1 Topic by slickwill1675

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Topic: Internal Mini HEPA + Active Carbon Filter for Solidoodle 2 Expert

Hi everyone,

I thought I'd share my internal hepa + carbon filter design. After reading some articles about 3D printers and UFP, and experiencing how horrible the ABS fume were I looked into solutions. I ended up coming up with this neat little thing, since venting to the outside isn't really an option for me at the moment since its winter out and the freezing cold would cause my prints to curl up.

This device meant to sit in the corner of the my expert case cycling and filtering out bad air particles from inside the box. It uses a MSA Safety Works 817665 as a HEPA filter and active carbon filter (same filter used for solder fume extractors). The filter uses an 80mm computer fan that connects to the solidoodle board with a computer fan 4pin y cable, with slight modification (just break off the tab on one of the y cable ends to fit the extruder fan). The device is removable at any point and doesn't require permanent modifications to your Solidoodle 2 printer.

In addition to this, I added weather stripping to the front of my door to prevent air/fumes from escaping. Blocking all the possible places for air to escape has helped immensely with reducing the ABS fume smell. I highly recommend at least doing this this fumes bother you. It doesn't eliminate all the fume smells, but it sure helps a bunch.

Part List
1x 80mm CPU fan ~$8
1x (4 or 3)pin CPU Fan Y Cable. ~$5 This allows you to split the power for the extruder fan to support the 80mm cpu fan.
1x MSA Safety Works 817665 Toxic Dust P100 Respirator Replacement Cartridges - ~$11/pair Amazon.
1x 130mm x 130mm x 10mm Carbon Filter, ESD, Activated, 5pk for Hakko. ~$8 bucks Amazon (you are going to have to cut these to fit).
1x More CPU Fan screws. You will need at least 8x. 4 for the legs and at least 2 per fan side connection. ~$3
1x Roll of large weather stripping $8
Some velcro to secure your door.

Total cost: ~$43 bucks

Instructions:
1. Print the attached STL files. You will need 4x Legs.
2. I have my fan pulling air through the hepa filter and blowing it onto the active carbon filter. The hepa filter should fit nicely by locking as you turn it into place.
3. Once you have the carbon filter base printed, cut the carbon filter to fit, it might get a bit messy. I did it over a sink.
4. So the hook things aren't flexible, so I found its easier to slide the fan in from the open end.
5. Stick the filter in corner. I used some electrical tape to hold it the side. We don't want it getting in between the build platform as it is lowered.
6. Plug the y cable into where the fan power is located. Feed one end of the y cable inside and plug the filter fan into it, make sure you connect the extruder fan to the other end (you will need to cut the polarizing tab to fit the 2pin).
7. Power the print up and you should be good to go.

I let my prints sit there for a bit after they finish to let the filter do its job. This isn't going to catch all the UFP but it should help. It's still important to ventilate to remove all the ABS fume smell.

I welcome comments, suggestions, and questions.

Post's attachments

bottomfanconnectorfilter.stl 74.11 kb, 31 downloads since 2013-12-11 

bottomfanconnectorfilterbasev2.stl 81.53 kb, 21 downloads since 2013-12-11 

Front.jpg
Front.jpg 1.91 mb, file has never been downloaded. 

leg.stl 118.15 kb, 25 downloads since 2013-12-11 

p100connectorwfan.stl 224.59 kb, 18 downloads since 2013-12-11 

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2 Reply by fcichock

  • fcichock
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Re: Internal Mini HEPA + Active Carbon Filter for Solidoodle 2 Expert

Hey Slickwill, thanks for the post and sharing the concept.  I'm thinking of doing the same but want to check up to: 1) ask how it's going and if you've made any further mods since your post, and 2) get your thoughts on using the activated carbon filter portion only.  I was just thinking that one could get better circulation with just the carbon filter.  Not being a chemist, I'm not sure what off gasses from ABS but was assuming that we'd be dealing mostly with lower molecular weight vapors potentially smaller than the 0.3 um limit of the HEPA......

