Material state is a key variable for success
3D printing filaments are hygroscopic, absorbing water from the atmosphere, and therefore need drying to perform at their best. In injection molding it is common practice to dry the material filament before use and most 3D printing filament is composed of the same base resins.
Over 50% of new filaments need to be dried before printing.
In some materials, even small amounts of moisture can compromise an entire print. Our data shows, that even new filament, just opened from a sealed box, often needs to be dried for best performance.
Effects of Moisture
Do you experience:
Subpar surface finish
Dimensional inaccuracies
Poor mechanical properties
Inconsistent material extrusion
These are caused by wet filament.
filament for 3D printing also needs drying
Wet filament results in inferior quality prints
Traditional Drying
The hidden costs of Moisture damage
Wasted Man hours
Valuable time is lost planning material drying, researching the correct drying parameters and handling material.
Longer Time to Part
The filament needs to be optimally dried before printing. This takes many hours (even days) depending on the state of the material. This could delay scheduled production.
Machine Downtime
Full utilisation of the machinery at hand is very difficult as filament needs to be planned and dried days in advance.
Wasted Material
Incorrect drying leads to inconsistent prints with weak mechanical properties and poor aesthetics that end up discarded or fail prematurely.
Variability
Even when following standard operating procedures, different results can be expected. There are many unknowns that affect the process, initial humidity in the filament, relative humidity of the environment, rate of moisture loss in the oven, etc...
Extra devices are needed
After drying, other devices are needed to keep the filament in a good state.
Material Degradation
Multiple heat cycles, needed over the course of a spool if this is not used up immediately, eventually degrade the material quality.
DRYWISE
Ultimate Material Quality Control
Significant Time Savings
Valuable time is gained thanks to the quasi instant drying, a feature of the in-line drying architecture. Further, the pre-calibrated settings for certified materials eliminate guesswork and remove the need to research settings.
Shorter Time to Part
Drying in-line is much more efficient and effective, eliminating prolonged drying times as it dries during printing.
Higher Machine Uptime
No pre planning is needed meaning getting full utilisation of your machines is now possible, more easily.
Lower Energy Costs
Due to the superior drying efficiency. Also, does not require auxiliary devices to maintain the filament in a good state.
Minimized Material Waste
Guaranteed excellent material quality control before and during the print.
Streamlined, Reliable Process
Drywise eliminates uncertainties when it comes to material quality control, respecting the material whilst giving the best performing parts.
Ready to elevate my additive manufacturing.
I am ready to get the ultimate performance from my 3D printing filament
12,000
Annual Savings
120
Hours Gained
20+
Kgs of Material Saved
1
The only Device needed
Promakim - Achieving Zero Material Waste
3D Promakim, is a renowned name in Turkey's digital production landscape. They offer solutions to a diverse clientele including the likes of Mercedes-Benz, Rocketsan, Bosch and Turkish Aerospace Industries. Their promise: A guarantee of impeccable print quality and unparalled technical training and support.
3D Promakim was struggling with material management. Turkey's environment, with a high relative humidity, and strict customs who routinely open filament spools for inspection, meant many spools of material were getting ruined before even getting a single print out of them. This, compounded by in-house wastage, was amounting to an annual cost of €12,000.
By adopting Drywise, Promakim managed to restore these materials to their best state. They managed to save €12,000 in material loss, recoup 120 hours which were being lost on material handling, now have superior print quality consistently, and they also regained some desk space as they no longer need specialised filament storage equipment.
DRYWISE
How it works.
Professional Device
Drywise is intended for professional use and is designed to integrate seamlessly in the additive manufacturing FDM flow.
Pre-programmed settings
To ensure that Drywise delivers consistent results irrispective of where (geographically) it is used, specific Drywise filament profiles are created. The filament is also first hydrated to a high moisture level and only then dried and the profile created.
Fast and efficient in-line drying
Internally, Drywise circulates hot dry air over a section of filament, causing it to release the trapped moisture. The desiccant cartridge then traps the water molecules redrying the air. It is analogous to an inline water heater, which instantly warms up the small volume of water inside as opposed to a full tank that takes up more time to heat up.
Add ons
Specific add-ons have been designed to help the process work smoothly.
Testimonials
What others say about Drywise!
