Put Your 3D Printer in a BuzzBox

The BuzzBox is a specialized enclosure for small 3D printers. You need one!

Why would you want to put your 3D printer into a box? Well, there are a great many good reasons to do so. 

Many current personal 3D printers have open or even no cases. You’ll see the mechanical bits moving about, which is quite exciting for those not used to 3D printers. 

However, it’s often catastrophic for print operations. 

The most common issue facing “open” case 3D printers is warping. This occurs when printed material cools down, even though new, “hot” material is extruded on top of it. The warping not only distorts the prints, but frequently causes print failures when prints come loose from the bed. Similarly, small features may curl unexpectedly, or cracks can appear. 

Aside from the print quality, there are additional concerns. Fumes freely enter your work area from open case machines, some of which could be toxic, requiring appropriate ventilation – that many people don’t have. Some machines are also quite noisy and moving parts always is hazardous to children or inquisitive pets. 

These issues can be mostly solved by planting your printer inside an enclosure that captures heat to limit warping, reduces noises, filters out fumes and provides a level of safety. 

That’s the intent of the BuzzBox. It’s a clear acrylic box with internal dimensions of 305 x 406 x 127mm that can accommodate quite a few smaller 3D printers. The company behind the BuzzBox, ApogeeScience, says they’ve successfully tested the Afinia H479 and H480 as well as the equivalent UP! machines. The BuzzBox should fit quite a few more printers, too. 

The box comes as an easy-to-assemble kit, including single or dual magnetic doors, multiple tool holders, activated carbon filter, power and cable inlets, vibration-reducing rubber feet and filament port. 

The BuzzBox launch price was USD$275, but they’ve sold them all, so you’ll have to pay a bit more. For an even higher price, they’ll include an LED lighting system and an active fan to maintain consistent temperatures within the BuzzBox.

We think this is a hugely good idea, as it could solve a lot of issues for many people at a reasonable price. We’re hoping they produce additional models with larger and more varied sizing to accommodate many more 3D printers. This should be standard equipment for anyone with an open case 3D printer. 

Via Kickstarter