Drying unit Vento

With more than 60 years of experience in the industrial automation market, 3ntr is at the forefront thanks to the high quality of its products. Its industrial-grade 3D printers are designed to obtain maximum performance in intensive use, even reaching 24/7 cycles.

Image 1: 3D printing equipment. Source: 3ntr.

When talking about industrial 3D printing equipment it is very important to take into account the current needs of the industry. For example, today it is almost indispensable to have a high volume of printing since companies need to manufacture parts of considerable size. When it comes to 3D printed parts, each manufacturing technology has specific properties it can bring to the table. However, 3D FDM manufacturing is the most widespread.

There is a wide variety of materials compatible with 3D FDM printing. In addition, in some industrial equipment, the possibility of using advanced materials such as PEEK, PEKK or PEI Ultem, should be highlated since they have high mechanical and chemical resistance and high flammability temperature.

Image 2: Problems caused by humidity. Source: PrintDry.

Every user of a 3D printer knows the importance of keeping the filament free of moisture, as it is a source of common problems. Moisture causes the filaments to degrade and begin to break internally, and this breakage causes gaps in the filament that can lead to jams in the extruder. Both factors together, give rise to unsuccessful prints, of low quality and with disastrous finishes. Visually, the finish of a 3D printed part with moisture-absorbing filaments is soft and very porous.

One of the technical filaments most likely to absorb moisture is nylon, and it is also one of the most used materials in professional 3D FDM printing in various sectors. Nylon, like other technical filaments, is a hygroscopic material that tends to absorb moisture in a short time and needs to be dried by applying heat to it, due to the difficulty of breaking such strong intermolecular bonds that form it. By absorbing moisture before being processed, nylon degrades and loses properties.

This happens with a wide variety of filaments to a greater or lesser degree, so it is advisable to keep them away from moisture at all times, both during storage and during the 3D printing process. Low humidity values ​​that range between 10 - 13% would be ideal to avoid any possible problem when making a 3D print. For this reason, 3ntr has launched the VENTO drying units, which allow the filament to be dried and kept in an optimal state to guarantee the best printing quality.

Image 3: VENTO. Source: 3ntr.

The VENTO drying unit reaches a maximum temperature of 115 ºC, so it can be used with any polymer, and has drying profiles designed to achieve the best result in the shortest time possible.

VENTO is equipped with a powerful 920 W heater, capable of quickly reaching the drying temperature. The consumption of this equipment is low, which allows great energy savings. Also, being an original 3ntr accessory, it is fully compatible with your 3D printing equipment and easily finds space next to them thanks to the STORM unit (in which up to 3 VENTO units can be installed).

Image 4: STORM. Source: 3ntr.

Quality and eco-responsibility

To all these properties we will also add that the VENTO drying unit is very easy to use due to the integrated touch screen. From it, and thanks to the integrated NFC reader, VENTO automatically establishes drying parameters designed to reduce energy consumption. In turn, the user can control these parameters in real time and modify the criteria of the process.

VENTO comes in a compact form, but can use up to 5 Kg of reels, reaching a printing level without pause for reel change, 5 times higher.

Thanks to VENTO, users of professional and industrial 3D printers can print with technical and advanced filaments without fearing the negative effects of humidity. In addition to this, VENTO protects the filaments from dust and UV rays, increasing their useful life and guaranteeing their good performance. 3ntr 3D printer users can integrate this plugin into their equipment, either individually or through the STORM system at 3NTR A2 printer.