This article is about a new dual-spool filament drying system from Sovol that has extra features that also make it useful for safe storage of filament between prints. It's the Sovol SH01.
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| Sovol SH01 Filament Drying/Storage System |
Background
If there is any group of people that appreciate the critical role that quality filament plays in the success or failure of a 3D printer to deliver it is those who own(ed) the Cube series printers from 3D Systems.
And, one of the factors in maintaining filament quality that we, as users, can control is making sure that our filament is dry. While this is true of PLA, it is even more true for water-soluble support materials and nylon.
Over the years we have tried various devices for drying and storing filament. Our first dryer was a DIY modification of a food dehydrator that we used with both Cube2 and Cube3 cartridges.
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| Food Dehydrator Used to Dry Filament |
This served us well over the years; but, it had two limitations. Firstly, it could not be used while printing and; secondly, it was not suitable for storage. For storage, we turned to five gallon paint buckets with sealed tops in combination with rechargeable desiccant canisters.
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| Rechargeable Desiccant |
While these worked well for pre-print drying and storage, they did not provide a good solution for continuous use while printing. Nor were they convenient for short-term storage between prints over weekends, etc.
To solve this we turned to two excellent active filament dryers from Sunlu and eSun.
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| Sunlu Filament Dryer |
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| eSun Filament Dryer |
Both brands have served us well for the Polymaker Polymax filament that we have preferred for so long. But, the reason we needed two for each printer was that we have dual nozzle printers. But, what really made us make another search for a third solution was that our friends at IMade3D, right here in Virginia, began importing and marketing excellent filament from the Czech Republic, FilamentPM through their FilamentBuy.com web site.
The spools of FilamentPM PLA are too wide to fit into either the eSun or Sunlu dryers! The timing of of search was fortunate.
Sovol had just begun offering their WIDE SH01 filament dryer/Storage box on Amazon for $59.. It was capable of holding two Polymaker spools or one FilamentPM spools. I am certainly happy that I immediately ordered one because they quickly sold out the first batch. It's wonderful!
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| Sovol SH01 Filament Dryer |
The Features That Make the Sovol 3D SH01 Dryer my Favorite
Of course, the reason why we chose to purchase this dryer even though we have two that we like quite well was its ability to handle wide spools of filament.
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| Sovol Dryer with Wide FilamentPM Spool |
But, what we did NOT know when we ordered it was that the Sovol Filament Dryer has some features that set it apart from our previous dryers. First, the display is WAY bigger and better, alternately displaying Temperature/Humidity and Time Remaining.
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| Sovol Filament Dryer - Temperature/Humidity |
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| Sovol Filament Dryer - Time Remaining |
The first image above image shows our startup temperature and humidity. The second image shows the time remaining for our default 6 hour drying session. It is SO refreshing to see auch a large and bright display! The MODE button allows us to enter setup where we can select 40C, 45C or 50C depending on the type of filament we are drying and set our target time up to 12 hours.
Within 7 minutes our target temperature of 40C was reached and within 30 minutes the humidity had dropped to 29% and steadied to the target of 30%. I have checked it with a 12 hour setting and the targets remain steady over the entire drying period.
Now, for the bonus feature that the Sovol Filament Dryer brings to the table. SEALED STORAGE.
The top of the Sovol is sealed shut using two latches on the front of the unit. Neither the eSun nor the Sunlu is sealed in this way. Moreover, all of the openings are fitted with plugs to completely protect the filament while being stored. This includes both of the ports through which the filament reaches the printer and the power receptacle!
I REALLY appreciate this level of detail that Sovol has taken to make this not only an active dryer; but, a protected environment for storing filament between prints. We live and work on the east coast and humidity is a huge problem in the summer.
If Amazon is out of stock when you follow this LINK, then try the Sovol web site:
https://sovol3d.com/products/large-filament-dryer-box
If you go to the Sovol site before Father's Day 2021, you might also take the time to enter a drawing for their latest 3D printer. They are giving away one FREE Sovol SV04 IDEX printer in a short term promotion.
https://sovol3d.com/pages/fathers-day-give-away-2021
I have no experience with Sovol 3D printers; but, the care they demonstrated
in the design and build quality of the SH01 Filament Dryer gives me some positive vibes.
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