3D Printer Enclosure Air Filter

I built a compact air filtration system for my 3D printer so I can print advanced materials like polycarbonate, ABS, and nylons.
Link to my Printables website to download the model:
www.printables.com/model/4459...
#3dprinting #3dprinter

[@Casey_Schmidt]

This seems like a perfect solution. I really don’t think it’s an issue that you can’t independently control temp and pressure inside the enclosure. As long as the temperature is stable and there is some level of lower pressure inside, you’ve accomplished the goal. Great work.

[@IndeterminateDesign]

Thanks! I plan on adding a secondary heater at some point so I can exhaust more air to keep the pressure low. I spent a lot of time sealing sealing the enclosure as well as possible which definitely helps.

[@e7yu]

Thanks for doing this and for making thr files available. 👍

[@radiantav]

This is fantastic, so much thought put into the design. Many thanks for sharing this.

[@IndeterminateDesign]

Thank you! As a heads up, I'm working a version 2 that will be backward compatible. It will just be a little easier to build/service. I'll have it available in few months.

[@PRO3DESIGN]

Very nice!

[@TylrVncnt]

Brilliant!!

[@patrickregis1]

Thanks for sharing !! I you allow me, add a link in printable to your this very good video. Thanks again !!

[@exodous02]

Thank you! I bought a Bambu Labs X1C because I thought the case would filter out everything. I live in a studio apartment and the smell is bugging me with just PLA and PETG. I'm printing a enclosure, so I'll have a printer in an enclosure inside an enclosure. I was looking for a filter to make a few days ago and your video was just recommended to me.

[@WhereNerdyisCool]

I applaud your efforts to print safe, as I end all my videos saying! I have several enclosures - the ones offered by Printed Solid. I have been using the 3DUpFitter Carbon Air Filters he sells. Upon measuring my shop with a UFP monitor, it is at 1PPB. I also have two Honeywell air purifiers running at all time. Given my northern climate, air changes via open windows isn't an option 😀 I have two of the Wham Bam Hot Box Megas and for those I have the BOFA devices, which are expensive yet work really well. I've been toying with the idea of using a carbon pre filter (like the air purifiers use) combined with the Ultimaker Air Manager filter. That uses an E10 rated filter which is pretty impressive. I've been working with a friend on an initial design to cut out a rectangle size opening for the E10 filter face and a 5V Fan (120mm I think, I need to check my notes). I found a USB dimmer so CFM can adjusted. I looked at the Voron Nevermore concepts they have but honestly, I haven't seen anyone post any real data on how much UFP/VOCs are removed, how long the activated charcoal is good for and so on. The only think I spotted you are missing is some fire suppression devices. I'd consider the Wham Bam "The Sentry" or some BlazeCut tubing, in case a print lifts, gets stuck around the hot end or something goes poof and starts a fire. I've seen it happen! Please print safe! Let me know if you'd like to share some concepts!

[@monkeywrench1951]

I just ust put a 12 v temperature switch on my X1C’s bento box (air purifier). Check the W3001 12V temp controller (most fans of that size are DV 12v). You place the probe near the bed and set start/end temp accordingly.

[@IndeterminateDesign]

With my later version 2 of this filter I just made the temperature adjustment manual. I found that I just watched the thermometer in the enclosure and learned where the filter wanted to be. Which for everything except PLA was almost completely closed. I vary the heat hit with a separate heater.

[@bubbshalub]

this is a great design! I've been looking for a solution to be able to use my 3d printer in my bedroom without breathing in high levels of VOCs, so I'm definitely going to build my enclosure with this in mind

[@IndeterminateDesign]

Thanks. It’s definitely worth having filtration, it’s crazy how dirty the filter gets after a few hundred hours of printing. I’m working on a version 2 as well that will be backwards compatible and easier to service.

