Great Idea! If I may offer some thoughts: 1. reducing the cross sections restricts the airflow and may cause problems with efficiency or overheating the heater. 2. making round holes is much easier. You could use a step-drill or a hole saw. 3. if you make a rim around the opening of your adapter, you can hide the imperfections of the holes and also introduce a surface for a seal. 4. you will still need desiccant. Where else should the moisture go, if you have an airtight box? However, there are solutions which don’t need desiccant. Cnckitchen has a video about it. I don’t remember the title. Something like the future of filament drying. It uses a small panel, which splits the water molecules and extracts the hydrogen to the outside of the box. Very low power consumption (3 W). Good luck!
All great notes here! Yes I know the video you’re talking about. That thing is crazy! If they come out with some passive drying solution using that component that comes turn-key with power supply and such, that would sell like crazy
A simple trick to make cutting templates is to make a drawing from your design (switch from the Design workspace to the Drawing workspace) and print it out on paper. You can also right click a sketch and save it as a DXF. You can print a DXF from Inkscape, or if you're really fancy (and the thing you're cutting fits), you can import the DXF into Lightburn and cut it with a laser instead.
Would be a far better idea not to damage the AMS on the process. Why not just making a wedge shaped adapter that fits between the lid and the body of the AMS? This way it can attached temporarily for drying out a AMS while at the same time not damaging it. Well I guess I now have an idea what I can do when my Poly Dryer arrives next week..
That would have been a good idea had I thought about it! Oh well, more learning for next time! Let me know how you like the PolyDryer; I really like the idea of a modular dryer like that
I think you need to tell us how it did. 60% RH to 45% after an hour is not what I expect as a result. What happened after 6 hours? 12 hours? Did it finally get down to the 10-15% RH we need to see?
You cut the right areas. A new panel can easily be cut out of 1/8in acrylic that matches that entire panel. It would take about 30 minutes for a novice with minor power knowledge and cost maybe $15. I also checked with 2 online plastic companies that would supply, cut, and ship a panel for $50. But cutting this panel and layer sealing it with duct tape would be fine other than for looks.
Looks nice, but I am not sure that *all* the internals of the AMS would be able to withstand the higher temperatures required to dry some filaments over an extended period of time. If I had a polydryer, I'd just fit it on a larger box than the polymaker one.
So, for the A1 AMS, I just run the filament directly out of 2x double-roll dryers from Creality through the motors of the A1 Series AMS. That one is super nifty! The Creality dryer boxes show you the moisture levels as well, so you know if you need to turn it on and it has presets for different filaments. The dryers come with tubes and have steel rollers to make this possible without any modifications - the filament will just hang a little loose after being pushed back since the dryer does not automatically respool, but that's just a few inches/centimeters of exposure. For my P1S, yea, right now, I have an additional 2x double dryers from Creality since I liked the first ones and my son has them now for the A1 Mini. I thought about a similar mod - and I thin the ducting could come through the desiccant pouches in the back with a modded undercarriage. Still in the "idea" phase on this.
That all sounds like good stuff. I’ve been looking at the creality dryers a little more now too. Good to have all of the data that they offer on there Finding a way to duct into the desiccant pods is a good idea as well. Hadn’t thought about that either. Good notes here!
I would suggest making the ducting about 2 inches round where it connect to the ams, you could then use a 2 inch hole saw and a drill to make quick work of making the holes. Then design a bracket to hold the dryer on the side of the ams
I agree. The round ducting would better for air flow as well as making the holes much easier to drill. The round ducts just have such a hard time printing that I didn't want to mess with it on this short of a timeline. My plan in the next few weeks is to cut new holes (round ones) and then make adapters to fill the gap between the outlets of the ducts and the now bigger holes. That will look much better I think but we will see how the project develops!
I got a PrintDry Filament Dryer PRO3 with the Large Spool Kit for my 5kg spools. But I'm edger to add something like this to my CFS I'm getting. My basement sits are around 40% humidity with a defumidafier for the level running and it get up to 80% humidity during the summer months in my area so all the more need to keep printing areas as dry as possible.
I did some calculations and your test has actually increased the water content in the air. 60% @ 71F (15.5C) = 6.62 g/kg (h2o per kg air) 43% @ 83F (28.3C) = 10.55 g/kg (h2o per kg air) But those hydrometers aren't very linear especially with lower humditity levels (esp around 40%). Also doesn't mean the things inside the ams haven't lost water.
That’s a fair point. I’ve been on vacation but am looking forward to getting back to do more testing. It’ll be interesting to validate this idea further
I think you can clean up the look by making some 3D printed grommets to fit into the holes. They would cover the cut/sanded edges and perhaps could also make cutting the holes a lot easier by allowing you to cut a simple circular hole but have the grommet adapt it to the exact shape of your ducting. Definitely going to do this to mine when I can.
Yes! The grommet idea came to me as well. Using it as an adapter from a simple circular hole would have been a much better way to go in my opinion. If I didn’t let my last minute idea run away so quickly I would have gone that route and may still do
Thinking I may try this with 2 polydryers and using them as feet for the AMS by cutting holes in the bottom and opening up the 2 desiccant wells to allow air to pass through to the spool area.
You really don't want to just circulate air in a dryer, the hot air can carry more moisture than cold and you really want that moisture to leave the dryer. There is a mod I saw on makerworld that blows hot air through the AMS and vents it out which would do that. Personally I use an "Ivation 6 Tray Countertop Digital Food Dehydrator". $99 from AMZN, it will hold 2 spools and it vents out the top to remove moisture. It works great even for PA6-GF.
