SUNLU S2 Filament Dryer: Moistureless 360° Encompass Heating

Many 3D printing filaments are hygroscopic, which suggests they readily take up moisture from the surroundings when they’re faraway from the unique bundle. Moisture can flip into steam within the scorching finish, resulting in points like poor layer adhesion, effervescent, and even clogging of the nozzle. Utilizing a filament dryer field such because the SUNLU S2 is important to make sure the standard, consistency, and reliability of your 3D prints.

Completely different 3D filaments take up water at completely different charges, relying on their chemical composition. The S2 FilaDryer displays in real-time the within humidity and permits temperature stage setting between 35℃ and 70℃. The dryer makes use of two heating components that flip moisture into vapor, which is discharged by way of the filament outlet.

The SUNLU S2 Filament Dryer is appropriate with 99% of FDM 3D printer supplies no matter model, diameter ( 1.75mm/2.85mm/3.00mm), or kind (PLA/PLA+, PETG, ABS, TPU, Nylon, and PA/PC).

SUNLU S2 FiaDryer overview

Disclosure: I obtained this filament dryer as a part of a product overview collaboration with SUNLU. Product specs and high quality could fluctuate in keeping with the producer’s reliability, so I can not assure that you’re going to get merchandise that carry out the identical as seen in my article.

The model identify “SUNLU” is impressed by the phrase “sunshine” -the factor that’s among the many most treasured in our world, bringing vitality and vigor to all beings. The corporate was based ten years in the past by Jack, a person with a broad imaginative and prescient and a hardcore enthusiasm for 3D printing. Apart from a variety of printing supplies (filaments and resins), the corporate additionally has just a few FDM machines and 3D printer equipment. 

This 12 months, I already reviewed the SUNLU T3 printer and among the firm’s filaments, and I used to be comfortable once they contacted me to check their newest drying field. The S2 is SUNLU’s third and most versatile drying resolution.

At a look

The S2 FilaDryer is available in a pleasant storage field with an included 24V/2A energy adapter, spare Teflon rings, and a fast begin information. For additional particulars, you may seek the advice of the product’s detailed multilingual on-line person handbook right here.

The drying field has a barely egg-shaped kind with 4 ft on the underside. The highest shell is semi-transparent, smoky black, and could be opened to load the filament. Contained in the unit, there’s a beneficiant house. I examined it with 5 completely different spool sorts; all match with out points. SUNLU says which you can load bobbins with sizes of as much as φ210*85mm. The filament rests in two metallic rolls, getting warmth from all sides by way of two heating surfaces. It has filament exit factors on either side, so it may be positioned on the left or proper of your 3D printer.

Across the massive (6x4cm) monochrome LCD is a cool LED ring. It doesn’t have any bodily buttons. After the 24V AC/DC adapter is plugged in, all of the controls are accessible from the contact display screen. You should double-tap the “ON/OFF” icon with a purpose to energy it on. Navigating the settings could be completed by utilizing the UP, Down, and SET digital contact buttons. You may toggle between Celsius and Fahrenheit show modes. From high to backside, you might have Measured temperature, Configured temperature, Materials (PLA/PETG/TPU/ABS/PA/PC), and LED. Relative humidity (RH%) is displayed within the right-up nook -the worth ought to go down because the temperature will increase. The humidity and temperature sensors are inside, on the again of the LCD display screen, and you need to keep away from protecting them.

Based on your materials, you configure working temperatures between 35 °C and 70 °C. The default drying program is about to six hours -if wanted, you may decrease it or improve it as much as 24 hours. When altering from one materials to a different, the suitable temperature will probably be mechanically set. The preset temperature is reached quick due to the 48Watt 360° heating components.

Throughout my check, from a 970-gram filament spool that stayed put in on my Neptune 3 Professional printer for greater than a month, a 6-hour drying program managed to get rid of about 3 grams of water. If you take away the moisture from the filament, it behaves the identical because the day it was first purchased with out being too brittle.

SUNLU S2 filament dryer field key options:

• [Big Touch Screen] It encompasses a large 4.6-inch LCD contact display screen. You may simply see all settings like Heating Temp, Time, Filament Kind, and LED Mild. All settings want one click on.
• [360° Circular Heating] 3D encompass heating method can absolutely dry moisture filaments and enhance printing results enormously—speedy drying, breaking by way of the heating temperature to 35℃~70℃.
• [Moisture is not a problem at all] A very dry filament eliminates printing issues like Clogging, Layer shift, Stringing, and Adhesion to print sheet.
• [Real-time Humidity Detection] Constructed-in high-precision humidity detection sensor, displaying real-time humidity contained in the filament dryer. Help in judging the drying impact. Computerized sleep standby after drying.
• [Suitable for most 3D printing filaments] Suitable with all of the mainstream 3D filament manufacturers and all commonplace filament diameters 1.75mm/2.85mm/3.00mm; Works completely with PLA, PLA+, PETG, TPU, ABS, PA, PC, and so forth.
• [Dry, Store, and Print] The SUNLU S2 is designed to dry and retailer your 3D filament and even print straight from it.

Worth and availability

The S2 FilaDryer could be ordered from the producer’s on-line retailer for $69.99 (discounted from $79.99). For an additional $19.99, you may go for a Vacuum Bag package to retailer your opened filaments with out absorbing moisture. You may go for Europe, USA, Australia, or Canada warehouse. SUNLU merchandise can be ordered from their Amazon or Aliexpress official retailer. Spoiler alert: The brand new FilaDryer S4 with a field design will probably be formally launched on 13 September 2023, and it has a promo value of simply $79.99 for the primary 300 backers on Kickstarter.

Technical specs

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

How are you aware when the filament must be dried?

So far as I do know, no devoted instrument can measure the filament’s moisture stage. As an alternative, there are some particular indicators when your filament is just too moist. It’s good to dry your filament if:

• The filament will get brittle or loses its flexibility.
• Hotend makes numerous sounds when the filament is extruded.
• The melted thermoplastic continues to ooze even after the 3D printer turns off.
• The 3D prints have high quality points like stringing, blobbing, and poor adhesion between layers.