Elegoo Launches its First Filament Dryer, a Single-Spool Box that Heats to 85°C
Priced at $70 and capable of drying the vast majority of filaments for desktop printing, the H1 HT is a standalone complement to Elegoo (and other) 3D printers.
Elegoo is rarely first to new technology, but usually does a stand-up job when it does get to something. The Centauri Carbon was evidence enough of this. In the H1 HT, the company is jostling for a spot on your filament shelf with its considered approach to the single-spool box shape, even if you don’t use its printers.
It’s the company’s first crack at the filament drying conundrum. Launching in a presale phase at $70, the H1 HT is a single-spool sealable box, accommodating 1 kg spools (up to 68 mm width) with automatic winding and a max stated temperature of 85°C.
That headline number is pretty useful and should cover the gamut of “everyday” filament drying needs. It’s just about high enough to bring the upper-end of desktop 3D printing materials – PA, PC, PAHT-CF – into the picture, though we wouldn’t count on it necessarily doing a thorough job. Checking various filament manufacturers’ recommended drying temps for the likes of ASA, PC, and PA, we’re seeing 90-100°C as the ideal temperature range.
The H1 HT ships with eleven material presets in total, along with the ability to tap in your own drying settings instead, all accessible through a 3.5-inch touchscreen display on the front. Elegoo cites the maximum run-time for a drying cycle at 12 hours. According to a press release for the launch, safety considerations include “overheat protection, a flame-resistant inner shell, lid open detection, fan malfunction detection, and audible fault alerts.”
The rest of the spec sheet reads like a considered first attempt rather than a me-too box. In addition to the spool rotating for even drying, there are two outlets to feed filament directly to your printer, the direct, expected route out the back for PLA and other “stiff” filaments, plus a lower-friction lid route for TPU and fiber-reinforced filaments.
Our friends over at TechRadar tested the H1 HT ahead of launch, and found the 85°C figure deserved a caveat, hitting that peak in about eight and a half minutes before settling nearer 77°C and drifting between 75 and 85°C. Genuinely high-temperature dryers run into the hundreds of dollars – expectations tempered, the H1 HT seems to tick the right boxes.
For users of Elegoo’s Canvas-equipped multicolor systems (the upgraded Centauri Carbon machine and the newer Centauri Carbon 2), the H1 HT might not quite be what you were expecting or wanting. Both systems have the filament spools sitting on the side of the printer, exposed to the air. The H1 HT is a standalone, powered system, meaning to incorporate four – one for each of the Canvas’ paths – you’d need four additional power outlets.
The Elegoo H1 HT is available to preorder now on the Elegoo webstore. Shipping is due to follow late in August.
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