Anyone who has ever worked in a manufacturing setting can attest to the fact that there is often dust or fumes in the air that probably shouldn’t be inhaled. A 3D printer shop is no different. Although 3D printing is generally a more user-friendly manufacturing process, it can release particulates and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air that can negatively impact health. These concerns can be almost completely mitigated with proper filtration and air circulation. In order to monitor and control the air-quality systems in our shop, we built this air monitor originally designed by Thomas Sanladerer from Made With Layers (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzFAtCZh_fM).

This air quality monitor uses a custom-designed Printed Circuit Board (PCB), a 3D printed shell, an ESP-32 microcontroller, and various air quality sensors to monitor most pertinent aspects of our shop’s air quality. It also links with smart home devices to activate filter units and air exchangers to maintain air quality in our workspace using ESPHome.

The sensors included in the air monitor are a PMS5003 for particulate monitoring, an SCD40 for CO2 readings, an SGP30 for general VOC readings, a ZE08-CHO2 for formaldehyde readings, and an AHT20+BMP280 combo sensor for temperature and humidity readings. This vast array of sensors allows us to capture a snapshot of the air quality in the shop.

This tool has significantly benefited the air quality of our shop and was a great project to display many of our capabilities. The PCB needed to be populated through soldering, the 3D printed shell is strong but ventilated to allow accurate air readings, and the ESPHome program was customized to fit our shop’s needs. It also just looks plain cool!

– Sam Goin
Founder, Goin Design