Now that 3D printing is becoming a more established technology rather than a shiny new unknown, certain realities are beginning to take center stage. Some are looking more at the design aspect, with intellectual property (IP) 
often at the forefront of increasing legal debate. On the hardware side of the 3D printing space are concerns about the actual process of additive manufacturing, including the effects the process has on the surrounding environment.
Enclosed 3D printers are more popular for home projects, as no one wants to breathe in dangerous fumes or unpleasant odors. These concerns are exacerbated even further in homes with small children, elderly family members, or even omnipresent pets, all of whom are especially susceptible to airborne discomforts.
We’ve seen a few enclosures for open model 3D printers, including the BuzzBox, which was successfully funded on Kickstarter in January. The technology (along with that of 3D printers themselves) is still coming along and so far isn’t ubiquitous. Now we’ve heard about the latest in 3D printer enclosures, one which doesn’t just contain the contaminants but also filters the air and enhances print quality.
James Nordstrom has told 3DPrint.com about his patent-pending 3DPrintClean recirculating filtration system.
“My company, 3DPrintClean is developing a 3D Printer enclosure that filters Ultrafine Particles, making it safe to print in homes and offices,” Nordstrom said. “In addition, the enclosure improves print quality by reducing warping, curling and cracking.”
The 3DPrintClean system relies on two 120mm centrifugal blowers to lead the way in two steps of filtration. The air in the system is pulled up through the blowers from inside the enclosure space, and passed through an activated carbon filter. A HEPA filter then takes the lead in the second step, filtering in a repeated scrubbing process to remove what 3DPrintClean refers to as “Ultrafine Particles,” ensuring the reduction of contaminants before recirculating the cleaned air back into the 3D printing work area.
The 3DPrintClean enclosure is built to size and adaptable to most desktop 3D printers, including Delta-type systems. It comes with a five-year warranty that covers part failure as well as physical damage, to a certain extent.
Some of the specs for the system include:
Frame, Dimensions, and Weight:
- 6mm Aluminum Composite Material (ACM)
- Rubber gasket seals
- Blind Aluminum Rivets
- Aluminum L brackets
- 910 x 720 x 760 mm
- Estimated: 50lb
Electronics:
- Twin 120mm Centrifugal Blowers
- Xennon White LED lighting
- Blower motors speed control
- 12V 2A Power Supply
Filtration:
- Easy access filter change
- U15 HEPA filter
- Activated Carbon filter
- 54.4CFM±10% filtration
- Total enclosure air filtration: every 30 seconds to 2 minutes
The 3DPrintClean is available now for pre-order and has a $350 price point for most standard 3D printers. Several accessories are also available to jazz up the look of the system, including custom silk screens and vinyl stickers, as well as safety accessories like fire detection/suppression pieces.
Have you used an enclosure for your 3D printer? Let us know if the 3DPrintClean appeals to you over in the 3DPrintClean HEPA Filtration Enclosure forum thread at 3DPB.com.
3DPrintClean prototype with LulzBot Taz4