3 Reply by slickwill1675

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Re: Internal Mini HEPA + Active Carbon Filter for Solidoodle 2 Expert

Hi fcichock,

I haven't made any more modifications since I last posted. But from what I can tell, the filter does help reduce the fume smell. Before I couldn't watch my printer standing about a foot away without smelling a trace of fumes which gave me a headache. Now I can watch a foot away with no headache, the smell is virtually gone. But what is interesting is if I open the door on my case to soon, I get an almost instant headache. I typically wait a few minutes after finishing a print to let the filter do its job and crack a window open for fresh air, and its not so bad.

As for the HEPA filter, its most likely useless, except as a prefilter to the active carbon filter. I'll try leaving the p100 connector adapter off. That would definitely provide more air flow through the carbon filter. Next time I'm home I'll try it out and see what the results are.

4 Reply by wardjr

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Re: Internal Mini HEPA + Active Carbon Filter for Solidoodle 2 Expert

Just wanted to show you what I did for a filter.  Its made of three separate parts and is filled with activated carbon.  Can't smell anything unless I open the printer.  As a plus it moves air past the X-motor and helps keep it cool.
It's just a cube I created in sketch up.  I printed the center part with no infill, no top and no bottom layers.  The ends are the same cube that I printed with infill and no bottom layers to create a screen and I just stopped the print when it got about 5 layers of infill.
I put some paper towel that I cut to fit for each side so the carbon wouldn't fall out.  and bolted the whole thing to the enclosure and fan.  I wired the fan direct to the power supply.

Post's attachments

fanfilter.JPG 175.46 kb, 1 downloads since 2013-12-27 

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Printit Industries Model 8.10 fully enclosed CoreXY, Chamber heat
3-SD3's & a Workbench all fully enclosed, RH-Slic3r Win7pro, E3D V6, Volcano & Cyclops Hot End
SSR/500W AC Heated Glass Bed, Linear bearings on SS rods. Direct Drive Y-axis, BulldogXL
Thanks to all for your contributions

wardjr's Website

5 Reply by dubbsd

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Re: Internal Mini HEPA + Active Carbon Filter for Solidoodle 2 Expert

I have a few of these on hand and was wondering if they would work for ABS  plastic.
http://www.magidglove.com/Moldex-7300-O … ators.aspx

I was thinking of making an adapter to mount a fan to one of these. Will they work"?

Ultimaker S3.

6 Reply by wardjr

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Re: Internal Mini HEPA + Active Carbon Filter for Solidoodle 2 Expert

dubbsd wrote:

I have a few of these on hand and was wondering if they would work for ABS  plastic.
http://www.magidglove.com/Moldex-7300-O … ators.aspx

I was thinking of making an adapter to mount a fan to one of these. Will they work"?

They will filter well if you can move air through them with a fan.  It would be worth a test those things can filter about anything.  I use them when I do gel coat and I can't smell a thing.

Printit Industries Model 8.10 fully enclosed CoreXY, Chamber heat
3-SD3's & a Workbench all fully enclosed, RH-Slic3r Win7pro, E3D V6, Volcano & Cyclops Hot End
SSR/500W AC Heated Glass Bed, Linear bearings on SS rods. Direct Drive Y-axis, BulldogXL
Thanks to all for your contributions

wardjr's Website

7 Reply by slickwill1675 (edited by slickwill1675 2013-12-31 09:17:56)

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Re: Internal Mini HEPA + Active Carbon Filter for Solidoodle 2 Expert

I took off the hepa filter. The fume smell was about the same. But I took a look at the carbon filter and that thing was actually starting to collect some grey dust, so its definitely doing something. The cpu fan is definitely getting SOME air through the filter, but i'm getting the about the same air blown back along the gaps of where the fans fins meet the fans casing. I was basing this idea off a fume extractor. I've never actually owned one till a week ago, that is when I realized just how much air those things move (100+ CFM).

I think the cpu fan is just not cutting it. I think I need a stronger fan to make the carbon filter work properly. Quick look on amazon, and I found this gem, a Vantec Tornado TD8038H 80x80x38mm fan. Thing is ridiculous, its loud (55 dBA) but it moves some serious air (up to 119 CFM), (check out youtube videos for it, they bring a smile to my face). If it's too much I can always throw a potentiometer on it to tone it down. It's rated at 9W @ 12VDC so 0.75A. I'm not sure if I want to tap that into the solidoodle motherboard/powersupply. Can any electrical engineers give some advice here? For now I'll just buy a separate molex power supply.

