SUNLU announced a new filament dryer, but this one is a bit different.
We have received quite a number of press releases from various manufacturers announcing different models of filament dryers. Honestly, most of them are really not particularly unique: they hold a spool or three, heat up to about 60°C, and so on. Some have instrumentation, some do not.
Filament dryers are becoming important: while 3D printing equipment is getting more sophisticated, the quality increasingly depends on the quality of the input material. In most cases, this means that the filament must be dry. Some materials tend to absorb moisture from the air, which boils while being extruded through the hot end. This creates bubbles that compromise part strength and mess up the surface quality.
This week, I opened the mail and found an announcement from SUNLU announcing their new FilaDryer E2. At first, I thought, “this is another one”. But then I read the specifications.
The FilaDryer E2 can be heated to an incredible 110°C, far above most of the other dryers on the market.
Why so high? In fact, PLA has a softening temperature of about 60°C, so if you were to put a spool of PLA into the FilaDryer E2 at that temperature, it would ruin the material.
In fact, the high temperatures are designed to address the needs of engineering materials that can handle much higher temperatures. The higher temperature would dry the filament faster than lower temperatures.
The FilaDryer E2 has a digital control panel and can maintain a specific set temperature within five percent up to 110°C. This is important because the optimal drying temperature varies by material.
There’s quite a bit of space in this dryer, as it has internal dimensions of 372 x 192 x 186 mm. This is enough for two 1kg spools or one 2-3kg spool.
Amazingly, even at 110°C inside the drying chamber, SUNLU said the exterior surface temperature on the FilaDryer E2 would remain at 55°C or less. However, I’d still be careful when opening the device as the internals could cause burns if improperly touched. Safety gloves might be in order here.
There’s more: this unit provides the ability to perform annealing, the practice of heating parts after printing to increase their strength. This feature could be quite valuable to those making parts that will undergo mechanical stress.
The FilaDryer E2 can be used during printing, as it offers eight outlet holes to feed filament to a nearby 3D printer. While you can only put up to three spools in the unit, SUNLU has provided more holes to adapt to any 3D printer setup.
The FilaDryer E2 seems to be a more advanced drying system than most on the market. If you’re a professional seeking high-quality 3D printed parts in a range of engineering materials, this might be the dryer for you.
Via SUNLU
