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3D printer air filter
Nevermore Is What You Get When Engineers Design Air Filters For 3D Printers
- by: Donald Papp
What happens when an air filter for 3D printers gets designed by engineers with a passion for function, a refusal to compromise, and a desire to do without bad smells or fumes? You get the Nevermore, a design for a recirculating active-carbon filtration system to deal with VOCs (volatile organic compounds) from 3D printing.
3D-printable parts and an easy-to-fill chamber for bulk-activated carbon make this recirculating air filter for VOCs a smart, space-saving design.The Nevermore Micro (and larger Nevermore Max) were originally intended to complement the Voron 3D printer design, but are made such that they can be used with just about anything else. These filters use 3D-printable parts, and are designed to be easily filled (and refilled) using bulk-activated carbon instead of some kind of proprietary pre-packed filter like most commercial offerings. The Voron project is all about a printer without compromises, and the Nevermore comes from that same design ethos.
A Nevermore filter sits inside the build chamber, and works by recirculating air inside while passing it through the activated carbon. The idea is that by concentrating on dealing with the problem at the source inside a relatively small build chamber, one doesn’t need a lot of airflow. A small recirculating air filter can do the job efficiently, though for best results, the build chamber should be as sealed as possible.
One interesting caution is that it seems not all activated carbon is the same, and it is absolutely crucial to use only acid-free, steam-activated (not acid-washed) carbon in a recirculating filter like the Nevermore. There are horrifying photos of oxidized metal surfaces resulting from using acid-residue carbon, some of which took only minutes to occur. Thankfully, there are pointers to trusted sources for the known-good stuff.
It’s known that 3D printing results in chemical and particle emissions.
These differ significantly depending on both material and type of printer, but it’s enough of an issue to warrant attention. One deals with particulates with something like a HEPA filter, but VOCs require a carbon filter. This is where the Nevermore comes in. Active carbon filters will wear out simply from exposure to the air, so if one is serious about cleaning VOCs when printing, it is definitely worth looking into bulk carbon with a design like the Nevermore.
Safe 3D printing without nanoparticls & VOCs
Toxic emissions
Nanoparticles & VOCs
Studies have shown high nanoparticle emissions from 10 to 100nm and significant production of VOCs from the filaments fusion. You might breathe harmful air in the presence of 3D printer, and in a repetitive way. That is chronic pollution with a long-term effect on your health which you can prevent with safety features.
Filtering system
“Filter designed for 3D printing”
Filter
HEPA & Activated carbon
The P3D range filter received special attention to strictly follow the requirements of air filtering for nanoparticles under 100 nm and provide 98% efficiency. In order to neutralize odors and symptoms of irritation a specific activated carbon was selected.
AlveoONE & R
Air filtering system mountable on an enclosure
starting from 79,99€, in kit or assembled
Filtering system
PrinterCase
Air filtering system mountable on an enclosure
696,00€ incl.
VAT – in stock
Add to cart
Custom-sized enclosure
Customised enclosures for desktop 3D printer
Industrial quality and volume to 1 m3
Online quotation
Melting plastic: a good idea without any protection?
3D printer enclosure is necessary to achieve beautiful prints without the warping effect. An enclosure can stabilize temperature and protect the printing zone from draughts. However, inside the enclosure, the harmful emission will be concentrated during the printing and requires air extraction or constant filtering.
– 3D printer manufacturers –
Your clients ask us to protect their operators and machines with enclosures and efficient filters. Incorporate an Alveo3D directly on your 3D printer to get a reputed and efficient air filtering system.
– All industrial field –
With the flexibility of additive manufacturing, we are able to design custom air filters.
We can adjust filter specifications to catch targeted pollutants and keep the required airflow.
Chemical risk expert
INRS recommendations
French National Research and Safety Institue : Risks for your health and Prevention solutions
Custom solutions
Efficient filtration
French and made in Alps
Available in European countries
04 56 29 43 90 [email protected]
Air pollution in 3D printing
Main page
Articles
Smoke from a 3D printer
Smoke from a 3D printer
Introduction How does a printer pollute the air How does a BOFA filter
What is 3D printing
3D printing is also known as additive manufacturing.
This means that the product is created by adding material in layers. The process is controlled by a coordinate XYZ robot with digital control. Printers work with plastic or metal. The material is fed to the deposition point in the form of wire or powder. The printer is melting the material. Then it connects to the previously applied base.
A 3D printer will produce objects of complex shape. This favorably distinguishes the additive process from the subtractive one, when excess is removed from a large piece of material. Machining, laser processing, soldering or welding generate more contamination. And a lot of material is wasted. 3D printing does not consume a lot of extra material. It appears to be a clean process, but it still pollutes the air.
Anyone using 3D printing needs to be aware of the health risks. The 3D printer seems safe. But it can generate toxic fumes and hazardous substance particles. Technological processes that transform the material pollute the air in the workplace.