Parts should be in Friday. smile

8 Reply by slickwill1675

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Re: Internal Mini HEPA + Active Carbon Filter for Solidoodle 2 Expert

Hi all. So it turns out a CPU fan works completely fine. The issue was that I was that my design was blowing air into the carbon filter instead of trying to pulling air through it. Once you put the fan blowing away from the filter, the results are amazing. See the attached picture. As for fume smell, it is virtually gone and I no longer get headaches.

Design I'm using now.
1x bottomfanconnectorfilter.stl - first post
1x bottomfanconnectorfilterbasev2.stl - first post
4x Leg2.stl - attached here.

Use the flat piece to protect the carbon filter from touching the fan. Then slide the part with carbon filter onto the fan. Screw in the legs directly into the other side of the fan. Be gentle here. I accidentally broke one of the holes on the fan screwing in a leg, hence the electrical tape to support it.

Post's attachments

filter.jpg 1.95 mb, file has never been downloaded. 

leg2.stl 141.88 kb, 12 downloads since 2014-01-10 

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9 Reply by ggunners

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Re: Internal Mini HEPA + Active Carbon Filter for Solidoodle 2 Expert

Not sure if this has been proposed, but there's an AC powered benchtop solder smoke absorber that appears to do much of the same thing for $28.50 + $10.63 shipping total about $40.

On Amazon search for: Benchtop Solder Smoke Absorber

-- ggunners

SD2 Expert stock, ABS fume fan,
XYZ DaVinci 1.0 stock ABS, Simplify3D
QUBD Two-Up PLA, new 3D printed X gantry, Y idler, flex z coupler, extruder mount, E3D Lite

10 Reply by ggunners

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Re: Internal Mini HEPA + Active Carbon Filter for Solidoodle 2 Expert

Just an update. I purchased the solder smoke absorber. It is quite large but not too noisy.

Right now I just set it on top of the SD2, open the door a bit and let the heat coming out of the door go up through the fan and activated carbon. It seems to help a lot with reducing the ABS burnt plastic smell.

I will probably add some ducting to make it work a little better. Pictures to follow soon.

Also, sorry if this is a hijack. If so, let me know and I'll start a new thread. -- ggunners

SD2 Expert stock, ABS fume fan,
XYZ DaVinci 1.0 stock ABS, Simplify3D
QUBD Two-Up PLA, new 3D printed X gantry, Y idler, flex z coupler, extruder mount, E3D Lite

11 Reply by ysb (edited by ysb 2014-01-23 14:27:46)

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Re: Internal Mini HEPA + Active Carbon Filter for Solidoodle 2 Expert

warning... if you remove too much heat, your print will warp..  let the heat in... it's better

Find all my 3D printable models here
Game of ropes 2 online..Adult only

ysb's Website

12 Reply by ggunners (edited by ggunners 2014-01-23 16:09:02)

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Re: Internal Mini HEPA + Active Carbon Filter for Solidoodle 2 Expert

Thanks ysb. I understand that I do not want to remove heat. However, my wife did not like the whole house ABS smell. Putting the printer in the unheated garage would make things worse.

So by slightly opening the front door and allowing the fresh air to mix from the bottom of the front door, there is little negative pressure to draw off too much heat. I will continue to experiment.

Here's what the device looks like now. Prints of 2-3 hours have not warped. -- ggunners

http://www.soliforum.com/misc.php?action=pun_attachment&item=4430&download=0

Post's attachments

20140122_204424.jpg
20140122_204424.jpg 46.66 kb, file has never been downloaded. 

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SD2 Expert stock, ABS fume fan,
XYZ DaVinci 1.0 stock ABS, Simplify3D
QUBD Two-Up PLA, new 3D printed X gantry, Y idler, flex z coupler, extruder mount, E3D Lite

13 Reply by ysb

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Re: Internal Mini HEPA + Active Carbon Filter for Solidoodle 2 Expert

haaaaaaa ok.... i thought of a model a LOT smaller (that can stay in the enclosure)... this one obviously can't...

Find all my 3D printable models here
Game of ropes 2 online..Adult only

ysb's Website