Enclosure: why a printer needs a cover

What an enclosure does

Plastic shrinks as it cools, and cold air makes that worse. In an enclosed chamber the warm air from the heated bed stays around the part, so the surrounding temperature drops more slowly. Air moves less, so an open window or air conditioning does not affect the print (warping).

An enclosure also dampens noise and protects the moving parts from dust and hands. The general principles are described under FDM printing.

Which materials it matters for

ABS and ASA are practically impossible to print without an enclosure, as parts warp and crack between layers (delamination). They are materials for parts exposed to heat or sun, but we do not print them.

With PLA it is the other way round: if the chamber gets too hot, the cooling zone above the nozzle softens and can jam (heat creep). That is why with PLA the door is often opened or the chamber vented. PETG sits somewhere in between: an enclosure helps it, but it is not essential.

Our printers and your model

• Our printers are enclosed. The Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 has a cover, so draughts and temperature swings in the room do not spoil a part.
• Design rules still apply. Long flat parts can warp, and rounded corners (fillet) and a suitable orientation help.
• Materials. If you are looking for a part exposed to higher temperatures, for example in a car in the sun, PLA and PETG may be at their limit. It is better to ask at jakub.novak@boostello.com.

What temperatures an enclosure reaches

A passive chamber, one without its own heating, is warmed only by the heat from the bed. Inside it is typically 30 to 45 °C, which reduces warping of PETG and less demanding materials. Actively heated chambers reach higher temperatures and are used for demanding engineering plastics.

What matters for you is mainly that the temperature inside is even. An overheated chamber is a problem with PLA also because of the glass transition: if the air is close to 60 °C, the part starts to soften.