Dryer
A pellet dryer removes moisture from hygroscopic pellets before printing. It is a separate unit from the printer and is critical for materials like PETG and recycled PLA.
Which materials need drying
Section titled “Which materials need drying”The Ginger Additive D1 dryer is intended for PLA and PETG, including recycled grades with or without natural fibres.
How it works
Section titled “How it works”- The dryer sends hot air into the reservoir / hopper to drive off moisture. It does not blow hot air through a moving pellet bed.
- There is no gravity feed into the printer. Pellets reach the printer the normal way: the G1 feeding vacuum draws them through the white corrugated tube from the dryer’s outlet (the red blower module) whenever the printer’s level sensor triggers a feed cycle.
- In other words, the dryer simply replaces the loose pellet bucket as the source the G1’s white tube draws from — see Vacuum pump and Corrugated tube.
Recommended dryers
Section titled “Recommended dryers”For performance / production, use an industrial hopper dryer with an active drying system (molecular sieve or rotating drum) — passive warm-air boxes are not enough for demanding grades:
- Moretto mini dryers
- New Omap (https://newomap.com/) — e.g. the WD.E 15÷30 series
A capacity of around 20 kg is more than sufficient, because the G1 prints at most ~2 kg/h — even a long job will not outpace a 20 kg dryer.
For an entry-level dryer for PETG and PLA, the Ginger Additive D1 is the native option: https://www.gingeradditive.com/products/ginger-dryer
Drying procedure and temperatures
Section titled “Drying procedure and temperatures”General workflow for any dryer:
- If the material is wet, keep the lower gate (guillotine) closed and let the pellets dry for the required number of hours.
- Open the gate so the feeding system can draw the dried material.
- Leave the dryer ON while the printer is running — drying continues during the print.
| Material | Dryer temp | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| PETG / PCTG | 60–70°C (depends on the PETG grade) | at least 6 h |
| PLA / rPLA | ~50°C | until dry |
| Other materials | use standard datasheet / online values | — |
- PETG: if it still produces bubbles, leave it longer or raise the temperature slightly. If pellets start to aggregate (pack together) in the dryer, lower the temperature.
- If pellets do aggregate, break the clumps up and make sure no compacted blocks remain that could block suction.
Connection to the G1 feeding
Section titled “Connection to the G1 feeding”The dryer’s outlet is the red blower module — this is where the dried pellets fall and where the G1’s white corrugated tube attaches. When the printer’s feeding vacuum is triggered, it draws pellets from this outlet up to the hopper.
- Ensure all tube connections are sealed — any air gap reduces suction efficiency
- The white corrugated tube from the printer connects directly to the blower module outlet
Maintenance
Section titled “Maintenance”- Vacuum filter: clean the feeding vacuum’s filter
- Hopper filter: clean the small filter in the hopper fitting at the extruder — it sits between E04 and E17, where the black gasket is (see Hopper)
- Air gaps: make sure there are no gaps anywhere in the feeding path
- Tubes: check the corrugated tubes are not punctured
- Dryer: check the dryer’s own filters and that there are no blocks of compacted material inside
Storing dried pellets
Section titled “Storing dried pellets”Do not add loose desiccant to the pellets: if air is getting in, the better fix is to seal the path, not to risk contaminating the material.
D1 Dryer — Ginger Additive native model
Section titled “D1 Dryer — Ginger Additive native model”The D1 is Ginger Additive’s own pellet dryer, purpose-built for the G1 workflow. It holds about 25 kg of pellets and connects directly to the G1 feeding.
Physical description
Section titled “Physical description”- Grey metallic body with aluminium profile structure
- Red caster wheels for mobility
- Cylindrical transparent tank mounted on the side (pellet reservoir)
- Red blower module — the outlet where pellets fall and where the G1’s corrugated tube attaches to draw material when the feeding vacuum runs
- Small control panel (front-mounted, with display)
Assembly
Section titled “Assembly”The D1 is delivered on a pallet, partially disassembled. Assembly requires:
- Attach the red caster wheels to the base profile
- Mount the red blower module onto the frame with screws (drill required)
- Cut the white zip-ties from the packaging
- Connect the outlet tube so the G1’s white corrugated tube can draw from the blower module
Temperature settings
Section titled “Temperature settings”Use the same temperatures as above: PETG 60–70°C (at least 6 h), PLA ~50°C. If PETG pellets start to aggregate, lower the temperature.
Contact
Section titled “Contact”Contact Ginger Additive support for D1 availability, pricing, and delivery.