Printing in ASA filament, fumes and fume extractors. - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 22, 2022, 08:14:36 am
content: So I've only ever used PLA but I need to print in ASA for some outdoor stuff.I know about print head temp and bed temp and needing an enclosure.But i also know that ASA is a bit more dangerous because of the fumes when printing.I'm wondering what I can do to address this. I only really have one room to use for it and it's my main office/work room when i am most of the day.I have been considering buying one of those soldering fume extractors that cost $500-1000 for the SMT/soldering rework that i also do. (The kind that is a box box on the floor with a filter inside and 1 or usually 2 air hose ports on the top.) So was wondering if that would also work for 3D printing.I'm unsure if the fumes from ASA would be removed by such a filter or not. Also i'm unsure how to combine both a box around the printer for thermal stability and also fume extraction. If I use the fume extractor hose above the print head then the box will have to pull in room air to replace it and that would make the 3D printer box pretty useless from a thermal perspective.Any ideas?.

author: geggi1
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 22, 2022, 09:09:14 am
content: If you have a cabinet over your printer you can just ventilate the cabinet with a PC fan.Use some kind of flexible duct and let the fan suck negative pressure inside the cabinet.Just vent the fumes out through the window.

author: all_repair
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 22, 2022, 09:10:43 am
content: Or coat your PLA with UV shielding paint.

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 22, 2022, 09:46:24 am
content: Quote from: all_repair on December 22, 2022, 09:10:43 amna, this is something that will also get covered in water as well.

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 22, 2022, 09:47:31 am
content: Quote from: geggi1 on December 22, 2022, 09:09:14 amWouldn't venting air out the window and pulling in new air defeat the purpose of adding a cover to get stable temps inside the box.

author: jpanhalt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 22, 2022, 11:33:14 am
content: According to this materials datasheet (EU), ASA fumes are not particularly toxic, but they can be irritating.https://www.filament-pm.com/data/files/SDS%20-%20ASA%20FILAMENT%20-%20EN_CLP_2019.pdfHow about wearing just a painter's mask with carbon filters. That way, you are only utilizing the carbon adsorbent for the air you breath, not the entire room.

author: Infraviolet
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 23, 2022, 12:14:31 am
content: A fair few professional models of printer which have a "sealed" chamber for ABS/ASA printing actually have massive gaps around door hinges and such, the fans aren't much more than PC fans running through domestic air conditioning style air filter cartridges. Any filtering wth a fan will be good enough, as will anything where you dump the printer's air out of a peipe poked through an open window, as might be just keeping several windows wide open when you are in the room during printing for a through-draft of air. But in all cases, ABS and ASA are both pretty vulnerable to severe print warping if a cold draft of air hits them. You might be best putting the printer in some reasonably sealed box, and just having a very small fan blowing out a tiny quantity of air through a filter, with small gaps in the box to let replacement air flow in. The idea would be to have a slight negative pressure in the printing chamber, so particulates would only be able to exit via the filtered fan, but overall have the absolute minimum air flow in and out. When the print ends then you'd open the windows wide to ventilate the room while opening up the semi-sealed chamber. Printing almost all PLA myself I swear by "if I can't smell anything funny I'm not worried about being in the room with it", ABS and ASA are definitely a bit worse, but if you can't smell anything funny and aren't getting headaches it probably isn't worrisome unless you were doing a lot of it regularly.

author: EPAIII
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 21, 2023, 07:42:08 am
content: Not if you have climate control (AC and heat) in the room. My office is 68 - 70F (20 - 22C) year round . So yes, I hope to have an enclosure with a vent to the outside. With a constant flow of air, in and out, the temperature should stabilize nicely after the printer has been on for a while. But I will monitor the temperature in the enclosure to be sure.Quote from: Psi on December 22, 2022, 09:47:31 am

author: naaaf1
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: March 16, 2023, 07:14:29 pm
content: Doesn't ASA/ABS wants higher ambient temperature? I thought things would warp if the print is constantly exposed to a draft at room temperature.I've printed mostly in PETG, not ASA. But my thoughts on fumes are similar to the suggestions - air-seal during print and only purge when the print completes.

author: metebalci
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: March 28, 2023, 06:31:01 am
content: I am not an expert (neither a chemist), but I researched on this a bit (you can find publicly available research articles in the matter, comparing different materials and also with other such sources eg printers). With a 3d printer in the living area, I wouldnt print anything other than PLA and PETG, and that is also with some type of air extraction/filtration nearby both for particles and gases. I am using an easy to find air purifier with both filters next to the printer because I cant do air extraction.

author: usagi
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 24, 2023, 06:43:27 am
content: I bought this because my personal health is worth the money.Bofa Printpro 3https://visionminer.com/collections/fume-extraction/products/bofa-3d-printpro-3-fume-extraction-systemWhen you print ASA or ABS or even PC without it, you can definitely smell fumes. I run it on lowest setting and it's basically silent, yet when its running you can't smell anything.Here's an adapter for it to attach to a Bambu printer.https://www.printables.com/model/295601-bambu-labs-x1c-exhaust-adapter-bofa-print-pro-3

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 24, 2023, 12:36:44 pm
content: yeah, i have a twin port fume extractor that is intended for use with a laser cutter.I just use it for soldering, i can easy unplug the 2nd port for 3D printing applications.Just need to enclose the printer in something, current printer is just open frame.

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 24, 2023, 01:03:19 pm
content: Ideally you'd double enclose it - inner enclosure for still air round the print bed and outer to extract fumes. One of the lightest weight rigid options to build enclosures isCorrex sheets.

author: wraper
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 24, 2023, 01:08:07 pm
content: For outdoors PETG would be better and not toxic like ASA/ABS.

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 24, 2023, 10:19:53 pm
content: Quote from: Ian.M on August 24, 2023, 01:03:19 pmAhhh, That was the missing piece to the puzzle! I don't know why I didn't think of that.I was always a bit concerned that the turbulent air flow from the extractor would interfere with the printing.But of course, you seal the printer and the extractor is only for what escapes that seal into the next level. Extractor just creates negative pressure in the middle chamber making it actually impossible for fumes to escape.