About a ventilation system

[smenguy 0]

Hi,

We're going to buy a Ultimaker 2 Extended+ in the office i'm working at, and for safety issues we are looking at cases and ventilation systems. We're not even especially going to use some specific plastic, just the basic PLA so it shouldn't be an issue, but because it's inside the office we're working in all day long, we need to make sure it's safe.

So we're looking for stuff like Growing Room with a ventilation system and carbon filter, someone told us that this is what we need. Something like that :

But I can't really find something with the ventilation and filter systems, and i don't really know what to chose (to put the 3D printer inside). Have you already done this? Do you recommend some products or type of products ?

Thanks in advance, have a good day !

[SandervG 1,521]

Hi, I took the liberty of moving your topic, I think it fits better here and you'll get bigger response

I personally don't have any experience with a ventilation system.

Does it allow you to control ambient temperature?

Regular room temperature would probably be best.

And I wouldn't recommend any very active cooling or sucking. A draft is usually

not productive.

If the 'fumes' can escape through a tube that would be good enough.

@IRobertI, you were planning on building your own system weren't you?

Any tips?

[IRobertI 520]

@IRobertI, you were planning on building your own system weren't you?

Any tips?

 

One of those projects I never seem to get around to doing. I did build my cabinet for the printers but I haven't gotten around to ventilation yet. I was thinking about having a large(ish) filter on the inside re-circulating the air to clean it up. But I've noticed that the cabinet gets a bit too hot with the door closed so now I'm thinking about having a small fan with a filter on it (activated carbon/hepa/not sure, haven't done any proper research there) pulling air out of the cabinet. That should get the heat down a bit and also get rid of the worst fumes.

[ultiarjan 1,223]

I have mounted a vent, like you see in the bathroom, in the ceiling above my printers, I don't have any issues with draft (I think), but I mostly only turn it on doing ABS, which is when I also use an enclosed front and top (not fully closed, needed to punch a few extra top holes to prevent the temp from going over 50c)

and the vent tube goes directly out of the roof, whih was relatively easy as my printroom is my former garage.

Edited January 8, 2016 by Guest

[smenguy 0]

Hi, thanks for your answers

SandervG, thanks for moving the topic to a better place. We didn't even especially thought about temperature control, it was more about the potential fumes and particles that could come from the plastic melting. But it's true that it could also be an active cooling system, that changes the air for some fresh air. But no, i don't think you can control the temperature with these stuff, however you can place heating lights to heat things inside but that's obviously not something we're trying to do.

So, we're just looking for something that can filter the air coming out from it, to make sure it won't intoxicate people in the office ^^

The problem is that it seems the whole top and front sides of the Ultimaker 2 Extended+ are open, you can't just place a tube going outside to escape the air and particles coming with it outside, that's why we were thinking about puting the whole printer inside a big box. Just like Robert did.

IRobertI, thank you for showing your cabinet, it's really nice i love the idea. But yeah obviously, because it's closed and made out of wood/plywood, it makes sense that you get warm issues.

We've read about the carbon filter on the ultimaker's website, somewhere. It's the cheapest way of filtering the air with the kind of particles coming out of the melting, but you have to change the filter regularly (i don't know how often). Your work is really nice and i'd love to make my own big box but we don't have the tools and time to do this ^^ But yeah, worst case scenario, i ask for some time and build my own too.

[frederiekpascal 193]

I got an UM2 in my "3D print room" and I got an Daikin airpurifier next to it. It's an great invention imo it cleans the air and smell perfectly. Recommended

I got this one http://uk.daikineurope.com/products/index.jsp?singleprv=MCK75J&pf=0

[Titus 170]

Regarding safety and particles, you should look into colorfabb materials, they actually do extensive research and testing. As for smell, there is a typical one, but not bad or unsafe, as long as you stick to PLA.

[ppolla 6]

Regarding safety and particles, you should look into colorfabb materials, they actually do extensive research and testing. As for smell, there is a typical one, but not bad or unsafe, as long as you stick to PLA.

Are you saying colorfabb PLA filament is the safest?

[ultiarjan 1,223]

I don't think they do research... more like they buy raw materials from suppliers that do reasearch. Does not mean it's the safest... might mean there's more info available. I would just use any pla... (but I do like the Colorfabb).

[Dim3nsioneer 557]

I got an UM2 in my "3D print room" and I got an Daikin airpurifier next to it. It's an great invention imo it cleans the air and smell perfectly. Recommended

I got this one http://uk.daikineurope.com/products/index.jsp?singleprv=MCK75J&pf=0

Those Daikin devices are not very efficient in collecting particles. I have some experience whith them from a previous job and must say that the collector stage of their ESP is much too short. The best cleaning effect of the Ururu device comes from the humidification stage.

Edited January 10, 2016 by Guest

[frederiekpascal 193]

I got an UM2 in my "3D print room" and I got an Daikin airpurifier next to it. It's an great invention imo it cleans the air and smell perfectly. Recommended

I got this one http://uk.daikineurope.com/products/index.jsp?singleprv=MCK75J&pf=0

Those Daikin devices are not very efficient in collecting particles. I have some experience whith them from a previous job and must say that the collector stage of their ESP is much too short. The best cleaning effect of the Ururu device comes from the humidification stage.

I bought it in the first place because I'm allergic and for that it's working great.

[Titus 170]

Regarding safety and particles, you should look into colorfabb materials, they actually do extensive research and testing. As for smell, there is a typical one, but not bad or unsafe, as long as you stick to PLA.

