3D Printing in the (sub)tropics

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Aloha B
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3D Printing in the (sub)tropics

Post by Aloha B »

Hi everyone,

I'm new here, and to 3D printing, and I'm hoping for a little guidance as I look to make my investment. I'm an armchair inventor and kind of a shop monkey, and have been using CAD for over a decade, and I'm interested in designing and making parts and various things for practical applications. I have the resources to buy an X1 Carbon printer, and I'm pretty sure that it has the balance of features and applicability that I will find most useful. In my research on the process of printing it has become apparent that humidity is enemy #1. I live in Hawaii where our average humidity is 70%. I'm mostly interested in printing hygroscopic materials like nylon, CF-nylon, PETG, etc. My question is, will I ever be able to make satisfactory prints without major, ongoing and frustrating efforts to create a dry environment? Is it simply a matter of keeping the filament dry, or is ambient humidity during the print a factor, too? If the struggle against humidity is too great, I don't see the purpose in spending the $2k (unit+shipping+consumables).

Another factor is that my space is off the electric grid with a smallish photovoltaic system. I can't plug in extra heaters and blowers for long periods of time to bring ambient humidity down, so my only options would be a single electric dehydrator for filament and rechargeable desiccants. I am not looking to make money from 3D printing, so there's no cost benefit to consider for updating my infrastructure.

Any pearls of wisdom to help me make my choice will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you
Brandon
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LePaul
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Re: 3D Printing in the (sub)tropics

Post by LePaul »

Hi there, some suggestions!

The X1 Carbon looks like a great printer. I'd like to have one! The enclosure is and air handling look pretty good.
The Material Handling system also looks nice.

I use a Print Dry Pro filament dryer on every material I am about to print. Yes, Nylon and PETG certainly pull in the moisture, I have a lot of experience with each

When I receive my materials, I dry them per the manufacturers suggestions. I then store them in an air tight container with desiccants.

When it is time to print, I give them some more time in the dryer and then use a dry box. I use the Polybox which has two large desiccants that go in the bottom of the box and the box seals up nicely. I run a bowden tube from the dry box directly into the hot end (reverse bowden). [The dry box sits on top of the 3D Printer safety enclosure]. This minimizes the exposure to humidity.

I wish I was in Hawaii but I am in Maine. We tend to get some power flickers here and there, so I have invested in several large UPSs.
( https://amzn.to/3INhwoi )
I usually go with APC but several reviews lead me to go to the CyberPower model
These have enough power to run the machine they attached to for several minutes. So that gives me the ability to abort the print (safely) or hope the flicker passes! I have these on my larger printers (CR-10 S5) as well as a few others do I use most for very long prints (48 hour +)

Feel free to ask questions! I went from a hobbyist/YouTuber that loves 3D Printing to it is not my full time job at a research laboratory. Going from hobby to professional has been quite something, since I have learned a great deal about the risks these printers come with. Not only the electrical but the off gassing of the various materials is a very serious problem most chose to ignore. You wouldn't sit around the stove and breathe in melting plastic but so many people will around a 3D printer! So be safe

Lastly, on the topic of safety, make sure you are considering the fire risks. "Stuff" happens. I also run two air purifiers in my work space and each 3D printer enclosure has Blaze Cut fire suppression tubes installed and carbon air filters or BOFA fume extractors.

I hope I have not overloaded you with data!
Aloha B
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Re: 3D Printing in the (sub)tropics

Post by Aloha B »

Thank you so much, LePaul. Exactly the kind of info and community I'm looking for.

On the aspect of power, I run my house off a 4800 watt pure sine wave inverter, which is generally far more reliable and a better power source for electronics than our grid, however cycles with the fridge and freezer, as well as other loads, sometimes bog or surge the power a little bit. Will this affect the print quality, or would a printer like the X1 have power moderators built in to negate that?

Good point about the health aspect. My shop is pretty much open air with good air flow, so I hope I'm okay with that.

Does the drying process just become an easy part of the workflow over time? My concern is that I'm going to be spending so much time trying to dry everything out that I'll get demoralized and never print anything. Are there materials you print with for prototyping that don't require elaborate drying methods?

I appreciate the help!

Brandon
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LePaul
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Re: 3D Printing in the (sub)tropics

Post by LePaul »

I'd ask an electrician about the questions you posed. I ask mine those sorts of things!

Drying is easy, just takes planning. I dry all of my materials, PLA, PETG, etc.

The reason I do this is because many filaments use a water cooling as part of the production process. So despite material arriving in a nice vacuum bag, it can still need drying.
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Re: 3D Printing in the (sub)tropics

Post by Roberts_Clif »

Aloha B wrote: January 16th, 2023, 3:37 pm
On the aspect of power, I run my house off a 4800 watt pure sine wave inverter, which is generally far more reliable and a better power source for electronics than our grid, however cycles with the fridge and freezer, as well as other loads, sometimes bog or surge the power a little bit. Will this affect the print quality, or would a printer like the X1 have power moderators built in to negate that?

I can to wrap y head around your running a whole house on only 21.81 amps

A Single wide Trailer house requires a 100 Amp service
A House requires a 200 Amp service
A House with a swimming pool requires a 350 Amp service

My Computers use 6.25 amps, My 3D Printers require an additional 9.6 amps at 220 volt.
This 16.25 Amp total covers only one room my Computer room.

I could not run any Heat or AC or Stove or Dryer with this minute 4800 watts | 220 volts x 21.81 amps all require more then 30 Amps each.
Aloha B
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Re: 3D Printing in the (sub)tropics

Post by Aloha B »

I can to wrap y head around your running a whole house on only 21.81 amps

First of all, everything so far on my system is 110v, though I can wire for 220. 4,800/110 = 43 amps, or factoring in peak watt rating of 6,000, we get 55 amps. 4,800 watts continuous, 6,000 watts peak is more than enough power, if you manage your power well. In Hawaii we don't need heating or AC, we use solar and propane for water heating and we line dry our clothes. We make sure we don't have more than 3 high power loads on at any one time, and usually keep it to two. We don't need things like water pumps. Just sitting there on average with various constant loads my house uses 3 amps (110v), up to around 9 when the fridge and chest freezer are cycled on. We mostly cook on induction cooktops, 1,500 watts, and sometimes a small electric oven, 1,800 watts. LED lights at night. Some days I use power tools all day long, I just don't invite my friends over to run their power tools with me. The only things in my shop I can't comfortably power are my welder and plasma cutter. The system is run by a LiFePo battery with high rate charge/discharge capacity, so if the sun is shining I can pretty much use power as fast as I can produce it. I've lived this way for over 20 years. I tend to think people waste a lot of power, but I'm also spoiled living in such a temperate place.
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LePaul
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Re: 3D Printing in the (sub)tropics

Post by LePaul »

Fascinating. I'm always amazed about homes that have solar and power walls (Tesla)
BobbyLuashy
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Re: 3D Printing in the (sub)tropics

Post by BobbyLuashy »

3D printing in the tropics and sub-tropics can present some challenges due to the high humidity and temperatures found in these regions. High humidity can cause issues with the adhesion of the filament to the print bed, and can also lead to warping and cracking of the printed object. High temperatures can also cause the filament to soften, which can lead to poor layer adhesion and poor print quality.
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