Exactly - anyone that has been to a hot tropical place knows how humid the air can be. Cold air can be incredibly dry - freezers dehydrate your food and the air that gets in - that is where all the ice comes from....
@rorywquin You can't compare weather to an electric heater. Electric heat is a notoriously dry heat. But the poly maker heater doesn't use refrigeration nor does it have a pass-through, The dryness of a freezer comes from the refrigeration cycle.
I was wondering if the PolyDryer vented air out the side of it. If that is the case then that solves a lot of problems. I’ll have to do some more reading and make a follow up video. Thanks for the input guys!
Great idea A few things that could be modified Maybe use a bulkhead type fitting for a more secure, gasketed fit. A round hole would be easier to cut into the AMS using a standard hole saw size. The outlet of the ducting is definitely smaller than the outlet of the drier outlet. You may be restricting airflow.
I am inclined to agree on all of these points. The tear drop outlets are more easily printed without supports but that came to bite me when it came time to drill out the holes in the AMS. Dropping down the outlet size is certainly a consideration as well so we will have to see what future models end up looking like as I live with this one a little more
1. Why didn't you just port it into the bottom and make a dummy leg to support the rest of it? 2. You still need desiccant, or when you turn it off the filament is just going to reabsorb the moisture.
This was something that I honestly did not consider. Mounting on the bottom would be a much cleaner setup. The internal chassis would be in the way of the air flow but that really wouldn't matter because it would circulate just fine. I am wondering if there is a good method for exhausting the moist air from the system to still eliminate the need for desiccant. It is a valid point and will require some attention
@KeoPrints The poly maker heater and container doesn't have a pass-through for excess air, does it? As far as I can tell it just blows directly into the sealed container. I would also keep the desiccant pods. It's only gonna help the process. I dont think you need to exhaust the moist air. The drier is drying the air with electric elements
Funny you mention that.... I have a video coming out tomorrow that is about something else because I ran out of time for the follow up on this one. But stay tuned for that video which will be coming next Sunday!
Seems like the same idea could be used on the AMS Lite, i.e., sit the whole mechanism inside of a box / tote and connect the dryer to it. The design would be much more effective if you used a pass through air flow system; air comes in one side and goes out the opposite side as well as using round bulk head fittings.
New subscriber here. I'm really liking the laid-back vibe of your videos and just all-around entertaining content. Side note, did I see a 3d printed map of Liberty City on your wall? If yes, please share where you found the file.
I made it! I’ll see about posting the files though and let you know FREE Software For Kids?! I 3D Printed Unique Wall Art Using TinkerCAD th-cam.com/video/DLiWsL7c4UI/w-d-xo.html
Sorry but you didn't take hardly any moisture out of the filament. All you did is heat the air in the AMS which increased the amount of water the air can hold (decreased relative humidity). Without the silica to absorb the water the humidity world return to the same as before. when cooled. 2 steps needed to dry filament 1 - heat the filament long enough at the right temp that it releases moisture ( different filaments have different temps and times) 2 - absorb the moisture either while it is hot or as it is cooling. Silica is much more hygroscopic than filament and can absorb lots per weight so it absorbs moisture quicker than the filament can reabsorb it. Keeping new filament in a low humidity chamber while printing still helps with hygroscopic filaments such as PC etc.
Interesting notes here and I am hearing a lot of the same stuff from comments. Good notes all around. I’ll have to do a follow up video as the project develops further
Hi. I must admit that the combination of an AMS and a PolyDrier is a good idea in principle. However, perhaps it might have been a good idea to have done some research, prior to jumping in. No matter, it’s going to be very easy to overcome the problem. This can be achieved by printing desiccant containers, there are many on MakerWorld, and filling them with colour changing regenerative silica gel. I have 7 in mine, 5 in the front, and 2 in the rear. These keep the relative humidity in the AMS at 10%. As has been mentioned by others in this thread, there’s more to it than just drilling a couple of holes. Perhaps an understanding of basics might help. RH is the ratio of how much water vapour is in the air, (hence %), how much water vapour air could potentially contain at a given temperature. It varies with the temperature of the air, colder air can contain less vapour. Therefore changing the temperature of air changes the RH, even when the Absolute Humidity remains constant, i.e. the amount of moisture in the air stays the same. If the temperature drops the relative humidity, will increase. Silica Gel (SG) in the AMS will retain the moisture, and the RH will stay the same. To release the water, and regenerate the SG, it needs to be heated to 120 °C for 1 to 2 hours, or 15 minutes at low power in the microwave. This is evident in my ‘sealed’ AMS, where the relative humidity remains at 10% If a reel of filament, containing moisture is introduced, the RH temporarily increases, and then decreases again, due to the SG absorbing the moisture, as the temperature drops. There is no real need to heat the chamber. However, if it is heated the process of evaporation and absorption by the SG will be quicker. All that needs doing is to monitor the RH, and replace the silica gel with ‘regenerated’ silica gel, and then dry the removed silica gel. I store open reels of filament in a sealed container, which contains SG, and a hygrometer. When I need a stored reel, I swop it for one in the AMS. Doing this increases the RH slightly, but a couple of days later they drop back. Cheers Noel.
Does the lid on the AMS have a gasket on it? Is the Polybox pushing air through both outlets, or is one and inlet and one an outlet? Otherwise, where can the moisture leave the AMS?
