About Thought3D: Building Reliability for Real-World 3D Printing

Who we are

Thought3D is a Malta-based materials and hardware company focused on one thing: making FDM/FFF 3D printing dependable for professional use. We build practical tools that remove guesswork, cut prep time, and turn “hope it works” into “ship it.”

Our first product, Magigoo®, solved a universal pain: inconsistent first-layer adhesion. It’s a safe, water-based build-plate adhesive trusted by 60+ printer and filament brands because it sticks when hot and releases when cool—no drama, no chisels, no residue. Magigoo gave us a front-row seat to the real reasons prints fail. And that’s what led us to Drywise®.

The problem behind most FDM headaches: wet filament

After working with thousands of users and dozens of OEMs, we saw the pattern: even perfect bed adhesion can’t save a print if the filament is wet. Hygroscopic materials—PA/nylon, PA-CF, PC, TPU, PEEK/PEKK blends, PETG, and many specialty grades—pull moisture from the air quickly. That moisture flashes into steam in the hot end, causing:

• Bubbles, stringing, and rough sidewalls

• Weak interlayer bonding and unpredictable dimensions

• Noisy extrusion, clogged nozzles, and “mystery” failures—especially on long jobs

The traditional response is pre-drying: ovens or spool dryers for hours (or overnight), then racing to print before the filament re-absorbs moisture. In practice, that means lost time, inconsistent results, and energy you can literally feel on your utility bill.

We asked a simple question: Why are we drying filament somewhere else, hours before the print, when the moisture problem happens at the nozzle during the print?

The Drywise idea: Dry at the point of use

Drywise® brings drying in-line with the printer. Instead of baking spools and hoping they stay dry, Drywise conditions the filament continuously - as you print. That one shift solves three systemic issues:

1. Timing: Real-time conditioning means the filament’s state is stable for the entire job, not just the first hour.

2. Throughput: No more “oven queues” or overnight babysitting - press print, not pause.

3. Energy: Targeted, on-demand conditioning replaces long idle heat cycles.

We didn’t set out to build a generic “spool box.” We set out to control the filament’s condition precisely on its way to the extruder.

How Drywise works (high-level)

Without getting into proprietary detail, Drywise focuses on the parts that actually matter for print quality:

• Controlled thermal profile: Enough heat to liberate bound moisture, not so much that you damage the polymer.

• Optimised dwell and flow path: The filament spends the right amount of time in the right environment for its material class.

• Active air management: A conditioned airstream removes moisture efficiently and consistently.

• Closed, short path: From conditioning to extruder in a tight, sealed route—because every centimetre of uncontrolled path is a chance to re-absorb water.

• Material presets & feedback: Practical presets for common engineering polymers and blends, with guardrails so you’re not guessing.

The result is steady extrusion, cleaner surfaces, stronger parts, and predictable tolerances - even on very long runs.

Why we built it (the real-world triggers)

• Long-duration jobs were failing late. Customers shared 24–98-hour builds that would fall apart at hour 17 or 63. Overnight drying didn’t translate into all-night stability.

• Teams were losing days to prep. A single production week could include 2–3 “drying days.” That’s expensive time no one can bill.

• Sustainability mattered. Pre-drying ovens can run 300–800 W for many hours. Drywise conditions as you go; typical draw during active printing is much lower, and only when needed.

• Process needed to be teachable. New operators shouldn’t need to be moisture experts. Inline conditioning makes “the right thing” the easy thing.

What changes when drying is inline

Fewer variables, fewer failures. By stabilising filament condition at the nozzle, you remove a major source of randomness. Dimensional drift, porosity, and surface artefacts drop dramatically.

Shorter time-to-print. No pre-dry queue. Load material, confirm preset, press go.

Better energy profile. Conditioning what you use, when you use it, beats heating a whole spool for hours “just in case.”

Higher yield on long prints. The longer the job, the bigger the payoff. Our customers routinely report that multi-day builds become boringly reliable.

Where Drywise shines

• Engineering polymers & composites (PA/PA-CF, PC, PETG, TPU/TPE, PEEK/PEKK blends)

• Functional prototyping and end-use parts where strength and dimensional accuracy matter

• Production environments running long jobs or multiple printers with limited operator time

• Labs and service bureaus that need repeatable results across changing materials and operators

Magigoo + Drywise: Solving FDM’s two biggest pain points

We still believe first-layer success is the foundation of every print. Magigoo® gives you that clean start—reliable adhesion hot, clean release cool, easy to reapply and clean with water. Drywise® keeps the filament stable for the rest of the journey. Together they address adhesion and moisture—the two failure modes that waste the most time and material.

Our approach

• Evidence over hype. We build with data from real printers, real materials, and real users—from desktop prosumer to industrial cells.

• Partner-led validation. We co-develop with printer and filament manufacturers to make sure presets and processes reflect how people actually print.

• Operator-first design. Tools should reduce steps, not add them. If a junior operator can learn it in minutes and a senior engineer can trust it for days, we’re on the right track.

What’s next

Thought3D will keep pushing toward frictionless, production-grade FDM - smarter conditioning, richer material profiles, and integrations that make the printer + material + process feel like one system. If you make parts that have to work, we’re building for you.