3D Printing Filament Storage Dry Box

Moisture absorption in filaments could be a significant cause of failure in 3D printing

Eureka Dry Tech’s ADL-3D77 Filament Dry Box is the perfect humidity controlled solution for filament storage. Our automatic humidity controlled filament dry box will provide a quick and simple way to store filament without hassle. Simply set the desired humidity level, store your filaments and our dehumidifier will take care of the rest. Your filament will stay completely dry, easily accessible, perfectly identifiable (i.e. no need to open every box to find the right kind of filament you are looking for) and filament stays dry and ready to be used anytime you need them for a print.

3D Printing Filament Storage Dry Cabinet features:

• Low humidity environment
• Four filament feed ports allows direct printing from the cabinet while in dry storage.
• Adjustable hanging rod hanging up to 33 cm diameter spools.
• Air tight cabinet prevents moisture and dust.
• Low energy consumption (13 W Avg., 100 W Max).
• No consumable parts, desiccants to replace, no water tanks to empty.

Effects of Moisture Absorption by 3D Printing filament material may result in the following problems:

• Brittleness and breakage of filament,
• Diameter inconsistency
• Hissing steam or bubbling when filament reaches the hot-end,
• Filament degrading or lose tensile strength,
• Higher extruding temperature

Filament polymers are known to absorb moisture and will affect the quality of your print. Whether you use Nylon, PVA, PETT, PLA, PC or ABS or other exotic material filaments, keeping these filaments dry in a humidity controlled "dry filament storage" is one main element to a beautiful & successful print.

The ADL-3D77 features <10%RH storage environment, suitable for maintaining most filaments in optimal moisture content levels to produce a great print.

Water molecule’s boiling point is approximately 100 °C. Depending on the type of filament material, the extrusion temperature ranges from 160 °C to 250 °C. So any presence of moisture in the filaments will contribute to print failure when the moisture becomes steam and bubbles, causing interference with the flow of plastic out of the hot end while creating unwanted pockets within the finished object.

Storing your 3D printing filaments in a humidity controlled dry box will prevent moisture absorption and eliminate flow interference at the hot end. 

Some filament materials (like nylon, and PVA) are more hygroscopic than others, which means it has an inherent quality to attract ambient moisture. If filament spools are exposed to ambient humidity for long periods of time without any storage solution in place, moisture related problems will soon appear during printing. A complicated project could take hours or even days to complete. When a project has been set to run on its own, discovery of problems are often too late. Moisture absorbed in the filament could cause obstructions to the printer’s hot end and may require it to be replaced. Furthermore, moisture absorption can also affect the tensile strength of the filaments and the output objects.