This has been the talk of the comments section. As far as I am aware, the moisture does get trapped in and does not get exhausted. There is an inlet and an outlet on the dryer so the air is circulated but none of it gets exhausted out. I am currently working on the follow up video where I plan to make an exhaust but it has been interesting diving into this!
So not really good for mixed filament types (e.g ASA and PLA in the AMS). Follow up video would be interesting after some longer usage. All those rolls of filament (the actual filament) are going to need be raised to ~80C - how long did it take? How are the PLA parts holding up to the heat?
I’ll have to do a follow up after I live with this setup a little longer. I have the same concerns with the PLA ducting so it will be interesting to see how this project develops! I’ll keep you posted
I have the current prototype on Thangs and a link in the description now. As I develop the system a bit, I will update that model. Thanks for the interest!
I saw a polydryer mounted to the lid. I plan to copy that. BUT if a guy was skillful at modeling things couldnt one make a new lid that houses the polydryer? I doesnt need to be round like the factory one. are the lids available from Bambu if I chop this one up and decide I hate the damage and want to go back to stock
All good points. I think the lid mount would be cool and that is the way I wanted to go initially. One issue I had with it (besides the curved surface) was the fact that the dryer and display would be upside down. Not a huge deal but not what I wanted As for modeling the lid, that’s an idea I hadn’t considered. I’m not sure that they’re available from Bambu but I don’t think it would be very difficult to model and may already be available even… who knows
It occurs to me that if you properly control the max current (i.e. max temperature), just sticking a silicon bed heater to the bottom of the AMS could be the dead simple hack to heat the enclosure. Thoughts? I just checked, and the bottom is textured, but nicely flat. This could be a pretty simple task for an Arduino or Pi Zero. You would want to be very confident in your temp control so you don't melt the bottom of the AMS. The only wrinkle is you would want some controlled air movement. Hmmm
I like where this is going. Follow our free Patreon if you develop this idea further and want to talk more about it. That would be sick! Patreon.com/keoprints
@@KeoPrints Actually, if all you did was add the bed heater to provide a stable PLA safe temperature. If it still had zero air movement, and kept the multiple desiccant containers . I'd argue you would still have a far superior setup than with no heat. Slap it on, plug it in... done. It would not likely be quite sufficient for things like Nylon. But it would be an improvement. Adding a small fan inside to move some air around would be helpful.
so i was thinking about doing this myself. the approach i was going to take was by using two units at opposite ends (towards each side) with penetration's through the floor of the AMS, but honestly now looking at the python MOD, and i would integrate the same approach into the new AMS build. i do have a question though. is there a way to purchase JUST the base unit (kit) with out the box? (of the polymaker dryer)
As far as I can see there is not a way to just get a base. I hoped for the same thing but I guess it doesn’t hurt having extra individual dry boxes. You can check our link and see if anything has changed but last I saw, you could only get the box, or the box and base
Check out the Python AMS mod. The replacement enclosure is designed to have up to 4 dryers attached to it. It uses a retaining ring pressed onto the dryer from the inside of the enclosure, though the recommendation is to add VHB to the dryer, as well.
Yea that was the one that inspired this video a little bit. I saw ModBot reviewing that setup and I thought mounting the dryer like that was such a good idea!
Interesting, but seeing the relative humidity drop as the temp goes up doesn’t really tell us anything useful: hotter air can hold more moisture so the hygrometer is going to show a drop purely from the temperature increase regardless of whether or not any moisture is being driven out of the filament. You need to weigh the spools before and after to see if there has been any actual drying of the filament.
Great ideia. I do wonder if it wouldn't be easier to glue some PolyMaker "AirLocks" to holes on the back of the AMS and connect the heater there directly to it.
That would be much cleaner. I love the air lock system that they use for their boxes and I think mounting the box directly to the AMS would be way cleaner. That could still be in the cards but the base doesn't mount securely enough to hold onto those openings without some modification. So that wasn't in the scope of this version given the silly timeline I gave myself
Interesting idea. Did you think about cutting a hole(s) in the bottom and putting the AMS on top of the dryer? Probably would need to print some type of stand to support the AMS with the dryer under it.
That would be a much cleaner way to do it. The tray that holds the guts of the AMS would be in the way of the air flow but it would likely direct it around the filament well. I hadn’t even thought about that!
Antonio Alemar posted a couple videos about this around 3 weeks ago. I like your idea, but it doesn't allow for moisture removal. The same with his before his update video.
That’s what I am hearing from these comments. I’ll have to do some more research and see how this can change to allow for the moisture evacuation. So much potential!
@@KeoPrintsbenkrejci @thangs has a Thermal electric Dehumidifier project posted. An adaptation/implementation of this seems like the way to go... Maybe...
That’s not a bad idea. Although it wouldn’t handle the overhangs very well I’m sure it would handle the heat just fine. I have the follow up video coming out this Sunday
“Why don’t I just use the AMS as a dry box?” Um, it is a dry box. That’s why it has seals and desiccant packs. So that it is airtight and stays dry. 🤦♂️
@ClaytonMacleod but I don't think the desiccant alone can dry highly hydroscopic rolls of filament well enough. Some filaments have to be printed from a drier. That's why dryers exist. Making the AMS a drier is an excellent idea.
@@rkwjunior2298 A dry box isn’t for drying. It is for maintaining dryness. A dryer is for drying. Once it is dry it will stay dry in the AMS as is. That’s why the AMS is sealed and has latches to stay closed. It doesn’t need to be made into a dryer to keep the filaments in it dry. It already does that straight from the factory. It is a dry box.
