Using your spool dryer to prepare material for extrusion is simpler than you might think.

We’ve created a sort of basket for you to use to contain the material without it coming into contact with the dryer’s heating elements. Simply download and print this model to obtain a basket capable of holding one kilogram of material. We used the Sunlu S2 dryer as a reference model, as it is one of the most widely used and capable of reaching higher temperatures. The basket is designed in the shape of a standard spool, so it should be able to fit into numerous other models without much trouble.

The printing instructions are very simple; the number of solid layers at the top and bottom of the model should be set to 0, with a grid infill above 60%. For optimization of printing times, we recommend setting the number of perimeters or shells to 4 so that you have a completely solid model that doesn’t require infill.

For how long and at what temperatures should I dry the material?

As mentioned, using a coil dryer will allow you to reach a maximum temperature of around 65°C, which is sufficient for drying PLA and PETG. The quantity of material plays a crucial role in the definition of the drying times.

Theoretically, a couple of hours at 60°C should suffice for drying PLA. However, you must consider that the shape of the basket and the lack of ventilation inside the dryer will result in significantly longer times. For PLA and PETG, we recommend at least 8 hours of drying at 65°C, and if possible, occasionally stirring the material.