This applies to cutting, engraving, thermal decomposition in a laser machine, soldering with a toxic flux, etc. Molten metals and polymers are no exception.
Why is a 3D printer dangerous?
Ultrafine particles
Heating a substance causes the release of solid particles, droplets and vapors. They may be harmful if inhaled.
European scientists are gradually revealing the dangers of 3D printing to health. According to the 3D Printer Emissions Report , plastic melting releases small nanoparticles of material into the air. They cannot be seen without special equipment. But that doesn't mean they are safe.
PLA plastic nanoparticles are used in pharmaceuticals as a means of delivering drugs to various organs, including the brain. Cosmetics use the same effect. Ultrafine particles penetrate the skin. By themselves, PLA particles are not toxic. But no one knows about the consequences of accumulation in human organs.
Nanoparticles condense into relatively large formations. It is known for certain about the harmfulness of soot nanoparticles from automobile exhausts . They are associated with degenerative brain diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease.
ABS plastic is toxic when melted. Nanoscopic ABS particles are just as toxic. These particles are very small. During inhalation, they enter the brain through the olfactory nerve. They spread throughout the body through the bloodstream. Most organs can get rid of them naturally, but the brain and lungs become clogged for a long time.
In fact, particles as small as 10-200nm easily enter the bloodstream through the lungs. Their toxic action differs from the original substance in the usual shapes and sizes. According to study by the Italian Institute of Health and Consumer Protection nanoparticles are deposited in the lungs in greater quantities than e-cigarette smoke.
Gases or vapors
Molten ABS gives off a particularly unpleasant odor.
Other plastics including nylon, HIPS and HDPE emit the same toxic fumes but have less odor.
Polymer materials can vaporize some of their constituents. Dioctyl phthalate is often added to them for flexibility and mold resistance. During high heat or laser treatment, benzene is released in hazardous quantities. And while working with PVC, HCl aerosol condenses in the air.
The high temperature in the area of the printer head causes the air to expand. Vapors quickly spread in the work area along with plastic particles. Thermal degradation products of polymers are shown in the diagram below.
How does BOFA work?
A smoke extractor is an extractor hood with filters placed in one device. She got her name at the time when she removed the smoke of a soldering iron or a laser engraver. But these same devices with special filters are also suitable for a three-dimensional printer. The smoke extractor block for the printer is not much different from the soldering block.
3D printing is sensitive to changes in air temperature. Therefore, he is afraid of drafts. If you are using a small open printer, then the polluted air can be removed with a conventional smoke extractor. In order not to disturb the climate in the printer, select the minimum air suction speed.
If your 3D printer model is closed, there is a protective cover, then you can install a cleaning curtain. During operation, while the printer window is closed, it can be turned off. But it will clean the outgoing air when you open the box to take out the finished product.
If your printer is large and completely enclosed, then it will most likely have built-in pipes for connecting the hood. They can be connected to a smoke extractor with large filters. It can operate continuously or turn on at the command of the printer. The fume extractor captures dirty air and returns it back to the printer so as not to change the air temperature during the printing process.
3-stage filtration
A complete smoke extractor is equipped with three filters. The first is the pre-filter. It does not let in coarse dust, so as not to clog the main fine filter with it. The fine filter is HEPA. Particles of all sizes, including aerosols and nanoparticles, settle on its fibers. The gas filter completes the cleaning. It consists of densely packed activated carbon granules with interlayers of fiberglass. Activated carbon traps VOCs and nanoparticles that HEPA missed.
Smoke extractor against exhaust
The cheapest way to remove smoke is a duct fan and air ducts. The emission of polluted air through the window is prohibited by SanPin standards. And the smoke extractor has advantages.
- Good air purification from all kinds of solid particles and aerosols
- There will be no odors from melted plastic or metal in the room
- You will be sure that your health will not suffer
- The microclimate in the 3D printing machine will be stable
- Supply ventilation with heating or air conditioning is not needed, as for the extract through the window
Eliminate the harmful agent
The hood with filters will solve the problems with harmful emissions from 3D printing with polymers and metal powder.
Without proper filtration, ultrafine particles cause skin and eye irritation. Nanoparticles accumulate in internal organs and lead to systemic disorders, heart and vascular diseases, and Alzheimer's disease. The smoke extractor is suitable for household and professional models of printers. Extractor hood with filter, recirculation and airflow adjustment minimally affects the air temperature inside the printer. BOFA will take care of you and the world we live in.
Smoke extractor catalog PDF
You can familiarize yourself with the models on our website in the section Smoke detectors for 3D printers
During business hours, a showroom or showroom is open in our office. Popular BOFA smoke extractors are on display here.
Watch our video
Visit our YouTube channel where you can get a closer look at the manual editing methods we offer: www.youtube.com/user/ARGUSXvideo
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