@ClaytonMacleod Yes that's why he's incorporating the poly drier into the AMS, so they AMS is a filament drier with the ability to print at the same time, eliminating the issue of printing from a separate drier for very hydroscopic filaments. But this is an all in one solution, to dry, and maintain dryness while printing.
@@rkwjunior2298 You don’t get it. Filaments don’t absorb moisture when inside a dry box. That’s why it is called a dry box. It is dry inside. You dry them out in a dryer. You put them in a dry box. They stay dry. Sorry to break it to you, but filament rolls in the AMS are not absorbing moisture because there is no moisture to absorb unless you put it in there. The likely reason his AMS showed such high humidity inside is because of the rolls he’s using, cardboard, and how he treats his AMS. If he had dry filament to begin with, on plastic rolls instead of the cardboard that might as well be sponges, and he had working desiccant in it, then he wouldn’t have high humidity in it. The AMS is sealed. That means moisture cannot get inside from the room. Any moisture present inside it is what you put in there yourself. It is a dry box. It has holders for desiccant packs to stay dry. If you put moist filament with moist cardboard inside it that means you are deliberately introducing moisture into that environment yourself. This is obviously counter-productive. If you only put dry filament in it like you are supposed to then it will stay dry. The desiccant packs will easily absorb any moisture in the air from when you have it open to change rolls. The desiccant packs aren’t meant for drying out moist filament. They’re meant for keeping the dry box dry so the dry filament you put in it also stays dry. That’s why it is called a dry box. Did I repeat myself often enough for you to finally get it? 🤦♂️ This isn’t even mentioning the fact that those same cardboard rolls are specifically cautioned against because the fibres that come off them are going to screw up the mechanism.
Friends; please. Let’s all just hang out together. Semantics. Can we all just agree that I misspoke? There are far more important things to discuss. Like how support material is the worst and it should be banned!
I guess you don't realize that temperature and humidity (of air) is reciprocal. Meaning - simply raising the temperature of air will automatically result in a lower humidity. That you measured the effect isn't a sign of 'success'. It's just a sign that your measurement tools are, more or less, functioning. You could put one of your little gauges on the output side of the polydryer base, in an open room, and see the same change in readings. Sorry, you didn't invent anything.
Friend, have you seen my channel? I’m not an inventor or physicist or anyone that claims to know much about anything lol. This was a fun project however and your note about continued testing is very welcomed. It’s been great diving into this hobby and I love sharing thoughts and ideas with the community. Thanks for taking the time to hang out and comment! Let me know if you have any other thoughts as well because I hope to develop this idea further
@KeoPrints This was my question as well. The lower humidity at a higher temp just shows the air has the capacity to take on more water. But it didn't really reduce the total amount of water in the air. What I didn't know is if this will allow the filament to dry since the air has a higher capacity for moisture. I still think this idea has merit. I would be interested to see any long-term results or observations of this setup.
Great Idea!
If I may offer some thoughts:
1. reducing the cross sections restricts the airflow and may cause problems with efficiency or overheating the heater.
2. making round holes is much easier. You could use a step-drill or a hole saw.
3. if you make a rim around the opening of your adapter, you can hide the imperfections of the holes and also introduce a surface for a seal.
4. you will still need desiccant. Where else should the moisture go, if you have an airtight box?
However, there are solutions which don’t need desiccant. Cnckitchen has a video about it. I don’t remember the title. Something like the future of filament drying. It uses a small panel, which splits the water molecules and extracts the hydrogen to the outside of the box. Very low power consumption (3 W).
Good luck!
All great notes here!
Yes I know the video you’re talking about. That thing is crazy! If they come out with some passive drying solution using that component that comes turn-key with power supply and such, that would sell like crazy
Sometimes in life a solution is so simple you wonder why it was never done before. what a great idea
I feel the same way! Like why didn’t Bambu incorporate something similar I wonder? Aside from cost and stuff of course
Love some quick prototyping of a nifty idea. Keep it up!!
Absolutely!
Nice work! I'm always jealous of people that can be like "it's a prototype; don't sweat the small stuff". Within a day you knew you had a winner.
I appreciate it so much. It is difficult for me to leave a project unfinished like this and be satisfied but it was a great start to the project
A simple trick to make cutting templates is to make a drawing from your design (switch from the Design workspace to the Drawing workspace) and print it out on paper. You can also right click a sketch and save it as a DXF. You can print a DXF from Inkscape, or if you're really fancy (and the thing you're cutting fits), you can import the DXF into Lightburn and cut it with a laser instead.
This is excellent! Who said the comments section was all bad! Love it
@@KeoPrints Glad I could make the world a slightly better place
Would be a far better idea not to damage the AMS on the process. Why not just making a wedge shaped adapter that fits between the lid and the body of the AMS? This way it can attached temporarily for drying out a AMS while at the same time not damaging it.
Well I guess I now have an idea what I can do when my Poly Dryer arrives next week..
That would have been a good idea had I thought about it! Oh well, more learning for next time!
Let me know how you like the PolyDryer; I really like the idea of a modular dryer like that
Why not just use silica (yes I know he doesn't like it)?
My 4vAMS units all sit at 17% humidity using silica beads
I think you need to tell us how it did. 60% RH to 45% after an hour is not what I expect as a result. What happened after 6 hours? 12 hours? Did it finally get down to the 10-15% RH we need to see?
