3D printer manufacturers are increasingly directing their attention to professional and industrial users, making their hardware more robust to improve repeatability and reliability.
That has led to a renewed emphasis on filament quality because even the best 3D printers can’t produce good prints with low-quality filament. And similarly, even high-quality filament can produce poor results if it has absorbed too much moisture. Most filaments are hygroscopic, meaning they absorb moisture, and some are much more sensitive to moisture than others like Nylon and PETG. In order to print correctly, filament needs to be dry. That’s why pretty much all filament is shipped vacuum sealed. But it takes only a few days for filament to absorb enough moisture to affect print quality, whether it be stringing or inconsistent extrusion.
To solve that problem, EIBOS (Excellent Ideas Based On Structure) is launching the Cyclopes filament dryer on Kickstarter.
Cyclopes will fit two standard 1kg spools or one large spool, and its temperature controlled chamber can dry materials for any period via the programmable timer. It can go up to 70°C, which is enough for Nylon and PC. Users don’t have to worry about undoing all their drying work when printing because the filament can be used while inside the dryer. Of course, everything is made of flame-retardant materials for safety.
And when it’s time to store the dried filament, that’s where their other product comes in. Eurus is a filament storage bag and pump system. Filament goes in the specialized bags and then the pump vacuums all of the air out, keeping the filament nice and dry. I like the bag solution as it takes up the least amount of space.
Filament drying is especially important for functional materials like Nylon, PETG, ASA, and PC, otherwise mechanical properties will suffer. These products are a sight for sore eyes for everyone who has dried their filament in food dehydrators and, even worse, ovens. Needless to say, it’s really easy to ruin filament that way. And your oven. Don’t ruin your oven, check out the Cyclopes Kickstarter when it launches in a few days.