Do I need an enclosure?  

RE: Do I need an enclosure?

As PLA is made from plant starch, it is non-toxic and the odor is very mild. From wikipedia: "The monomer is typically made from fermented plant starch such as from corn, cassava, sugarcane or sugar beet pulp." It has a sweet odor. I run mine right on my kitchen table with no enclosure. 

RE: Do I need an enclosure?

Thanks!

RE: Do I need an enclosure?

Assuming you don't have some unusual issue with smells, I'd say you should be fine with PLA and even PETG, I don't find either offensive, though in my opinion PETG has a stronger smell.  Actually I rather like the smell, kinda like baking cookies, not that it smells like cookies, but when you get that smell you know there will be goodies soon.  When I smell printing smells I know some goodies are coming.

Cheers

-Bob

RE:

PLA is generally recognized as the safest with the lowest VOC and microfine particles. But, it really is not known what level is safe over time. Just because it is made from natural sources does not mean it is safe. There is concern about microplastic particles. So, my answer would be "it depends". If you are printing with PLA in a well ventilated area, it is probably OK, but no one really knows for sure. They thought asbestos was the greatest thing in the world until they realized it caused cancer decades later. Almonds are good to eat, but if you could consume pounds of them, you could get Cyanide poisoning.

If you want to print with ABS or ASA, you absolutely should have an enclosure with an exhaust to the outside. I built one out of Lack tables. a very common method, and added an exhaust fan with a hose I stick out a window similar to the roll around air conditioners. I don't use the exhaust and I leave the door open on the enclosure when printing PLA or PETG, but I don't really know for sure that is safe. There are lots of articles comparing different filaments (and some PLAs are worse than others), but no one knows what level is for sure safe. Pretty much, if I can smell something I turn on the exhaust fan, but plenty of things that are bad for you have no odor, so there really is no justification for that rule either.

So, I suppose this has been of little help. An enclosure is certainly nice to have, whether it is needed or not.

Regards,

Mark

RE: Do I need an enclosure?

You'd only need an enclosure for filaments such as ABS or PC etc, which are either toxic or need high temperature and/or draft protection. Of course, an enclosure can also help keep the printers protected from dust and other debris, from nosy dogs and cats, and little children. 

RE: Do I need an enclosure?

Hi Steve, I don’t have an enclosure for my prusa mini that is in the living room, but I personally don’t like being in the same room with the printer for long periods of time. 

Prusament PLA gives me headaches/throat pains if I’m near the printer for longer than half an hour. Now it depends on your sensitivities of course, but even though it’s made with cornstarch, I doubt that inhaling plastic fumes in the long run is 100% safe. So for that reason, if the printer will be in the same room as you, building or buying an enclosure would be my recommendation. Just make sure to ventilate after you open the enclosure doors. 

enjoy your new printer! 

RE: Do I need an enclosure?

Posted by: @twan

Hi Steve, I don’t have an enclosure for my prusa mini that is in the living room, but I personally don’t like being in the same room with the printer for long periods of time. 

Prusament PLA gives me headaches/throat pains if I’m near the printer for longer than half an hour. Now it depends on your sensitivities of course, but even though it’s made with cornstarch, I doubt that inhaling plastic fumes in the long run is 100% safe. So for that reason, if the printer will be in the same room as you, building or buying an enclosure would be my recommendation. Just make sure to ventilate after you open the enclosure doors. 

enjoy your new printer! 

An enclosure is not going to be airtight. Fumes will still get out. If you are bothered by fumes, the enclosure needs to have some ventilation to the outdoors. It doesn't have to be a lot. A 120mm fan computer case fan running slowly is enough, then to a dryer hose going out through a window. It just needs to be enough to create a little negative pressure so the fumes don't come out into the room. If it is too much, the draft and extra cooling could affect the print.

Regards,

Mark

RE: Do I need an enclosure?

By no means trying scare anyone but it is a plastic... and its plastic being melted. VOCs are emitted whether you can smell or not (a lot you cannot sense) may or may not be hurting the human body. I tend to err on the side of caution. If you can filter it out of a window via a simple LACK enclosure, do it.. otherwise you are the filter.

RE:

If you look at the literature, all filaments emit small particles and VOCs. The amount varies and is sometime much higher depending on the additives  (colorants, plasticizers, etc.) which are not published. Upon reading the literature, if you will be in the room with a printer, a vented enclosure is a good idea.

Regards,

Mark

RE: Do I need an enclosure?

Just my 2 cents but I wouldn't bother for PLA or PETG unless the ambient to low (15 is OK 20 is better) when stringing becomes worse. The printer does have a low temp cutoff, not sure what that is with current firmware?

RE: Do I need an enclosure?

As @twan has mentioned, I too find that fdm 3d printing is causing me headaches and irritating feeling in the throat.

Since I got my printer, I faced the very same feeling that also led me to have sudden coughs on every single time that I operated it in my room; irritation and coughing that persisted for a few days afterwards. And I don't print a lot at all but about 1  small print in a week at the most.

I'm no doctor, but cough is a normal protective mechanism of the body when it faces 'intruders' in the respiratory system, trying to expel them out. So personally, I don't need any long research that may or may not come years from now, informing us that being exposed to melted plastic fumes can cause disorders diseases. I just listen to my body and came to recognition that breathing melted plastic fumes is not healthy, period. Or if to simplify it even more:

"For anything that is heated up: if it's not meant for eating, drinking and breathing then it is not good for you."

So what I tend to do is to just send a print to the printer and to leave the room until its done, while leaving a fan running and an opened window to circulate the fumes out of the room. I also put a network camera pointed to the printer which I can connect to from my phone to see the printing progress in case it needs my attention. And I also left a face mask (like the ones we used during COVID-19) that I wear when I'm near the printer when I track the first layer before leaving the room and when entering the room for fine tuning if needed; I don't know how good the mask can protect me from the fumes, but I don't have any more headaches or irritating feeling in my throat. So I surely helps in some amount.

RE: Do I need an enclosure?

This was discussed in another thread:

https://forum.prusa3d.com/forum/english-forum-general-discussion-announcements-and-releases/how-toxic-is-pla-and-petg-printing/

There is a scientific paper referenced there.

It seems that while particles and VOCs from PETG and ASA are low, they are present, and could affect sensitive individuals.

If you really are bothered, a mask does nothing for VOCs. I'd get a real respirator. There are many to choose from, but I do some staining and painting with very nasty stuff and with this paint respirator I cannot detect any odors and the particles settle on the outer filters:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/3M-P95-Reusable-Large-Paint-Project-Respirator-Mask-6311PA1-A/100195886

But, I am really happy with my enclosure vented to the outside. I can definitely tell the difference when printing with ASA. No odor gets in the room at all.

Regards,

Mark

RE: Do I need an enclosure?

There are two aspects, print quality and health. Regarding print quality, enclosures are actually bad for PLA (but one can get good results with very strong ventilation or open enclosure doors), for PETG an enclosure is not necessary but it does actually help having one. For most of the other materials I would say one should definitely have an enclosure, either to reduce warping or to get proper layer adhesion (I look at you ABS and ASA). For those you also don't want to vent too much to not create cool air drafts inside of your enclosure.

Regarding health, an enclosure which is vented to the outside is helpful for all materials, also PLA. But in terms of VOCs, ABS, ASA and Nylon are the worst and honestly I would not print any Carbon fibre material either without fume/particle management.