You cut the right areas. A new panel can easily be cut out of 1/8in acrylic that matches that entire panel. It would take about 30 minutes for a novice with minor power knowledge and cost maybe $15.
I also checked with 2 online plastic companies that would supply, cut, and ship a panel for $50.
But cutting this panel and layer sealing it with duct tape would be fine other than for looks.
Looks nice, but I am not sure that *all* the internals of the AMS would be able to withstand the higher temperatures required to dry some filaments over an extended period of time. If I had a polydryer, I'd just fit it on a larger box than the polymaker one.
I wondered the same thing. It’ll be interesting to see what happens from here
Same here
So, for the A1 AMS, I just run the filament directly out of 2x double-roll dryers from Creality through the motors of the A1 Series AMS. That one is super nifty! The Creality dryer boxes show you the moisture levels as well, so you know if you need to turn it on and it has presets for different filaments. The dryers come with tubes and have steel rollers to make this possible without any modifications - the filament will just hang a little loose after being pushed back since the dryer does not automatically respool, but that's just a few inches/centimeters of exposure.
For my P1S, yea, right now, I have an additional 2x double dryers from Creality since I liked the first ones and my son has them now for the A1 Mini. I thought about a similar mod - and I thin the ducting could come through the desiccant pouches in the back with a modded undercarriage. Still in the "idea" phase on this.
That all sounds like good stuff. I’ve been looking at the creality dryers a little more now too. Good to have all of the data that they offer on there
Finding a way to duct into the desiccant pods is a good idea as well. Hadn’t thought about that either. Good notes here!
I would suggest making the ducting about 2 inches round where it connect to the ams, you could then use a 2 inch hole saw and a drill to make quick work of making the holes. Then design a bracket to hold the dryer on the side of the ams
I agree. The round ducting would better for air flow as well as making the holes much easier to drill. The round ducts just have such a hard time printing that I didn't want to mess with it on this short of a timeline. My plan in the next few weeks is to cut new holes (round ones) and then make adapters to fill the gap between the outlets of the ducts and the now bigger holes. That will look much better I think but we will see how the project develops!
I got a PrintDry Filament Dryer PRO3 with the Large Spool Kit for my 5kg spools. But I'm edger to add something like this to my CFS I'm getting.
My basement sits are around 40% humidity with a defumidafier for the level running and it get up to 80% humidity during the summer months in my area so all the more need to keep printing areas as dry as possible.
I did some calculations and your test has actually increased the water content in the air.
60% @ 71F (15.5C) = 6.62 g/kg (h2o per kg air)
43% @ 83F (28.3C) = 10.55 g/kg (h2o per kg air)
But those hydrometers aren't very linear especially with lower humditity levels (esp around 40%).
Also doesn't mean the things inside the ams haven't lost water.
I think you have to wait a day or so. Let it cool down and compare then.
That’s a fair point. I’ve been on vacation but am looking forward to getting back to do more testing. It’ll be interesting to validate this idea further
I think you can clean up the look by making some 3D printed grommets to fit into the holes. They would cover the cut/sanded edges and perhaps could also make cutting the holes a lot easier by allowing you to cut a simple circular hole but have the grommet adapt it to the exact shape of your ducting. Definitely going to do this to mine when I can.
Yes! The grommet idea came to me as well. Using it as an adapter from a simple circular hole would have been a much better way to go in my opinion.
If I didn’t let my last minute idea run away so quickly I would have gone that route and may still do
@@KeoPrints pros and cons of rapid iteration :)
Would love to see a follow up video on this if you take it further!
Thinking I may try this with 2 polydryers and using them as feet for the AMS by cutting holes in the bottom and opening up the 2 desiccant wells to allow air to pass through to the spool area.
That's a super clean idea. You should hop on our free Patreon and let me know how that goes once you do it. I would love to see how that one turns out
Nice FYS albums. Subscribed.
Heck yea dude. They’re legit. Their new album is nuts as well! Thanks for hanging out
You really don't want to just circulate air in a dryer, the hot air can carry more moisture than cold and you really want that moisture to leave the dryer. There is a mod I saw on makerworld that blows hot air through the AMS and vents it out which would do that. Personally I use an "Ivation 6 Tray Countertop Digital Food Dehydrator". $99 from AMZN, it will hold 2 spools and it vents out the top to remove moisture. It works great even for PA6-GF.
Exactly - anyone that has been to a hot tropical place knows how humid the air can be. Cold air can be incredibly dry - freezers dehydrate your food and the air that gets in - that is where all the ice comes from....
@rorywquin You can't compare weather to an electric heater. Electric heat is a notoriously dry heat.
But the poly maker heater doesn't use refrigeration nor does it have a pass-through,
The dryness of a freezer comes from the refrigeration cycle.
The polydryer vents out the air through its side.
I was wondering if the PolyDryer vented air out the side of it. If that is the case then that solves a lot of problems. I’ll have to do some more reading and make a follow up video. Thanks for the input guys!
Great idea
A few things that could be modified
Maybe use a bulkhead type fitting for a more secure, gasketed fit. A round hole would be easier to cut into the AMS using a standard hole saw size.
The outlet of the ducting is definitely smaller than the outlet of the drier outlet. You may be restricting airflow.
I am inclined to agree on all of these points. The tear drop outlets are more easily printed without supports but that came to bite me when it came time to drill out the holes in the AMS.
