Jan 16, 2015 | By Simon
Although 3D printers have brought users an immeasurable amount of joy thanks to the ability to print literally anything at any given moment, they are still not without their flaws.
Among other traits that leave much to be desired - especially desktop Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3d printers - are the harmful fumes and ultrafine particles that are released when plastic is heated up to be extruded. Additionally, even in a workshop environment where ‘industrial smells’ are normal, the smell of burning plastics are usually considered unpleasant compared to say, wood on a bandsaw.
After having had enough of the harmful fumes released by his desktop 3D printer, Mario Soranno set out to design his own solution for containing the noxious and invisible side effect of 3D printers. What resulted is the KappaKit fume hood, and he is now selling the 3D printer containment system to others who also want to create a safer environment for 3d printing.
The KappaKit, which consists of a fume hood equipped with an exhaust fan, also features an activated carbon filter that captures fumes, fine dust and odors. Alternately, the fully-enclosed containment can protect the 3D printer from any unexpected damage.
With a range of customizable sizes for various 3D printer models, the KappaKit consists of of 5 acrylic panels that are snap-fit mounted and fixed with small screws. The box - which features no material on the underside - is placed over the 3D printer as a hood.
The top panel of the box features an exhaust fan with a built-in activated carbon filter. When the printer is in operation, the fan is activated and the filter is capable of capturing all of the harmful emissions, smoke, ultrafine particles and odors that naturally occur with 3D printers. Thanks to the natural clear properties of the acrylic material, users can maintain eyesight of their print progress and monitor their print jobs with no visual obstructions.
In addition to the protecting users against the harmful emissions from the 3D printer, the KappaKit also acts as an insulator for the stabilizing the 3D printing environment. When a 3D printer is contained within the box, it is shielded from wind currents and unexpected temperature changes that could affect the overall print quality. The resulting ‘3D printing atmosphere’ that resides within the KappaKit is able to maintain a constant internal temperature, which results in less stress on the extruder and higher quality finished results.
Regardless of the final box size depending on which 3D printer you would use it for, all of the KappaKits come with the five acrylic panels, one fan, one activated carbon filter (plus five replacement filters), accessories for the power supply (cables, connectors, etc), and an integrated LED lighting system to show off your 3D printer in a dark room.
So far, the KappaKit team has raised just over half of their $6,000 goal with 58 days left to go in their Indiegogo campaign. If you’re interested in adding a KappaKit to your collection of 3D printing accessories and shielding yourself from the harmful emissions, you can purchase the KappaKit starting at $250.
Posted in 3D Printer Accessories
Maybe you also like:
- Seus Corp finds success with 3D printing, mass-produces Minecraft figurines using Makerbot
- Biochemists use 3D printing and DNA-coated nanoparticles for tissue engineering
- French helicopter manufacturer Turbomeca begins 3D printing flight-ready helicopter parts
- Japan to invest $21 million in developing 3D printed human organs
- Artist uses digital fabrication to aid in fabricating massive bronze sculptures
- Mathematical precision meets natural beauty in 3D printed sculptures
- Winners of Makerbot Ghostly Vinyl 3D printing challenge announced
- This 3d printed vase is actually a fully-functional vacuum cleaner
you guys are all retarded, an activated carbon filter works by bonding, it's not like a STRAINER.... it's commonly Used for GAS and organic VOCs..... Far as AIR INTAKE, obviously you've never heard of a negative pressure ventilation. Also ALL metarials will emit something when heated, even your BBQ, stove etc..... just because you can't smell shit doesn't mean it aint there. you can't smell radiation can you? lol. Smell is not related to toxicity, so smell or no smell.... it can be toxic. Nylon as little to no smell but emits the highest levels of VOC's... go figure.
Johnny Safety wrote at 6/30/2015 8:52:49 PM:
The 'carbon filter' you are referring to is nothing more than a pre-filter that is rated as a MERV 7. At best, the MERV 7 would have 25-30% dust spot efficiency, and remove only significantly large particles. Your video references Ultra Fine Particles (UFP's) as being 'safely removed'. This is false....only a HEPA filter or similar type high efficiency filter will remove these types of particles. Be-careful of what you tell people as it is very deceptive and immoral. Further, the type of 'carbon' you are using is not able to adsorb harmful gases and VOC's that could come off ABS filament.
Revz wrote at 1/17/2015 4:01:43 AM:
Utter bullshit. Wow, it's amazing that people have the audacity to bring this kind of thing to market and even more incredible to think that anyone but the most guillable suckers would buy it. This wouldn't filter even large dust particulate, let alone plastic nano particles.
Quincy of 3DKitbash.com wrote at 1/16/2015 10:51:38 PM:
I would be curious to see what the filter looks like after 600+ hours of printing. ...If any discoloration is visible. ABS is a concern of mine but there's really very few options for protecting oneself from the fumes.
Bang's Head wrote at 1/16/2015 9:00:00 PM:
Air magically materializes inside to be drawn out ... :) Wait, I need to do the chicken little thing of "OMG, MY PRINTER IS KILLING ME AND THE ENVIRONMENT I NEED TO BUY ONE OF THESE QUICK!!!"... ooorrrrrrr, I can actually think about this for a moment. Quit using super cheap ABS, and you would not have those particle issues as badly. PLA is recycled stuff and is natural. ABS is well, LEGO's. Yes, both have a "smell" to them, and is suggested to make sure when using ABS to make sure you have ventilated area. Beat's their retailing price... WOW... Retailing for 420 bucks (not 250... 250 only "startup price")... really, 5 plexy pieces, a simple PC fan, and a switch for 420 bucks??? Good lord, talk about mark up pricing... sheesh. It's just a way around the little "enclosed printer" patent that the one large company has. Hence reason you only see open air printers.
Bang's Head wrote at 1/16/2015 8:59:06 PM:
Air magically materializes inside to be drawn out ... :) Wait, I need to do the chicken little thing of "OMG, MY PRINTER IS KILLING ME AND THE ENVIRONMENT I NEED TO BUY ONE OF THESE QUICK!!!"... ooorrrrrrr, I can actually think about this for a moment. Quit using super cheap ABS, and you would not have those particle issues as badly. PLA is recycled stuff and is natural. ABS is well, LEGO's. Yes, both have a "smell" to them, and is suggested to make sure when using ABS to make sure you have ventilated area. Beat's their retailing price... WOW... Retailing for 420 bucks (not 250... 250 only "startup price")... really, 5 plexy pieces, a simple PC fan, and a switch for 420 bucks??? Good lord, talk about mark up pricing... sheesh. It's just a way around the little "enclosed printer" patent that the one large company has. Hence reason you only see open air printers.
Vacuums Suck wrote at 1/16/2015 8:11:28 PM:
And where does it draw air in from ?
3Ders.org provides the latest news about 3D printing technology and 3D printers. We are now seven years old and have around 1.5 million unique visitors per month.
