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For a certain kind of intricate, highly-detailed manufacturing, there’s really no substitute for a resin 3D printer, and it’s therefore unfortunate that they require so many poisonous chemicals. The resin itself usually contains irritating acrylates and methacrylates, it can emit a wide spectrum of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during printing, and even the isopropyl alcohol used in cleaning is moderately toxic. [Allie Katz] accordingly built this fume-control enclosure for resin printing and other ventilation-critical processes.
The biggest constraint was space: [Allie]’s workspace had a fairly limited volume available, and the enclosure needed to hold an SLA printer, an isopropyl alcohol washing station, a UV curing chamber, and miscellaneous supplies. Most of the enclosure was made out of IKEA cabinets, using some large cabinets at the base to hold the printer and curing station, a countertop over these to hold the washing station, and more cabinets above to hold supplies. An MDF backing panel and acrylic side panels enclose the workspace between the cabinets. There was no safe way to exhaust fumes, so the enclosure recycles its air: a fan pulls air in through an activated-carbon filter mounted above the work area and into the plenum behind the chamber, from which it passes through the printer’s cabinet back into the workspace enclosure. Panel filters surround the carbon filter to catch particulate matter.
