3D printing sure is a tricky job, especially when it comes to managing the filaments. As we all know that the filaments, whether you bought them or were made DIY if contacted with moisture, can destroy the print entirely.
Hence, users try to ensure that these filaments are properly stacked inside the moisture-free containers when not in use. However, it isn’t that easy as it sounds.
Moisture gets its way to the filaments if it has been kept for long without use or hasn’t been used completely and has been out for some time. That is the reason why companies keep trying to come up with products that can help in storing these materials.
PrintDry Products are a similar solution to these challenges that users face when dealing with filaments.
The company provides different products to make 3D printing easier that it seems to be. We would be discussing a few of the best-selling products of PrintDry that has impressed a lot of customers worldwide.
PrintDry is based out of Ontario, Canada and is engaged in manufacturing products and accessories for filament storage and management. With some of the most fascinating products under its hood, PrintDry has proved that it aims at improving the experience of customers involved in 3D printing.
Hence, here is the review of the best products that the company offers to its customers.
Do Filament Dryers Work?
When working with filaments, especially the flexible ones such as ABS, PVA, Nylon, and others, it is important to keep these dry as much as possible. The introduction of moisture to these materials can cause huge damage to the print results.
Thankfully, the PrintDry filament dryer has your back. The product has been created to make sure that the materials are free of moisture and is solely made for this purpose. Hence, serving the cause very well.
There are two ways of using this dryer. Users can either choose to use the dryer while the filaments get fed into the printer directly out of the dryer. Or, a dryer can also be used separately. Once done, users can feed the dried filament out of the enclosure as needed.
Features of Filament Dryer
The dryer is stuffed with great features to make it the most competitive product in the market. One can rely on its results for enhancing the results of the 3D printer models. You may not like the way it looks. To be blunt, it isn’t very impressive in looks. However, it does the job fairly.
● Capacity for Two Spools: The dryer is designed to work with two filament spools at a time. This has been done to help users wick moisture out of the filaments faster.
Instead of waiting hours for the other spool to be done, one can dry two spools simultaneously. Hence, saving a lot of time of users.
Not just that, the dried filament can be fed to the printer directly through the enclosed container through a hole while the other spool can be left for drying.
The company also provides additional compartments and other peripherals for the dryer. Such as extra metal plate, feeder for the top compartment and others.
● Drying Duration: Drying time depends on the material as well as the surrounding environment. One does not have to wait for days.
However, it isn’t too fast as well. The waiting time ranges from 2 hours to 12 hours. If you are working with ABS, you can expect a waiting time of 2 hours. When drying Nylon, you may have to wait for 12 hours as well.
● Enhanced Quality of Print Results: Nylon, PETG, and various other flexible materials have the tendency to suck moisture from the air. This prevents them from providing satisfactory print results.
Sometimes, the entire print goes for a toss. Hence, to avoid these materials from carrying on their annoying habit of trapping moisture, the PrintDry Filament dryer is used. The dryer helps in separating the moisture out of these filaments and improving the print quality of the 3D models.
● Temperature is Adjustable: The dryer lets you set the temperature depending on the material as well as the condition of the filament. You can choose the best-suited temperature for drying these materials for the best outcome. The temperature can be set from 35°C up to a scorching 70°C.
● Multiple Filament Support: You can dry any filament that you want to. Either its PLA, ABS, Nylon or any other one. The dryer is designed to suck moisture from any filament that you intend to use inside the dryer’s compartment.
These features help in assuring users for the best experience when printing with a 3D printer. The dryer does a great job of handling different types of filaments. Using this product, you can say goodbye to all those messy days when the filaments moisture held you back from realizing the best results.
Working of PrintDry Filament Dryer
The science behind the working of the filament dryer is based on the basics. To understand the same, you must look into what happens with the filament when it captures the moisture and how the product deals with the challenge.
At first, when the moisture comes in contact with the filaments, the water molecules get attached to the polymer chain strongly.
The dryer produces heat that helps in detaching and further loosening the bonds between the polymer chain the water moisture. After this, the water molecules start roaming freely around the polymer chain.
A difference in the moisture content that develops inside and outside of the container, triggers water molecules to move towards the low moisture content, i.e., outside of the container.
After the filament is dried completely, enough water molecules are separated, making the filament free of moisture.
Benefits of Using Filament Dryer
It is no more a surprise and it’s very lucid why filament dryer is so important for those working with FDM machine and filament spools. Here is a quick recap of the importance that the product holds in 3D printing.
- It is lightweight and compact. One can easily place it closer to the 3D printer without any hassle.
- It dries the filaments making them fit for 3D printing. And, avoid damages such as partially failed models or dealing with unprintable filaments.
- It works for all types of filament. Hence, it is a one-stop solution, regardless of which filament you are using for printing.
- Durable and handy.
Leaving filaments improperly sealed can cause a lot of damage. However, instead of throwing away the moisture ridden filaments, you can still use it after drying it with inside this product. You can save a lot of money by utilizing the filaments that you were discarded before.
PrintDry Filament Container
We have worked with filaments and have been using zip-lock plastic bags to store them away from the moisture. However, these PrintDry Filament Containers do safeguard the materials to a certain extent, they are susceptible to wear and tear.
They end up with holes or rips here and there. Also, sometimes, these bags are not sealed properly. Hence, depending on these bags isn’t practical when continuously working with these filaments.
These bags can lead to damages by letting moisture get through them, hence spoiling the filament. Users who are dependent on airtight plastic containers do go through issues in spite of having a durable option at hand.
The airtight containers available for purchase are big for storing multiple filament spools together. Because these containers are opened and closed multiple times, they let moisture get in. Hence, damaging filaments only after 2-3 times of opening the lid.
It is very important to protect filaments against moisture. To cater to these problems and ensuring that the filaments are safe inside the container, PrintDry introduced the container for one spool of filament.
Features of Filament Container
PrintDry has created this filament container to tackle the challenges the user face while storing the filaments away from the moisture. It includes many amazing features and has been able to cater to the cause efficiently.
● Highly durable: These containers are very durable. The company has ensured high protection by keeping the wall thickness 15 times thicker than those of the zip-lock plastic bags.
● Created for Single Spool: As already discussed the problem with multiple spool holders, the company decided to go one step ahead of its competition by answering the problem in its own way. The container is designed for one spool. Hence, there is no need for opening and closing the lid multiple times.
● See Through: One does not have to open the filaments to check which one is inside which container. The see-through plastic helps determine the filament type and avoids the need for opening the filament container.
● Sealed and Airtight: The container is protected with a special silicone seal and four clamps around the container’s lid.
The Conclusion
Among the many products that we come across when working with 3D printers, there are few that seem too important to miss. And, the products sold by PrintDry falls in the same category. If you have faced trouble with moisture stuck filament, it is time you try PrintDry Products and experience the difference.