[@frankdearr2772]

great, 👍

[@ZoeyR86]

Ditch the bolts, make a 3d printed V-band clamp with a single latch or bolt. Add pressure sensors to the enclosure and in free air and let a arduino or pi manage the negative pressure. Also add a 2nd servo on an air intake. Why not duct air in and out of the rv. You can make an energy recovery air exchange unit super easy

[@IndeterminateDesign]

I actually designed a V-band style but I was afraid to roll that out there. Every time I've done the V-band clamp, it took a bunch of iterations to get the right clamping force right. I think with the amount of charcoal I'm using the filter should last several months. I'd love to have some pressure sensors on here, really just came down to time. I wanted to keep the other projects moving forward. Maybe a phase 2 project for when I add a 200w heater. I have the 3d printer in the closet and sadly there's no good place to route it to the outside without cutting a hole in the back of the RV or running a hose over the bed to a window.

[@--JawZ--]

Nice idea and design, gonna look into this for my printer closet I started designing. I wonder though, what are the sound levels at? And maybe add some sort of sound reducer at the exhaust port, the none circulating port.

[@IndeterminateDesign]

It can be loud, depending on the fan speed. I usually run it at around 50% speed, and it’s about as loud as the other fans on my 3D printer, but definitely not quiet. I’m working on a V2 which I think will be a bit quieter and easier to service due to some design changes. It will be backward compatible with the hole positions for the enclosure.

[@ZeroAnkoku]

Coolio!

[@user-lb8mk8td1d]

Much better than design I was working on... lesson learned to always look for someone that has better skills. 1) Maybe I missed it. Link to the filter you use? 2) When I was think of a design, I wanted to build around the most common filter cartridge in the market. That way it is not hard to find cartridges b/c probably >1 vendor, won't go out of production, etc. But haven't been able to figure out which unit that would be. Have been looking at car, vacuum cleaner and air purifier. If anyone can figure out a common filter that might be a consideration for your v2. Or perhaps make the stage to hold the filter a separate print piece so easier to make a modification to accept a different filter cartridge. Thanks for sharing all your effort.

[@IndeterminateDesign]

Thanks! I’m working on a version 2 that is easier to service and reverses the airflow. In a small enclosure that’s circulating a lot, the airflow direction shouldn’t matter but it’s probably better to pull air in from the top. I tried to pick a vacuum filter that was common as possible across several brands and models but 🤷. It’s hard to say what will always be available anymore.

[@mafiosomax7423]

If you control the temperature via the valve, how do you control the pressure level in the chamber? Great work as always!

[@IndeterminateDesign]

I position the valve so it’s always exhausting at least some air outside the enclosure. The better sealed the enclosure is, less air needs to be exhausted and the hotter you can keep the enclosure temps. Later I will add a separate heater I did the best to seal my enclosure and tested with smoke from the outside to make sure it was being pulled in around the doors.

[@mafiosomax7423]

@@IndeterminateDesign Ah that makes sense. So you could say you control the pressure level by improving the seal to the required level.

[@ruftime]

I use inexpensive ($10-15) Automotive rectangular pleated charcoal-activated cabin filters(about 2" or 50mm thick), mounted inside the cabinet with a simple 3 sided frame, so you can slid the filter in snug against the cabinet side. The PC fans mount on the outside......drill holes in the side of the cabinet between the filter and pc fans. Works great for my multiple FDM/Resin printer farm cabinets.

[@IndeterminateDesign]

With such a small space I really wanted a larger volume of activated carbon. Probably completely overkill to have 8oz of carbon but it should last a long time.

[@sakn415]

May you explain more on the temperature regulation regarding printing in PLA. I plan to build an enclosure and have a multipass system filtration system. However I am making my enclosure airtight but will add inlet air ports on the sides that can be removed or closed. I will also have 2 outlet ports on the back. For PLA prints, do I leave the inlets and outlets open and have the filtration system act as a single pass system then?

[@IndeterminateDesign]

My enclosure is full insulated, thus it reaches 45-50c which makes PLA print poorly. This filter is technically a single pass filter system, but I partially vent some of the air out which causes fresh cool air to be pulled in through the flapper valve. Filtering for any system that can’t vent to the outside world is difficult. You will always vent some VOC’s. It’s a question of how harmful those low level VOCs are.

