Spool Cover for Enclosures with optional desiccant canisters

cults3d

I designed this cover after leaving a spool of filament on my IKEA Lack printer enclosure's cover for several weeks while I was away working. Upon return, I discovered the PETG spool had deteriorated significantly due to moisture absorption from the surrounding air. The cover is made from 4mm acrylic sheet and features a simple drop-over design intended to protect the spool from temperature and humidity fluctuations in the ambient air. If needed, desiccant can be added inside the cover to maintain a low relative humidity. The framework accommodates my IKEA Lack mounted spool holder, which sits on top of my Lack printer enclosure's lid (see photo). The cover dimensions are 272 x 224 x 280mm (X,Y & Z). Update. I assembled the cover and uploaded a photo of the completed project. Acrylic sheet was purchased from Simply Plastics (https://www.simplyplastics.com/catalog/sheet/extruded-acrylic-sheet/c-24/c-84), costing just over 20 pounds for UK-based individuals. The sheet was cut accurately to the above dimensions, and I highly recommend these suppliers. Looking at the cover on my Lack printer, it appears to need more finishing touches so I'm considering designing a base trim to surround the lower edge where it sits on the enclosure. Additionally, I might design some desiccant holders to fit inside the frame, which could involve modifying two corner frames behind the spool holder and adding a locating frame for neater placement. Update. I designed and built desiccant canisters using the same mounting holes as the original vertical frame members. These should be compatible with existing covers without any modifications required. The 20mm holes in the sides allow desiccant color to be visible, facilitating reactivation if necessary. Desiccant can be charged and emptied via a threaded plug at the base of each canister, which is removable using an 8mm Allen key. Update. I modified the desiccant fill plug (V2.1) as the original hexagonal hole was too tight to fit my 8mm Allen key. The updated design features a 4.2mm radius Hexagon that fits perfectly with my printed parts. I've left the old model file available for those who may have different printer tolerances. Update. I added a funnel to aid in filling the desiccant canisters after growing tired of vacuuming up silica gel balls from the floor each time I changed out the desiccant. The funnel screws into place where the plug was, making it easier to fill and reducing mess. Print the funnel upside down with no support needed.