Alveo3D, a filtering kit for safer 3D printing at home & office

Alveo3D is a young French company, which has developed a nanoparticle filtration system for 3D printers. Its objective is to reduce toxic emissions from machines by reducing the risk of air pollution when they operate in a very poorly ventilated environments. In the long run, these particles can be dangerous for the health of users. These small filters are mounted on small boxes, also designed by the startup. The entire system is made out of 3D printed plastic elements. They are now available in kit form or ready to use, with boxes that can be customized according to the size of the 3D printer. We met Lucas Martini, the CEO of Alveo3D, to learn more about these solutions.

3DN: Can you introduce yourself and your link to 3D printing?

Lucas Martini

My name is Lucas and I represent Flexee System, the company behind the Alveo3D project that addresses the toxic emissions issue of 3D printers. We are 3 partners behind this project initiated back in 2018. Victor is an industrial product designer and Laurent, is the team’s developer. 3D printing has become an essential tool in our arsenal dedicated to the prototyping of our models and demonstrators.

3DN: Why did you create Alveo3D?

We quickly used 3D printers in small premises such as our workshop or directly at home. We have become aware of the potential danger associated with our machines due to throat and eye irritation, and the worrying smell of melted plastic. We know some makers who have mentioned the same kinds of symptoms especially when using thermoplastics such as ABS or HIPS. Some spoke of headaches and symptoms were more serious in smaller, less ventilated areas. The same descriptions were found on the forums and some participants offered home-made filter solutions.