Dropping down the outlet size is certainly a consideration as well so we will have to see what future models end up looking like as I live with this one a little more
1. Why didn't you just port it into the bottom and make a dummy leg to support the rest of it?
2. You still need desiccant, or when you turn it off the filament is just going to reabsorb the moisture.
This was something that I honestly did not consider. Mounting on the bottom would be a much cleaner setup. The internal chassis would be in the way of the air flow but that really wouldn't matter because it would circulate just fine.
I am wondering if there is a good method for exhausting the moist air from the system to still eliminate the need for desiccant. It is a valid point and will require some attention
@KeoPrints The poly maker heater and container doesn't have a pass-through for excess air, does it? As far as I can tell it just blows directly into the sealed container.
I would also keep the desiccant pods. It's only gonna help the process.
I dont think you need to exhaust the moist air. The drier is drying the air with electric elements
Nice idea.. what about using the lift/spacer ams print for the top to place the dryer under the ams unit? Then the out of the way and easier?
Funny you mention that.... I have a video coming out tomorrow that is about something else because I ran out of time for the follow up on this one. But stay tuned for that video which will be coming next Sunday!
Seems like the same idea could be used on the AMS Lite, i.e., sit the whole mechanism inside of a box / tote and connect the dryer to it. The design would be much more effective if you used a pass through air flow system; air comes in one side and goes out the opposite side as well as using round bulk head fittings.
Some kind of dry box for the AMS lite would be cool for but what filament would require it other than PETG I suppose. That would be quite the setup
New subscriber here. I'm really liking the laid-back vibe of your videos and just all-around entertaining content. Side note, did I see a 3d printed map of Liberty City on your wall? If yes, please share where you found the file.
I made it!
I’ll see about posting the files though and let you know
FREE Software For Kids?! I 3D Printed Unique Wall Art Using TinkerCAD
th-cam.com/video/DLiWsL7c4UI/w-d-xo.html
im so glad Anycubic's ACE Pro comes with the ability to dry, maybe this will push bambu to have one built in also
cool prototype/idea tho!
I have high hopes for the ACE. If they make that open up to other printers as well as AnyCubic stuff, that thing is going to sell like crazy
@@KeoPrints they did say that was in the works so 🤞🤞🤞
Sorry but you didn't take hardly any moisture out of the filament. All you did is heat the air in the AMS which increased the amount of water the air can hold (decreased relative humidity).
Without the silica to absorb the water the humidity world return to the same as before. when cooled.
2 steps needed to dry filament
1 - heat the filament long enough at the right temp that it releases moisture ( different filaments have different temps and times)
2 - absorb the moisture either while it is hot or as it is cooling. Silica is much more hygroscopic than filament and can absorb lots per weight so it absorbs moisture quicker than the filament can reabsorb it.
Keeping new filament in a low humidity chamber while printing still helps with hygroscopic filaments such as PC etc.
@@mirovida66 that's why u keep desiccant inside the AMS also. Derp.
Haven't u seen the extra desiccant pods people print for their AMS?
Interesting notes here and I am hearing a lot of the same stuff from comments. Good notes all around. I’ll have to do a follow up video as the project develops further
Then how do you suppose all those dryer boxes work? lol
You need one of those electrically charged membranes that force moisture from one side to the other, and some air movement.
Please tell me more about that presumably 3d printed map on your wall.
So happy you asked!
FREE Software For Kids?! I 3D Printed Unique Wall Art Using TinkerCAD
th-cam.com/video/DLiWsL7c4UI/w-d-xo.html
@@KeoPrints thanks!
Might have been mentioned - but what where does the condensation/moisture go? Should a small hole be added to the top or bottom somewhere?
You’re correct. I’m wondering about an exhaust port addition personally
Hi.
I must admit that the combination of an AMS and a PolyDrier is a good idea in principle.
However, perhaps it might have been a good idea to have done some research, prior to jumping in.
No matter, it’s going to be very easy to overcome the problem. This can be achieved by printing desiccant containers, there are many on MakerWorld, and filling them with colour changing regenerative silica gel. I have 7 in mine, 5 in the front, and 2 in the rear. These keep the relative humidity in the AMS at 10%.
As has been mentioned by others in this thread, there’s more to it than just drilling a couple of holes. Perhaps an understanding of basics might help.
RH is the ratio of how much water vapour is in the air, (hence %), how much water vapour air could potentially contain at a given temperature. It varies with the temperature of the air, colder air can contain less vapour. Therefore changing the temperature of air changes the RH, even when the Absolute Humidity remains constant, i.e. the amount of moisture in the air stays the same. If the temperature drops the relative humidity, will increase.
Silica Gel (SG) in the AMS will retain the moisture, and the RH will stay the same. To release the water, and regenerate the SG, it needs to be heated to 120 °C for 1 to 2 hours, or 15 minutes at low power in the microwave.
This is evident in my ‘sealed’ AMS, where the relative humidity remains at 10% If a reel of filament, containing moisture is introduced, the RH temporarily increases, and then decreases again, due to the SG absorbing the moisture, as the temperature drops.
There is no real need to heat the chamber. However, if it is heated the process of evaporation and absorption by the SG will be quicker.
All that needs doing is to monitor the RH, and replace the silica gel with ‘regenerated’ silica gel, and then dry the removed silica gel.
I store open reels of filament in a sealed container, which contains SG, and a hygrometer. When I need a stored reel, I swop it for one in the AMS. Doing this increases the RH slightly, but a couple of days later they drop back.
