3D printer filament needs to be dry to print properly. If you’re experience poor print quality, there is a very good chance that the filament is “wet” and has absorbed ambient moisture from the air. Some filament materials are more susceptible to moisture absorption than others, but they can all benefit from drying. To make continuous drying as convenient as possible, Creative3DP designed the AeroDry 2.0 modular filament dryer and launched it on Kickstarter.
There are many active filament dryer units on the market, but most of them only hold one or two spools. If you want to dry more than that, you have to purchase many units and find the shelf space for them. AeroDryer 2.0 is a bit different, with a modular tower design that is expandable through stacking. Want to dry more spools? Just add another module to the stack.
AeroDryer 2.0 is a DIY product sold as a set of 3D-printable STL files, BoM (Bill of Materials), and assembly instructions. The bottom module of the tower provides the heat and air flow. The top module is a cap to seal the tower and it contains a carry handle. Between the bottom and top, the user can add as many filament storage modules as they want. The entire tower stack can be assembled without the use of any fasteners or special tools.
The filament storage modules come in two sizes. The small size can hold three standard 1kg spools of filament. The large size can hold either two 3kg spools or one 5kg spool. You can mix and match sizes, adding as many modules to the tower as you need. Each storage module contains filament outlets with PTFE tube couplers, for feeding directly to the printer(s).
All of the electronic components are affordable and easy to source, using the provided BoM as a guide. There are PTC (Positive-Temperature-Coefficient) heaters, which are self-regulating and very safe, a powerful blower to create airflow, and an off-the-shelf controller to manage those. Each storage module has a temperature and humidity sensor for chamber conditions.
If you want to build an AeroDry 2.0, you have until July 10th to back the Kickstarter campaign. For $39, you will get the complete set of AeroDry 2.0 files, to be delivered electronically after the campaign ends.