Thorough filament drying is extraordinarily essential in 3D printing with plastic while you need to create professionally wanting miniatures, figures, and life-size fashions on a desktop 3D printer. In case you work with multiple printer or 3D print with a number of colours without delay, you may want a great filament dehydrator, reminiscent of Sunlu FilaDryer S4, in your workshop to remove strings and different points brought on by moist plastic.
Gambody’s chief engineer bought an opportunity to unbox and evaluation the brand new highly effective S4 machine. Learn the way it compares to FilaDryer S2, what various utilization it gives, and the way it can change your pastime.
About Sunlu
Sunlu specializes within the manufacturing of filaments for 3D printing and dryers for them. The corporate’s undoubted hit, Sunlu FilaDryer S2, has gained nice recognition amongst 3D printing fans, all due to its attention-grabbing design, easy controls, and steady excessive drying temperature, which lets you dry even refractory filaments with out issues. The S2 dryer is forward of its opponents in lots of respects and pleases the attention with its value.
Gambody’s group of engineers fell in love with FilaDryer S2 and nonetheless makes use of it quite a bit because it helps you to overlook about sealing plastics in baggage or shopping for silica gel for drying. Lately, it’s sufficient to position the filament into the dryer for a number of hours earlier than 3D printing and overlook about any issues related to plastic moisture.
You possibly can learn our evaluation of the S2 dryer and see if you happen to want to change to or add the latest Sunlu FilaDryer S4 to your loved ones of filament dehydrators.
Sunlu FilaDryer S4
Not way back, Sunlu introduced their newest Sunlu FilaDryer S4. It’s not an up to date model of S2, because the title may recommend. Sunlu S4 dryer is a very new product increasing the corporate’s line of the most effective filament dryers.
If the spectacular Sunlu FilaDryer S2 is taken into account a house dryer for 3D printing fans, then the brand new S4 sequence might be proudly known as an expert resolution that’s appropriate for 3D printing laboratories. This 4 spool filament dryer can formally accommodate 4 1kg spools, but Gambody managed to position six spools inside this machine!
The brand new launch gives unimaginable potentialities, and we are going to share all of the particulars in our detailed Sunlu FilaDryer S4 evaluation.
Finest Filament Dryer
What’s the finest filament dryer? Also referred to as a filament dehydrator, an everyday dryer is designed to take away moisture from plastic to enhance the 3D printing course of, whereas the most effective filament dryer is designed to simplify your life by providing user-friendly controls and nice outcomes with the least quantity of effort.
In case you hear popping or crackling noises whereas printing and the extruded filament seems uneven and non-smooth, this may occasionally point out you’re utilizing moist materials. The moisture expands when heated, which disrupts the continual profile of plastic extruded via the nozzle and might result in imperfect 3D prints. TPU and nylon are two kinds of significantly moisture-sensitive supplies that take in moisture quicker than widespread filaments like PLA. Due to this fact, it is suggested to retailer TPU and nylon in hermetic containers, or use the most effective filament dryer to work with these 3D printing supplies with no points.
Learn additionally: Finest Recommendations on Find out how to Retailer 3D Printer Filament.
The filament dryer, geared up with a heated chamber that homes spools, removes moisture and ensures a gradual plastic provide. You possibly can dry the filament earlier than 3D printing or feed it immediately from the dryer to your 3D printer, and selecting the most effective filament dryer is your prime precedence.
Sunlu S4 Dryer Unboxing
Sunly FilaDryer S4 arrives in a pretty big field of 14.5 x 11 x 19.7 inches (370 x 280 x 500 mm) and takes up virtually the entire inside house! This filament dehydrator is 17.9 x 8.7 x 12 inches (457 x 222 x 305 mm), which is absolutely spectacular because it seems a lot smaller within the on-line photographs.
The Sunlu dehydrator’s measurement is nice and can simply accommodate as much as 4 standard-size spools of filament. The package consists of the Sunlu filament dryer guide and a set of Teflon tubes and gap plugs. It’s nice that the ability provide not comes individually. It’s hidden contained in the dryer, which is handy! The 350W dryer has a most heating temperature of 158 °F (70 °C).
Sunlu Dryer Field Design
The 4 spool filament dryer has a form of a black translucent field with a big contact display within the center. The entrance half is roofed with plastic glass just like the one within the FLSUN V400 enclosure, which might be simply scratched even if you happen to wipe it with a not-so-clean rag, so we determined to go away the protective movie on.
The producer suggests loading filament into the dryer utilizing the 2 separate doorways on the highest. Every door latches securely and tightly, tremendously decreasing the noise stage of the followers inside. The field has steel legs on the backside, which makes the general look dearer. Basically, the design pleases the attention, being uniform and minimalistic with nothing further.
What’s Inside?
Inside, the chamber is split into two equivalent sections, every of which has a pair of rubberized rollers that spin on bearings (changing them is as straightforward as within the S2 model). Every part has its personal cooler, and there’s a lid-closing compartment for silica gel.
The producer suggests putting in two spools (with a most width of 29.5 inches or 75 mm) on either side. Nonetheless, nobody can cease you from experimenting. For instance, we have been capable of place six customary spools inside (you are able to do this too to both retailer them or dry the filament).
Learn additionally: Over 100 Enjoyable 3D Printer Initiatives.
Display screen
As you plug your Sunlu FilaDryer S4, the very first thing we see is the nice inexperienced backlight (simply as on the S2 mannequin). It’s a small factor, however I actually prefer it! In contrast to within the S2, the display and font measurement of the S4 are smaller, however this doesn’t intervene with its use. It appears that evidently the pixel density has been elevated, and the display itself has turn into extra responsive to the touch.
