I have often had the problem of leaving the Bambu Lab desiccant sachets in the AMS for too long.
As a result, I have already broken an AMS once because the liquid ran down into the housing and onto the electronics.
Now I’ve often seen in videos that people put these orange desiccant pellets in a specially printed compartment for the AMS.
Can you tell me the pros and cons of this and also tell me if there is a specific product (desiccant pellets) that I should buy?
I’ve also seen people put desiccant pellets in a 3d printed part.
Some go into the same position as intended and some add extra in between the first stage motors, at the front.
Some types of desiccant can be put into a microwave and reused
If your sentence is accurate and not just a typo, you’ve got much bigger problems than simple moisture.
To answer your question. Don’t over-analyze moisture remedies. It doesn’t matter if you use desiccated table salt or rice for that matter. So long as the desiccant you’re using is doing the job, then location is irrelevant.
Color changing desiccants are a convenience and I use them all the time. However, weight is a more accurate method.
Perform this simple task to educate yourself. All silica gel can be recharged by drying them. Microwave on defrost cycle can work well and is fast but is easy to overheat if you do it for too long and will cause the outer bag to melt. I prefer putting them in my oven or better yet, in my filament dryer.
Now, the experiment I recommend is to take a brand new silica desiccant. It does not matter what brand; they are all the same, and do not let anyone tell you otherwise. Sand is sand. Buy solely based on price and convenience.
Weigh a new desiccant bag.
Use a pot, large bowl, or sealable plastic container. Find a way to suspend the desiccant bag above the hot water you will be pouring into the container. An inverted small cup or bowl can be used, or you can tie it off with floss or string and tape the string to the side of the container to secure the desiccant from falling into the water.
Pour very hot water into the bottom of the bowl and place or susp[end the desiccant bag on top of the platform. Do not let it make direct contact with the water, although it is a cool effect (it sounds like melting ice).
Seal the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit for 24 hours.
Come back the next day and weigh it. That’s how much water your bag can absorb.
Now, reset the bag using your preferred method and weigh it. That’s how much moisture you can expect to remove from the silica. It should be the same as when it was shipped to you.
If you want to get fancy, you can place a hygrometer inside the container to measure the RH but that will only assure you that it’s high humidity.
As an added measure, you can also verify how much water is absorbed by weighing the water before and after. Note that some will escape after you open the sealed container.
Here are two suggested methods from two different makers I’ve used. Ignore the recommendation label of how many bags to use based on volume. That’s pure marketing BS and has no bearing on the amount of moisture in the container, sometimes you’ll need more bags sometimes less. It call comes down to how much moisture the bags have absorbed and if you aren’t using the color changing desiccant, weight is the only other way to determine if the bag is saturated.
The sole reason for this experiment is so that you can prove to yourself, what is bullshit and what is not. It also is a scientific method of proving whether or not the desiccant you’re using is up to the task and how much.
Some desiccant suppliers will provide you with an actual absorption by weight rating which you can then verify.
I buy the Wisedry brand in 20gm. and 50gm. packets and the 5lb. bulk. The 20gm packets fit in the AMS trays. No need to print the inserts. I use the 50gm packets in my spool storage containers. I use the bulk to replenish the “Dry Pods” in the AMS units.
Basically everything @Nebur said, and to point out what you get wit the AMS in those leaky packets ISNT the same as Silca Beads etc - just to be clear, its another compound,. dont try and revistilise them in the microwave etc like we are strating for the Silca Beads.
The problem you reported of it leaking happend a lot when first came out as people didnt realise and itts on the WIKI etc, Good habit to check whether it be any kind of sachet, desicant, loose beads etc - far more regularlly. Everyones “ambient” moisture will be different around the world.
No idea where you are, but this America Amazon link should give you a good idea. https://a.co/d/3YuGWpZ
A 2LBs qty of loose ‘beads’ is more than enough to
Fill 3d printed containters for rear of the AMS where the “satches” your talking about go.
Ffill 4 towers in the front of the AMS that you can 3D Print for additional silica beads.
Fill “Spool weight” holders if you want to even do that , but maybe consider the 3.6lbs or a bit more if you want to realy really do a lot of spoolweights and not change them around etc.
Its rechargable, as everyone has said, so … you dont need to by huge 10,20Lbs amount to have more for next time, or save on shipping bext time etc. and Yes, the “blue” stuff is toxing. Orange-> Green stuff best.
In the middle I have this without beads, but with an hygrometer, and a handy AMS label.
DIsclamier :- I dont know any of these people or recommend their models or links over others that are similar, I just use these and are happy with them for nearly 12 months now.
Note2:- These cheap circle hygrometers are VERY inaccurate and its more of a baseline if things move\change than a specific reading. To be accurate,. look to a proper quality, calibrated hygrometer.
One thing I have used regarding keeping food dry is white rice. Can be recharged in an oven or dehydrator. Excellent results for me. Only issue is my humidity levels are typically below 40%, so not sure how well this would work in highly humid areas. Will have to do a test with it in the AMS when my desiccant gets depleted.
BTW, this would be a suggestion for a Bambu Studio feature. You tell it when you’ve installed / replaced your desiccant and ask it to notify you to check it on a certain date. That way you could dial it in over time for where you live. BS would just need to access the computer clock to be able to do this.
I use the printed trays to hold bulk color changing desiccant as well as the added front desiccant holders with the center also holding an inexpensive digital hygrometer. The orange to green desiccant is less poisonous than the blue to purple and is easier to see the color change. In NE Ohio we can have high humidity during different parts of the year. I usually keep the house around 45% all year through air conditioning during the summer and central humidification during the winter and my AMSs seem to stay at 10% for 3-4 months. When the hygrometer starts creeping up it is time to change it out. Recharging in the oven on a sheet tray is easy - I do use a dedicated sheet pan just in case something harmful leaches out that I don’t want to eat as residue in the next batch of cookies.
“Dry & Dry” [7.5 LBS] Premium Orange Indicating Silica Gel Desiccant Beads(Industry Standard 3-5 mm) - Rechargeable(1 Gallon) https://a.co/d/6AvceYc
Reptile Thermometer 4-Pack Mini Digital Humidity Temperature Meters Gauge Indoor Hygrometer Thermometer AikTryee wiht ℉ for Humidors Greenhouse Garden Cellar Closet Guitar Case https://a.co/d/5nPx2ay
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