3D Print Filament Producer Polymaker Makes Hardware, Too

By on July 3rd, 2017 in materials

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 Polymaker's growing collection of filament-related hardware
Polymaker’s growing collection of filament-related hardware

Polymaker is a well-known provider of high quality filament in many different materials and formats, but they’re also becoming known for their associated hardware products. 

Most recently they developed a highly functional hardware – material combination for smoothed prints: the PolySher / PolySmooth system that involves a special filament and an inexpensive smoothing hardware device. 

Now they’ve taken another step with a hardware device that seems to be partnered with some of their new filaments. 

The their new “dry box” is a device that can absorb accumulated moisture from 3D print filament spools. This is important as certain plastics tend to absorb moisture that can corrupt 3D prints. It does so by vaporizing in the hot end, resulting in bubbles and blobs on an otherwise clean print. 

And by certain materials, I mean Nylon. Nylon just happens to be one of Polymaker’s newest materials. See how that happens? It’s more than a coincidence. 

The new dry box will cost in the USD$40-50 range, affordable by all, and can monitor temperature and humidity digitally. It’s essentially a passive box, as the de-humidification process is done by onboard replaceable desiccants. 

I asked about the problem of warping when 3D printing with nylon, which can be an issue in some machines. Polymaker explained they’ve “solved” the warping problem by achieving a more optimum “balance in crystallinity”. Sounds like some testing of nylon will be in order. 

The new dry box is rumored to be on the market this year. 

Via Polymaker

By Kerry Stevenson

Kerry Stevenson, aka "General Fabb" has written over 8,000 stories on 3D printing at Fabbaloo since he launched the venture in 2007, with an intention to promote and grow the incredible technology of 3D printing across the world. So far, it seems to be working!