Cheers Noel.
Sounds about right! Very descriptive and good notes here. Thanks for taking the time my friend
Does the lid on the AMS have a gasket on it? Is the Polybox pushing air through both outlets, or is one and inlet and one an outlet? Otherwise, where can the moisture leave the AMS?
This has been the talk of the comments section. As far as I am aware, the moisture does get trapped in and does not get exhausted. There is an inlet and an outlet on the dryer so the air is circulated but none of it gets exhausted out. I am currently working on the follow up video where I plan to make an exhaust but it has been interesting diving into this!
Subscribed! You narrate the same way my brain does but you're more eloquent 😂. F SUPPORTS!!
My guy! You get it. Those supports are dumb
So not really good for mixed filament types (e.g ASA and PLA in the AMS). Follow up video would be interesting after some longer usage. All those rolls of filament (the actual filament) are going to need be raised to ~80C - how long did it take? How are the PLA parts holding up to the heat?
I’ll have to do a follow up after I live with this setup a little longer. I have the same concerns with the PLA ducting so it will be interesting to see how this project develops! I’ll keep you posted
Hopefully When its all done we can get an STL?
I have the current prototype on Thangs and a link in the description now. As I develop the system a bit, I will update that model.
Thanks for the interest!
you're awesome
Thanks for hanging out
Hard to believe bambu never considered making the AMS a dryer combo out the door when they know filaments print better when dryer or pre warmed
Guarantee you they did. But they knew they were already pushing the $$$ for3d printers.
For sure a money thing. It’s already an expensive unit but it would have been super cool
Fantastic idea. I was wondering how this could be done. Wondering if changing the input to a circle so you can use O rings of some type
Not a bad idea with the o-ring option. I am going to try using TPU to make some kind of gasket/bulkhead mating situation. Ill keep you posted anyway
Subbed and definitely watching this. Had an idea and executed.
Sometimes you just gotta even if it’s a rough result that you need to revisit right?
@@KeoPrints Exactly. Starting is the hardest part.
I saw a polydryer mounted to the lid. I plan to copy that. BUT if a guy was skillful at modeling things couldnt one make a new lid that houses the polydryer? I doesnt need to be round like the factory one. are the lids available from Bambu if I chop this one up and decide I hate the damage and want to go back to stock
All good points. I think the lid mount would be cool and that is the way I wanted to go initially. One issue I had with it (besides the curved surface) was the fact that the dryer and display would be upside down. Not a huge deal but not what I wanted
As for modeling the lid, that’s an idea I hadn’t considered. I’m not sure that they’re available from Bambu but I don’t think it would be very difficult to model and may already be available even… who knows
Very nice project/prototype. Great job
Thx boi. Looking forward to finishing it properly
It occurs to me that if you properly control the max current (i.e. max temperature), just sticking a silicon bed heater to the bottom of the AMS could be the dead simple hack to heat the enclosure. Thoughts? I just checked, and the bottom is textured, but nicely flat. This could be a pretty simple task for an Arduino or Pi Zero. You would want to be very confident in your temp control so you don't melt the bottom of the AMS. The only wrinkle is you would want some controlled air movement. Hmmm
I like where this is going. Follow our free Patreon if you develop this idea further and want to talk more about it. That would be sick!
Patreon.com/keoprints
@@KeoPrints Actually, if all you did was add the bed heater to provide a stable PLA safe temperature. If it still had zero air movement, and kept the multiple desiccant containers . I'd argue you would still have a far superior setup than with no heat. Slap it on, plug it in... done. It would not likely be quite sufficient for things like Nylon. But it would be an improvement. Adding a small fan inside to move some air around would be helpful.
Also, personally, I only print abrasive Nylon or PC that can't go in the AMS anyway.
so i was thinking about doing this myself. the approach i was going to take was by using two units at opposite ends (towards each side) with penetration's through the floor of the AMS, but honestly now looking at the python MOD, and i would integrate the same approach into the new AMS build.
i do have a question though. is there a way to purchase JUST the base unit (kit) with out the box? (of the polymaker dryer)
As far as I can see there is not a way to just get a base. I hoped for the same thing but I guess it doesn’t hurt having extra individual dry boxes.
You can check our link and see if anything has changed but last I saw, you could only get the box, or the box and base
Check out the Python AMS mod. The replacement enclosure is designed to have up to 4 dryers attached to it. It uses a retaining ring pressed onto the dryer from the inside of the enclosure, though the recommendation is to add VHB to the dryer, as well.
Yea that was the one that inspired this video a little bit. I saw ModBot reviewing that setup and I thought mounting the dryer like that was such a good idea!
Interesting, but seeing the relative humidity drop as the temp goes up doesn’t really tell us anything useful: hotter air can hold more moisture so the hygrometer is going to show a drop purely from the temperature increase regardless of whether or not any moisture is being driven out of the filament. You need to weigh the spools before and after to see if there has been any actual drying of the filament.
That’s a good point as well. I’ll have to live with it a little more and do more testing to see how it goes!
Great ideia. I do wonder if it wouldn't be easier to glue some PolyMaker "AirLocks" to holes on the back of the AMS and connect the heater there directly to it.
