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All 3D printer filaments are made of polymers, which are prone to absorbing moisture
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Moisture in the filament can lead to issues such as:
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Reduced part strength
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Reduced layer adhesion
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Uneven extrusion lines
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Uncharacteristic blobbing, oozing, or stringing
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Textured or "fuzzy" surfaces on the print
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If you are getting prints which look something like the chair in the image, drying your filament can help improve the quality of your prints
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We solely use PLA in the Maker-E and PLA has a glass transition temperature of 70 degrees C
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Set the temperature of the dryer to 50 degrees Celsius by turning the knob to the appropriate setting
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50 degrees Celsius gives us a good margin of error for the temperature while still maintaining good drying conditions
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Do not set the temperature higher than 50 degrees, doing so can cause the filament to get soft and melt together which will ruin the roll
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Up to two rolls can be dried at once
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The first roll is inserted on the bottom layer
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Align the filament on the metal bracket
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Place the white alignment jig over the white pole to ensure the filament is secured
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Notice: the alignment jig should be placed on the rod with the narrower side first
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Add the second level of the print dry
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Place the second roll of filament just as you did with the first roll
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Place the cover on the PrintDry
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Flip the switch on the dryer to the on position
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You should hear the dryer turn on
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If not, check to see if it is plugged in properly. The plug is polarized and will only insert a certain way
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If you still do not hear the dryer turn on, please notify a technician or Matt.
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Typical drying times for PLA filament is around 3-4 hours
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Longer dryer times can be utilized to remove even more moisture
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Warning! Never use the filament dryer longer than 40 hours straight. This could damage the equipment.
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Set a timer for the amount of time you're going to be drying the filament using a timer next to the 3D printers
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Don't forget about the filament while it is drying! The PrintDry does not have an auto-off feature
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When the filament has finished drying, remove it from the device and turn it off.
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Make sure to rebuild the device cavities and to place the cover back on top
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