prints were conducted on the Ender 3.
We began the test by calibrating the filament for our printer with the least of amount of defects as possible (i.e. stringing, over/under extrusion etc.).
Once the calibration is completed we will perform the following tests.
- Prior to each print we will perform a flex test by folding the filament to see if the stiffness has changed.
- An extrusion test to see if any moisture is observed such as popping/hissing/bubbling by extruding 50mm of material thru the hotend at calibrated printed temperature.
- Print the 3DBenchy model. We will establish a "dry filament" base line print. Then begin exposing the filament to the humidity in the room without any humidity controlled storage. Then when the filament is completely soaked we will place the filament back in the ADL-3D77 to see whether print quality can be restored.
- PLA - 3D Benchy Print Test Results
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Open package and calibration of the PLA filament began on 7/7/2020. Following the opening of this package we began calibration of the filament to our Creality Ender 3 printer for the best and consistent print quality.
PLA 3D Benchy Print Test
PLA Calibration Week 1 07/06/20-07/10/20
This week begin with some much needed tuning as the filament being utilized had different properties from what we've been printing with.
Particularly the temperature and retraction settings for PLA were completely different from previous PLA material used.
07/06/20
No print test performed on this date.
07/08/20
No print test performed on this date.
PLA Calibration Week 2 07/13/20-07/17/20
07/15/20
No print test performed on this date.
PLA Print Test Week 1 07/20/20-07/24/20
07/20/20
No print test performed on this date.
07/22/20
No print test performed on this date.
PLA Print Test Week 2 07/27/20-07/31/20
07/29/20
No print test performed on this date.
PLA Print Test Week 3 08/03/20-08/07/20
08/07/20
No print test performed on this date.
PLA Print Test Week 4 08/10/20-08/14/20
08/10/20
No print test performed on this date.
08/11/20
No print test performed on this date.
PLA Print Test Week 5 08/17/20-08/21/20
PLA Print Test Week 6 08/24/20-08/28/20
08/26/20
No print test performed on this date.
Tags: adl-3d77, 3d printing, filament dryer, filament storage, 3d printing filament, nylon filament, pla filament, extruder, hotend, tensile strength, dry filament, filament drier, filament storage container, filament storage box, filament dry storage, 1.75 mm filament, diy filament dryer, 3d printer filament dehydrator, filament dry box, filament, dry filament in oven - PVA - 3D Benchy Print Test Results
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PVA 3D Benchy Print Test
PVA Calibration Week 1 07/06/20-07/10/20
07/06/20
No print test performed on this date.
07/07/20
No print test performed on this date.
PVA Calibration Week 2 07/13/20-07/17/20
07/14/20
No print test performed on this date.
PVA Print Test Week 1 07/20/20-07/24/20
07/20/20
No print test performed on this date.
07/21/20
No print test performed on this date.
PVA Print Test Week 2 07/27/20-07/31/20
07/31/20
No print test performed on this date.
PVA Print Test Week 3 08/03/20-08/07/20
08/04/20
No print test performed on this date.
08/07/20
No print test performed on this date.
PVA Print Test Week 4 08/10/20-08/14/20
08/10/20
No print test performed on this date.
08/11/20
No print test performed on this date.
PVA Print Test Week 5 08/17/20-08/21/20
PVA Print Test Week 6 08/24/20-08/28/20
- TPU - 3D Benchy Print Test Results
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TPU 3D Benchy Print Test
TPU Calibration Week 1 07/06/20-07/10/20
07/06/20
No print test performed on this date.
07/07/20
No print test performed on this date.
TPU Calibration Week 2 07/13/20-07/17/20
07/14/20
No print test performed on this date.
TPU Print Test Week 1 07/20/20-07/24/20
07/20/20
No print test performed on this date.
07/21/20
No print test performed on this date.
07/24/20
No print test performed on this date.
TPU Print Test Week 2 07/27/20-07/31/20
07/30/20
No print test performed on this date.
TPU Print Test Week 3 08/03/20-08/07/20
08/04/20
No print test performed on this date.
08/05/20
No print test performed on this date.
08/07/20
Print test was performed on this date but model was not kept due to failed prints.
TPU Print Test Week 4 08/10/20-08/14/20
08/11/20
No print test performed on this date.
TPU Print Test Week 5 08/17/20-08/21/20
08/20/20
No print test performed on this date.
TPU Print Test Week 6 08/24/20-08/28/20