Are you saying colorfabb PLA filament is the safest?

I haven't seen them compare, but I do know there is test results from their own material available. I'd use any PLA(that is not from cheap china stores/resellers).

@ultiarjan, Colorfabb is a brand name from Helian Polymers, one of the industries largest plastic producers. So the production of the filament happens from their selfproduced plastic

[ultiarjan 1,223]

@titus

Not claiming I know helian polymers very well but I can't imagine they make plastic, this is done by the big players in the chemical industry. In there case probably Eastman and Mitsubishi Chemical. We have a big plasic producer with multiple locations in the Netherlands as well, Sabic (partly former GE plastics)

https://www.sabic.com/europe/bergenopzoom/nl/sabic-bergen-op-zoom/feiten-cijfers

The way I read helians website, they produce / formulate Masterbatches (additives, colors etc..) In there Venlo site they take a raw material (f.e. big bag of base XT granulate from Eastmann) mix it with there Masterbatch, and then extrude filament.

 

[Titus 170]

@ultiarjan You are right:

But from what I understand Helian does more than Colorfabb does. They also do other stuff and work together indeed with : http://helianpolymers.com/category/products/

Also, from Helian Polymers:

ColorFabb brand of Helian Polymers is a producer of filaments and innovative materials for 3D printing. Helian Polymers is official distributor of Eastman Amphora™ 3D polymer.

So it seems they use a specific plastic from Eastman.

[ppolla 6]

sorry if I side tracked the conversation...

what ventilation systems do you all use?

[Titus 170]

None. Even in my student room, given the fact that I print PLA only

[yellowshark 153]

None with PLA which is the vast majority for time. If it is a 4 hour print job I will normally sit there listening to my hi-fi and absorbing all those nasty fumes, particles etc. I might open the window in summer if it is hot.

[zoev89 73]

I just have a fan (tube to the outdoor) above the printer and I only turn it on for ABS and it still smells but its capacity is limited. For PLA and Colorfab XT I am not using the fan. I would more trust a system that just sucks some air to the outdoor instead of filters. I would not have any knowledge to judge that if some hazards chemical would pass the filter or would remove it. When would you have to replace the filter...

[smenguy 0]

Thank you fore your answers guys. It seems, except for frederiekpascal with your Daikin air purifier and zoev89 with your tube+fan, no one have a solution to filter and catch the particles coming out from the 3D Printer :-(

It's really a big problem for us, we need to buy something secure and certified :/

My colleagues are thinking about buying the makerbot replicator z18, which is sealed apparently. But damn i'd really prefer the ultimaker :s

I need to find a solution, i'll keep you up to date

[SandervG 1,521]

Here you go

Don't have any experience with this, but don't see what could go wrong.

Input anyone?

This system plus an Ultimaker 2 Extended (to match the build volume) is still half of money of a Z18 and double the fun

[frederiekpascal 193]

Here you go

Don't have any experience with this, but don't see what could go wrong.

Input anyone?

This system plus an Ultimaker 2 Extended (to match the build volume) is still half of money of a Z18 and double the fun

 

hmm "Reduces 3D Printer noise" interesting

[smenguy 0]

Here you go

Don't have any experience with this, but don't see what could go wrong.

Input anyone?

This system plus an Ultimaker 2 Extended (to match the build volume) is still half of money of a Z18 and double the fun

 

Very intersting ! Thank you very much, it seems very promising. I just hope it won't take 2 months to ship

Thanks again, we're looking into that solution

[frederiekpascal 193]

 

Here you go

Don't have any experience with this, but don't see what could go wrong.

Input anyone?

This system plus an Ultimaker 2 Extended (to match the build volume) is still half of money of a Z18 and double the fun

 

Very intersting ! Thank you very much, it seems very promising. I just hope it won't take 2 months to ship

Thanks again, we're looking into that solution

 

The big one is huge btw : Height 960mm, Width 880mm, Depth: 880mm

I wonder how much it reduces of the noise...

Keep us posted if you buy it @smenguy because I'm interested too.

[smenguy 0]

The big one is huge btw : Height 960mm, Width 880mm, Depth: 880mm

I wonder how much it reduces of the noise...

Keep us posted if you buy it @smenguy because I'm interested too.

 

I don't really expect it to reduce the noise that much. I know about computer hardware, and the few cases that can hardly reduce the noise use anti-noise foam. You know the foam with weird shapes to absorb (<=> not return) the noises

Except that the case here (Desktop600 for example) is supposed to be sealed, so it's possible it reduces the noise thanks to that (the air isn't filtered with the outside, it's a closed cycle). I hope we will buy this but i'm afraid it will take too much time to build and send (a colleague read that it took them about 2 months, which is too long we need the printer earlier).

The "small" version (Desktop600) seems big enough :

 

Maximum printer size: Height 600mm, Width 600mm, Depth: 600mm

And the Ultimaker 2 Extended+ full dimensions are 493 x 342 x 488mm

Wait ...

What ?!

I'm confused ...

(link : https://ultimaker.com/en/products/ultimaker-2-plus/specifications)

Edited January 12, 2016 by Guest

[SandervG 1,521]

Me too! Surprising no one mentioned it before.

I looked up the specifications and I see there is a little bit of confusion.

The full dimension without the bowden tube and reelholder are: 357-342-488mm

The full dimensions with the bowden tube and reelholder: 493-342-688mm

So if you are looking for a place to store it, use these dimensions:

493-342-688mm

I'll make sure it is fixed as soon as possible.

Let me know if you have any questions!

Edited January 12, 2016 by Guest