The performance stays the identical as within the S2. You possibly can arrange the temperature, humidity, and drying time utilizing the entrance panel. Every widespread filament (PLA, ABS, PETG, PA, or PC) has its preset configuration. Thus, all it’s a must to do is solely choose your filament sort and press “Begin.”
Sunlu FilaDryer S4 operates in two modes:
- The primary is a timer, the place the temperature and drying time are set;
- The second is moisture management, the place the machine maintains the humidity stage inside 20%, routinely turning the dryer on and off as wanted. This mode is particularly helpful for storing your 3D printing plastic.
Sunlu S4 dryer has eight filament holes to allow you to dry a number of filaments and printing on 4 3D printers on the identical time. Personally, I see this dehydrator as a extra skilled resolution and want to have some extra settings, reminiscent of controlling fan speeds and noise.
Learn additionally: Finest 3D Printer Air flow System for Resin and Filaments.
Find out how to Use 4 Spool Filament Dryer
It’s easy to make use of FilaDryer S4. Place as much as 4 1kg spools of filament contained in the chamber, the place they are going to sit vertically on the rollers. Loading plastic is handy, due to the massive gadget doorways. After plugging the Sunlu dehydrator and urgent the primary change on the rear panel, the “energy” image seems on the management panel, beginning the drying course of. The followers will run, and the dryer will warmth as much as the temperature and humidity settings you’ve chosen.
In testing, we let this 4 spool filament dryer warmth to its most temperature of 158 °F (70 °C) in lower than 5 minutes. It used about 400 W of energy whereas heating, however afterward, it used solely about 80 W to keep up the temperature. At room temperature of about 78 °F (26 °C) and a humidity of 55%, the dryer successfully diminished the humidity ranges contained in the chamber, making certain steady drying high quality.
The followers are fairly noisy when the dryer is working. In case you stick your hand inside, you possibly can even really feel how the new air plenty are mixing. Closing the lid helps quite a bit to scale back the noise, after which the drying chamber is just barely louder than the S2 model. As famous above, I want to see the silent mode sooner or later.
Operating Assessments
The principle drawback that happens while you 3D print utilizing moist plastic is numerous strings, unstable printing, a clogged nozzle that may utterly wreck your print, and items of uneven rods breaking off, all of which can’t be fastened by altering the printing configurations.
To check Sunlu FilaDryer S4, positioned by the producer as the most effective filament dryer, we used Sunlu TPU Gray plastic. We selected TPU as a result of this smooth plastic absorbs moisture particularly nicely, so utilizing it in our experiment sounds good.
To organize higher, we saved the plastic with out a bag and hydrogel in a moist surroundings for a complete week. Firstly, we 3D printed a GeZilla 3D printing mannequin as a check utilizing the next choices (we didn’t use Sunlu S4 dryer at this stage):
- Take a look at 1 – we labored with a nozzle preheated to 446 °F (230 °C);
- Take a look at 2 – we printed with a nozzle preheated to 374 °F (190 °C).
- Take a look at 3 – we dried plastic within the Sunlu S4 filament dryer for six hours and repeated our check. You possibly can see the ends in the photographs beneath:
Our Benchy boat check additionally confirmed a noticeable enchancment in 3D printing high quality after we dried the plastic within the Sunlu dryer field at 131 °F (55 °C) for five hours. Such outcomes show how essential it’s to have the most effective filament dehydrator if you happen to try for glorious 3D prints.
Utilizing S4 with AMS Mini
One of many first issues that got here to my thoughts whereas reviewing this 4 spool filament dryer was, “Is it potential to attach Sunlu S4 to Bambu Lab A1 mini 4-color printing 3D printer with AMS lite?” Whereas the usual AMS model shops spools contained in the chamber, the place you possibly can add silica gel, the mini AMS is an open chamber machine.
Properly, to my shock, I’m not the one one who requested this query! Extra to say, there’s a 3D printing undertaking that may mix Sunlu FilaDryer S4 with the AMS mini filament feeding system. You merely must obtain the recordsdata, 3D print all of the components, and assemble them. In addition to, you possibly can improve the house in your Sunlu dryer field, 3D print a tray for it and set up your workspace.
Further Options & Various Methods to Use
Let’s take into consideration how one can doubtlessly use your FilaDryer S4 at dwelling in addition to maintaining your filament dry. Due to its giant measurement and rectangular form, your filament dehydrator may also help you dry gentle garments. Or you need to use it as an acetone tub.
You can too consider utilizing its low-humidity and high-temperature options in your different functions.
Learn additionally: Find out how to 3D Print Versatile Filament at Dwelling.
Sunlu FilaDryer S4 is a robust skilled filament dehydrator. Its giant measurement solely reveals its potential. Since this machine requires some house, you must take into consideration your desk format earlier than making a purchase order. Large dimensions, nonetheless, will enable you to dry plastics for 2 or 4 3D printers on the identical time or just retailer as much as six 1kg spools of filament contained in the chamber to forestall moisture. You can too adapt the Bambu Lab AMS lite to make use of with this 4 spool filament dryer.
What do I lack within the FilaDryer S4 model? Maybe I used to be anticipating its show to supply extra settings. I wish to work in silence, and if the dryer is situated near your workspace, the fan noise might be distracting. What I additionally seen is that the S4 dryer consumes extra electrical energy than the S2.
Basically, Sunlu S4 is a robust and extremely productive dehydrator. In case you 3D print quite a bit and have multiple 3D printer, this may be the most effective filament dryer in your workshop.
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