top of page

Fume Hood Ventilation System

fume hood 3.jpg

Background

Designed and constructed a fume hood ventilation system to fumigate harmful volatile organic compounds (VOC's) produced by PETG, ASA, and PLA plastics in the office’s 3D printing environment.

​

Problem

When filament is being heated to the desired temperature, it releases these VOC’s that can stress the immune system and cause respiratory ailments on a large scale. As a company that is constantly prototyping, we run the risk of being exposed to these VOC’s, so creating a closed environment with ventilation for the 3D printers needed to be implemented.

Solution

A multipart 3D printed fixture (Fume Hood Fixture) was designed to hover over each nozzle to capture the fumes being emitted; selected dust collection tubing and connections to be used to guide the fumes out of the 3D printing environment. The environment is enclosed by 4 plastic panels that adhere to the metal frame where the printers are placed. The front panel is removable and secures to the frame via magnets.

​

Note: The Fume Hood Fixture was split into 5 parts so that it could all fit on one build platform. The fixture was too large to print as a single unit. 

​

Features:

fume hood.png
Loft (Vacuum) Feature
Bottom Block
Sweep Feature
Spool Holder Extensions
Features of Fume Hood Fixture 

  • Spool Holder Extensions: Designed the extensions to hold 1 filament spool.

  • Sweep Feature: Designed this part to ensure that the filament spools do not come in contact with the fixture so they can freely rotate and dispense material while printing. Maintains a constant 2-inch circular profile for the tubing to be connected to.

  • Loft (vacuum) Feature: Inspired by the design of vacuum cleaner, designed a loft that was used to maximize the volume of fumes being captured. This feature clips into the railing of the 3D printer and sits above the nozzle of the printer. It spans the length of the printer and the width of the nozzle.

  • Bottom Block: Designed block to secure the fixture to the railing of the printer. Has 3 through holes for M5 screws to be places and secured by hex nuts.

fume hood 3.jpg
Tubing 
Ventilation Connector
Wye Connector
Features of Fume Hood Ventilation System
fume hood 5.jpg
Gate
Features of Fume Hood Ventilation System Cont.
Constructed Fume Hood Ventilation System using the following components:

  • Tubing: Properly guides the fumes throughout the system to the vent. Is secured by tubing clips to prevent leakage of VOC’s.

  • Wye Connector: Joins the two pathways. The wye connector is secured to a 3D printed ‘ventilation connector’ which secures the system to the vent.

  • Gates: Two gates are secured to the top panel which connect to each fume hood fixture. These gates can be open or shut, pending if the printer is running. The gates should remain shut when the printer is not in use to keep heat inside the environment.

​

Additional Benefits: Since the system is enclosed, the printers create a heated environment warm enough to accommodate materials such as ASA. A warmer environment enhances the bonding capabilities of this material.

bottom of page