I am very impressed at how easy Drywise makes it to create engineering parts with materials that are hygroscopic.
Typically, these materials are difficult to print, require extensive drying prior to printing, and in some cases even degrade on the time scale that printing a part takes, so they have to be stored in anhydrous circumstances during printing. All this is a hassle.
With Drywise, it has become as simple as loading the filament, and after the pre-heat pre-dry cycle, just start printing with a guaranteed top conditioned filament. Therefore, it’s no surprise that I would wholeheartedly recommend using Drywise for any hygroscopic filament, such as many polyamides / nylons.
Drywise has been certified as a third party hardware to work well with Ultimaker 3D printers.
Bart van As
ULTIMAKER - Product Manager Print Process & Materials
The project for launching new circular PA6 material had hit a roadblock. The material was ready but due to its very high moisture sensitivity and the lack of technology enabling direct in-line drying, it had to be placed on hold.
Drywise is the solution we were waiting for to enable this material, allowing it to be reliably 3D printed every time and finally unlocking the circular economy to Additive Manufacturing.
Dr. Thiago Medeiros Araujo
LUVOCOM 3F Global Product Manager
Drywise provides an excellent on-demand solution to the elimination of moisture absorption in 3D printing filament, which can have such a detrimental effect on those higher strength parts intended for demanding applications.
When the material being used has been adversely affected by moisture absorption the in-line filament drying carried out during printing is capable of delivering a successful part without the need for any lengthy material pre-conditioning.
Steve Cox
AMFORI CONSULTING - 3D Technologies Consultant
Using Drywise has been a game changer for our 3D printing process.
As a prototyping manager at Toly Products in Malta, I have tested numerous methods to improve the quality of our nylon 3D prints, but none have worked as well as Drywise.
The humidity issues we faced in our industrial setting were greatly reduced, and we were able to achieve prints of superior quality with ease.
I highly recommend Drywise to anyone looking to improve their 3D printing process and achieve exceptional results.
Gilmore Sacco
Toly Products - Prototyping Manager
Before Drywise, material handling was a time-
consuming challenge, with off-the-shelf solutions leading
to unreliable results. Drywise streamlined our workflows,
saved significant costs, and bolstered our confidence in
delivering top-tier print projects on schedule. We now are
offering Drywise as the go-to solution for every Markforged
customer
Tolga Bolol
3D Promakim - Business Development Specialist
Integrating innovative materials from Fiberthree, paired
with Drywise filament dryer into our production process
has been a groundbreaking move.
We have dramatically improved our printed parts quality and reliability while still
leveraging the flexibility of in-house production. Further we’ve cut our drying times
significantly, the quality of our prints has improved remarkably, and we’re seeing much
less material waste. It’s truly revolutionizing the way we produce our Auriol drones.
Benjamin Wiens
Third Element Aviation - Co-Founder , CEO
Implementing Drywise as a quality assurance tool across their different locations, could help Ford maintain consistent print quality and minimize wastage, ultimately saving time and money. Humidity issues were significantly reduced, leading to improved print quality and consistency. Drywise’s precise and reliable printing capabilities enable part production of constantly high-quality level that meet their exact specifications , no matter where they are printed.
Ford
Ford Werke GmbH
Elevate your Additive Manufacturing
Ask Us Questions
Why must I keep my 3D printing filament dry?
A large majority of 3D printing plastics absorb moisture from the surrounding air which can significantly impact the quality of your 3D prints. These plastics are known as hygroscopic.
As the filament is extruded, moisture absorbed in the plastic will rapidly expand, boil and rupture, forming bubbles in the extruded plastic. These bubbles can have a significant impact on the surface quality, layer adhesion and mechanical performance of your 3D printed parts. To avoid this, we recommend using Drywise in-line filament dryer.
How does your product work?
3D printing plastics are prone to take in ambient moisture, which results in reduced print quality. Our dryer pre-treats the filament to best printing conditions.
Where is Drywise based?
We are solely an online brand, but we operate out of Malta.
How long will it take me to get my order?
There is usually between 1 and 4 weeks lead time.
What do I do if my order is damaged?
We are so sorry to hear that your order arrived in less than pristine condition! Please let us make it right. Our customer service team will be more than happy to assist with processing a replacement order or issuing a refund. You may contact our customer service team by sending us an email at support@thought3d.com.