Controlling Indoor Air Quality in an Additive Manufacturing Laboratory Using Arduino-Based Monitoring

Indoor air quality (IAQ) monitoring was crucial for mitigating the impacts of hazardous emissions from additive manufacturing printers on occupant well-being, particularly in Fab Labs utilizing Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) printers. IAQ parameters, such as temperature, humidity,CO<inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</inf> levels, and total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) index values, were monitored using DHT11 and ENS160 sensors. These sensors were integrated with Arduino Uno microcontrollers and programmed via Arduino IDE and Anaconda Spyder for data logging and processing. A comparative analysis was conducted between chambers with and without a ventilation control system during the FFF printing of ABS filament. Results indicate that the absence of ventilation leads to prolonged elevated TVOC index levels (267 index value) and CO<inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</inf> levels (770 ppm), posing health risks to occupants. In contrast, the presence of a ventilation fan significantly improves IAQ parameters, limiting prolonged exposure to high TVOC index values (218 index value) and CO<inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</inf> levels (715 ppm) at a shorter period. The proposed adaptive ventilation system enables a smart additive manufacturing laboratory that responds dynamically to maintain safe IAQ levels. Proper ventilation control system ensures the emission chamber remains at safe temperature levels, TVOC index values, and CO<inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</inf> levels during FFF printing, emphasizing the critical role of ventilation systems in enhancing the safety of non-industrial facilities such as Fab Labs.