Sunlu FilaDryer S4 evaluation – First Quadcopter

I began utilizing 3D printers about three years in the past, and what I discovered first is that dry filament is crucial to acquiring high quality prints. As its identify suggests, the Sunlu FilaDryer S4 permits simultaneous dehydration of 4 spools, making it distinctive in its market phase.

I simply counted and located greater than ten opened filament spools at residence. Even when stored of their authentic packaging, they have a tendency to soak up moisture and require drying earlier than use. Relying on the fabric, moisture can penetrate solely superficially or deeper into your filament. Additionally, some versatile supplies like PVA are extremely hygroscopic and have a tendency to soak up far more moisture from the ambiance than different varieties of filaments.

Utilizing “moist” supplies can result in numerous high quality errors and even print failures. A few of the most typical signs of moist filament are:

• Extreme brittleness of the filament
• Effervescent and popping because it exits the new nozzle
• Extrusion jams and different points
• Poor mattress adhesion
• Stringing (“furry prints”)
• Tiny blobs in print layers
• Brittle, tender, and fragile outcomes

Sunlu S4: Filament Dryer to Concurrently, Concurrently Match 4 Spools at a Time

Disclosure: I acquired this multi-filament dryer as a part of a product evaluation collaboration with SUNLU. Product specs and high quality might fluctuate in keeping with the producer’s reliability, so I can’t assure that you’re going to get merchandise that carry out the identical as proven in my article.

Along with numerous printing supplies (filaments and resins), SUNLU gives a variety of 3D printing equipment (mates, as they name them), together with filament dryers, vacuum baggage, and enclosures. The S4 is the corporate’s third filament dryer. Right here on FirstQuadcopter, we’ve got reviewed the FilaDryer S2, a strong and well-designed moisture remover unit.

The FilaDryer S4 comes well-packed with thick protecting foam. The field consists of the next equipment:

• 2 Teflon tubes (100cm)
• 4 Teflon tubes (8cm)
• 8 rubber plugs for unused filament-out holes
• 8 steel clasps to carry output tubes in place
• Consumer guide

With the S4 dryer, SUNLU additionally despatched me 4 spools of their new filaments: two high-speed PLAs, a Silk-PLA, and a PETG. These supplies might be reviewed in a future article.

At a look

The FilaDryer S4 has a cuboid kind issue and measures 450x210x211 mm. The clear, smoky grey acrylic entrance panel permits selecting contained in the drying chamber. On the edges of the show, a skinny inexperienced LED strip animates whereas the dryer is turned on. On the backside, two stainless-steel bars function legs. The general look of the unit may be very elegant. For those who have been born within the 60s, you’ll in all probability discover a resemblance between the S4 FilaDryer and a magnetophone (tape music recorder).

On the high, two hinged covers (see photograph above) permit entry to load the filament spools two by two. Every compartment has 4 bars put in on tiny bearings to run easily. Within the middle of the 2 drying zones, there’s a small compartment for moisture absorber silica pouches. Contained in the unit, three followers (solely two seen) flow into scorching air for uniform dehydration.

The Sunlu FilaDryer S4 adopts a 330W PTC heater, permitting ultra-fast warming time. From 25°C to 70°C, it takes solely 50 minutes. Constructed-in moisture sensor displays inner humidity and adjusts operations accordingly.

Within the inventory configuration, you’ll be able to load as much as 4 filament roles. By including an additional container on high of the unit (DIY mission out there right here), it is possible for you to to load big 3KG spools and even dry a pair of sneakers 🙂

The unit has eight filament outputs, 4 on the highest and 4 on the edges, permitting you to feed your 3D machines in lots of configurations (positions). The included rubber plugs can be utilized to cowl the unused holes, stopping moisture from coming into the unit.

SUNLU S4 filament dryer: Controls and person interface

The unit has just one button, the facility change. The S4 is operated by means of the touch-screen LCD, with 4 digital buttons on the backside of the show. The FilaDryer 4 has six pre-configured filament profiles with set values, however customers can regulate them in keeping with their preferences. The out there settings are:

• Goal temperature
• Temperature models (°C or °F)
• Program time
• Drying mode (Timer – MO1 or Humidity management – MO2)
• LED gentle bar mode

The desk under reveals the really helpful temperature settings in keeping with the filament kind.

Setting the suitable filament profile is essential as a result of you’ll be able to harm temperature-sensitive supplies, corresponding to PCL filaments with shallow melting factors (60-80°C). Whereas testing the FilaDryer S4, I didn’t discover that I loaded a PCL spool, and after 20 minutes of drying, the filament began to drip like an ice cream.

With a countdown timer operate, you’ll be able to set it to function in fixed warmth mode for as much as 24 hours. The warmth mechanically turns off as soon as the timer runs out.

Throughout operation, precise (PV) and set (SV) temperatures are displayed on the left, and relative humidity (RH%) on the correct.

Pricing and availability

The S4 Filadryer was initially revealed on Kickstarter, a crowdfunding platform. The mission attracted 5,956 pledged backers and raised $620,000. A number of months later, the mission matured, and the completed product might be ordered instantly from the producer’s web site for $159.99. Ordering now, you’ll obtain one spool of white PLA filament totally free.

Sunlu FilaDryer S4: Technical parameters

For whom is that this filament dryer appropriate, and for whom not?

For those who personal multi-filament 3D machines such because the Bambu Lab X1, Elegoo OrangeStorm Giga, and Prusa i3 or use a number of 3D printers concurrently, the FilaDryer 4 is a wonderful various in comparison with 4 particular person drying models because it saves area and permits centralized management. Being comparatively hermetic, the S4 can also be appropriate for storing unwrapped filaments till the following use.

Then again, in the event you print solely often utilizing a single spool till you employ all of it, the worth and energy utilization of the FilaDryer 4 are usually not justified.

Not all filament sorts require the identical drying program (time and temperature), so you’ll be able to’t combine them, or chances are you’ll harm among the filament, as I additionally skilled in my exams.

S4 Filadryer: Key options

• [Large dying chamber] The FilaDryer S4 has an inner measurement of 450 x 210 x 211 mm and gives area for 4 x 1 kg filament spools (with a max. spool dimension of 75 x 206 mm).
• [Intelligent PTC heating element] A 330-watt PTC heating factor reaches a temperature of fifty °C in half an hour. The utmost heating temperature is 70 °C.
• [Triple security protection] An built-in triple security safety helps monitor the temperature in actual time and warns of any anomalies:
  • At irregular temperatures, the PTC factor stops heating
  • A two-stage security change for temperature management interrupts the circuit when the temperature reaches too excessive a worth.
  • Software program safety warns of different irregular occurrences.
• [Dynamic temperature compensation] The FilaDryer S4 has an built-in triple fan system (two circulation followers + one heating fan) that ensures the warmth contained in the dryer is dynamically adjusted or balanced to a tolerance of ±3 ℃ to dry the filaments evenly.
• [Automatic humidity control] To higher meet the necessities of various kinds of supplies, the humidity within the dryer will be adjusted as wanted:
  • When the humidity reaches the preset worth (30%-50%), the field mechanically begins drying,
  • If the humidity drops to 25%, drying stops
• [Wide compatibility] The FilaDryer S4 is appropriate with most 3D printers and helps the simultaneous use of 4 gadgets.