A Filament Supply System Capable of Remote Monitoring and Automatic Humidity Control for 3D Printer

Abstract

In this paper, we suggest an edge computing system for 3D printers that can monitor and control the relative humidity inside the filament supply. To this end, we studied changes in the stress-strain curve from a 3D-printed object owing to the humidity-sensitive characteristics of the polylactic acid (PLA) filament. The filament supply system is equipped with a relative humidity and temperature sensor and a photo interrupter in order to obtain data; a server is implemented using a Raspberry Pi to remotely monitor the temperature and humidity inside the filament supply and to monitor its state. In addition, a humidity control system (manufactured using a Peltier module) allows users to remotely control the humidity level inside the supply system. In conclusion, an integrated monitoring system was constructed with a filament supply system and the abovementioned functions, and was then integrated into an existing 3D printer monitoring system. This monitoring system can be used to constitute a stable environment for research on 3D printers.