laser engraver fume extractor/filter

I recently designed a homemade laser engraver smoke extractor/filter, and it works incredibly well 🔥

💸 Why? Because commercially available systems often cost over €300… for essentially a case with a fan and a filter.
🛠️ Budget constraints, a DIY mindset, and a strong desire to create a superior solution at a lower cost motivated this project.

🔍 The principle:
I started with a readily available car cabin air filter. Upon examining its specifications (fine filtration + activated carbon), I realized it offered comparable—if not superior—performance to filters sold for laser engravers.

🧱 I then designed a 3D-printable enclosure to house it.
💨 To enhance odor filtration (acrylic, wood, etc.), I added space for two activated carbon socks, typically used in aquariums.

✅ Result:

• Particles: captured by the cabin air filter
• Odors: completely neutralized by the filter and carbon sock combination
• Adaptability: works with all laser engravers; no special connectors required, simply a Ø60mm (exactly 59mm) inlet, a pipe, a hose clamp, and you’re ready to go!

💰 Budget breakdown?

• 950 g of PLA or PETG (€14) (optimization 28/04/25): SUNLU PLA available here at a very good price: https://www.atome3d.com/collections/filaments-pla-new/products/sunlu-pla-blanc-white-1-75-mm-1-kg?ref=kjubppsu&variant=50798611726685
• 1 cabin air filter (€10–€12)
• 2 activated carbon socks (≈ €2/piece)
  ➡️ Under €35 total for top-tier filtration!

Feel free to ask any questions or replicate the project!

UPDATE 24/04/25: ADDED INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL SEALING PROFILES

UPDATE 28/04/25: SMOKE COLLECTOR OPTIMIZATION, addition of space before the outlet to add a G4 filter using adhesive scratchs. Filament quantity optimization.