That would be much cleaner. I love the air lock system that they use for their boxes and I think mounting the box directly to the AMS would be way cleaner. That could still be in the cards but the base doesn't mount securely enough to hold onto those openings without some modification. So that wasn't in the scope of this version given the silly timeline I gave myself
Great idea, think I will try this myself, any chance of sharing the adapter
Absolutely. I’ll update the description once I have it uploaded
I have updated the description with the Thangs link. Give it a good remix if needed because it is a little rough
just subscribed
So happy to hear it. Thanks for hanging out
Interesting idea. Did you think about cutting a hole(s) in the bottom and putting the AMS on top of the dryer? Probably would need to print some type of stand to support the AMS with the dryer under it.
That would be a much cleaner way to do it. The tray that holds the guts of the AMS would be in the way of the air flow but it would likely direct it around the filament well. I hadn’t even thought about that!
@@RJin3D Or use 2 poly heaters perpendicular to the AMS underneath for the balance. One in each side
Antonio Alemar posted a couple videos about this around 3 weeks ago. I like your idea, but it doesn't allow for moisture removal. The same with his before his update video.
That’s what I am hearing from these comments. I’ll have to do some more research and see how this can change to allow for the moisture evacuation. So much potential!
@@KeoPrintsbenkrejci @thangs has a Thermal electric Dehumidifier project posted. An adaptation/implementation of this seems like the way to go... Maybe...
@@ScottStoneUnforgivenII Zactly
And if you model the holes round… and use the drill to cut them…
I am sure that would have been much easier. But then I would need to use support material and that garbage is not how I roll
Will you share the file?
Absolutely. Here later this evening I’ll pin a comment once it’s uploaded
I have the file link in the description now. Give it a shot and let me know how it goes!
This is revolutionary.
How ? Please elaborate on this hyperbole. 😉
Make the part from TPU completely then you will not need gaskets
That’s not a bad idea. Although it wouldn’t handle the overhangs very well I’m sure it would handle the heat just fine. I have the follow up video coming out this Sunday
@@KeoPrints Yes it will as you do not have long runs of overhangs
“Why don’t I just use the AMS as a dry box?” Um, it is a dry box. That’s why it has seals and desiccant packs. So that it is airtight and stays dry. 🤦♂️
@ClaytonMacleod but I don't think the desiccant alone can dry highly hydroscopic rolls of filament well enough. Some filaments have to be printed from a drier. That's why dryers exist. Making the AMS a drier is an excellent idea.
@@rkwjunior2298 A dry box isn’t for drying. It is for maintaining dryness. A dryer is for drying. Once it is dry it will stay dry in the AMS as is. That’s why the AMS is sealed and has latches to stay closed. It doesn’t need to be made into a dryer to keep the filaments in it dry. It already does that straight from the factory. It is a dry box.
@ClaytonMacleod Yes that's why he's incorporating the poly drier into the AMS, so they AMS is a filament drier with the ability to print at the same time, eliminating the issue of printing from a separate drier for very hydroscopic filaments. But this is an all in one solution, to dry, and maintain dryness while printing.
@@rkwjunior2298 You don’t get it. Filaments don’t absorb moisture when inside a dry box. That’s why it is called a dry box. It is dry inside. You dry them out in a dryer. You put them in a dry box. They stay dry.
Sorry to break it to you, but filament rolls in the AMS are not absorbing moisture because there is no moisture to absorb unless you put it in there. The likely reason his AMS showed such high humidity inside is because of the rolls he’s using, cardboard, and how he treats his AMS. If he had dry filament to begin with, on plastic rolls instead of the cardboard that might as well be sponges, and he had working desiccant in it, then he wouldn’t have high humidity in it. The AMS is sealed. That means moisture cannot get inside from the room. Any moisture present inside it is what you put in there yourself. It is a dry box. It has holders for desiccant packs to stay dry. If you put moist filament with moist cardboard inside it that means you are deliberately introducing moisture into that environment yourself. This is obviously counter-productive. If you only put dry filament in it like you are supposed to then it will stay dry. The desiccant packs will easily absorb any moisture in the air from when you have it open to change rolls. The desiccant packs aren’t meant for drying out moist filament. They’re meant for keeping the dry box dry so the dry filament you put in it also stays dry. That’s why it is called a dry box. Did I repeat myself often enough for you to finally get it? 🤦♂️
This isn’t even mentioning the fact that those same cardboard rolls are specifically cautioned against because the fibres that come off them are going to screw up the mechanism.
Friends; please. Let’s all just hang out together. Semantics. Can we all just agree that I misspoke?
There are far more important things to discuss. Like how support material is the worst and it should be banned!
I guess you don't realize that temperature and humidity (of air) is reciprocal. Meaning - simply raising the temperature of air will automatically result in a lower humidity. That you measured the effect isn't a sign of 'success'. It's just a sign that your measurement tools are, more or less, functioning.
You could put one of your little gauges on the output side of the polydryer base, in an open room, and see the same change in readings.
Sorry, you didn't invent anything.
Friend, have you seen my channel? I’m not an inventor or physicist or anyone that claims to know much about anything lol. This was a fun project however and your note about continued testing is very welcomed.
It’s been great diving into this hobby and I love sharing thoughts and ideas with the community. Thanks for taking the time to hang out and comment!
Let me know if you have any other thoughts as well because I hope to develop this idea further
@KeoPrints This was my question as well. The lower humidity at a higher temp just shows the air has the capacity to take on more water. But it didn't really reduce the total amount of water in the air.
What I didn't know is if this will allow the filament to dry since the air has a higher capacity for moisture.
I still think this idea has merit. I would be interested to see any long-term results or observations of this setup.
Someone is mad they don't have great ideas to solve existing maintenance quirks