[@sakn415]

@@IndeterminateDesign I see. Thank you the information. I was looking at existing solutions like the nevermore filter and they were talking about how multipass systems are more effective than single pass systems. I think I will try to program my system to open the exhaust ports after every 5 cycles to bring fresh air back into the system. That way I could still have negative pressure when the exhaust port is open. Thank you so much for your design and video. It has really helped me in my research. I am looking forward for a V3

[@sakn415]

How do you know how much activated carbon you need as well as when to replace it?

[@IndeterminateDesign]

I looked at existing filtration systems and research papers. I didn’t have a way to measure the VOC’s so I went with the other method which is use roughly double the activated carbon. The actual amount of VOC’s emitted by the plastic is small, even though they are very toxic. In reality the carbon could probably last several hundred hours, maybe even a thousand. But I change mine every 200-300hrs.

[@juancarlosruiz1985]

Where is the link to the $20 120mm fan from amazon?

[@IndeterminateDesign]

www.amazon.com/dp/B08Q3Q2354?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

[@andyhelipilot3528]

I would of thought it was best to pull air out at the top and recirculated air in at the bottom so that heat is kept in at the bottom near the build plate, to prevent drafts at the build plate or cold spots to prevent shrinkage or pealing off the build plate. I would have taken hot air off the top and pushed it back down. With your negative pressure ideally you would want that inlet of air from the external environment close to the top. I also need to enclose my printer and without any testing this is what I assumed should be the air flow. But I’m sure following this comment I will be proven wrong😂

[@IndeterminateDesign]

I couldn't find any good prior designs around this. Industrial ovens are built with blowers going both ways. Clean rooms generally have the dirty air go in the bottom and out the top. I'm not sure how much it matters, the reality is the filter moves enough air the enclosure is at a fairly consistent temperature. I do have the exit setup to blow sideways so the air circulates around the outside of enclosure rather than right on the build plate.

[@sierraecho884]

You have a bunch of errors in your solution. 1. You don´t need a whole lot of pressure. The air will be exchanged all the time, a small pressure difference is enough, but it does not hurt to go with more pressure. As long as you suck air out of the enclosure new air will bleed in anyways. 2. Usually charcoal goes first then HEPA, reason being is you don´t want fine dust particulates from the charcoal flying around and getting into your lung.

[@IndeterminateDesign]

Thank you for your feedback on my design. Regarding the pressure requirement, you're absolutely right that a small pressure difference is often sufficient to facilitate air exchange if your filter has enough surface area. The fan I used is probably complete overkill for this situation. That makes total sense on the order having the hepa filter after the charcoal. I was trying to copy a respirator cartridge, but really they have a filter on both sides of the charcoal. Two filters might be a better solution anyways to slow the airflow down a bit more.

[@sierraecho884]

@@IndeterminateDesign In regard to the fan, overkill is fine but you should have a way of regulation the suction in this case probably. But IDK since I have not tried your solution. Yes, they do this to filter out the charcoal particles. Some filters also combine both where the active carbon is basically bound to the HEPA, I have one such filter for my Levoit Core 300, but the carbon content is way to low for what you are trying to filter out. I have the same kind of problem btw with my FDM printer, so I know your pain. In general good job on the design, it is difficult to create a proper designs and you will always need multiple iterations, so do not get discouraged. I am saying this as an automotive design engineer =)

[@joelc.7996]

@@sierraecho884 outside of work, how can you tell the difference between an engineer and a bartender? It's easy. Wait 5 minutes. The engineer will tell you he's an engineer. The bartender is the other guy

[@sierraecho884]

Right, I rather use a plane or car designed by an engineer and not a bartender, so sometimes it´s good to know. I bet the people inside the imploded sub would be better of if they knew who designed that thing xD@@joelc.7996