3D Printer Smoke Detector

Projects General Guidance
1

Hello,

I recently took the plunge and picked up a cheap 3D printer. One of the concerns with these printers is they have a tendency to catch fire under certain circumstances. Obviously, I don't want that to happen, so as one of my safety checks, I would like to do the following and would like to hear feedback on feasibility.

I want to use an Arduino + relay shield + smoke detector sensor as a safety shutoff switch. When smoke detector sensor reads above a certain input, shut the relay to stop more power from contributing to the problem. My question is this: I will also have a RPi running separately from the Arduino to perform a different task, therefore I would like to avoid having 3 power cords. To this end, I am wondering if it is possible to run the Arduino, whose relay is between the wall outlet and the printer PS, to run off the 12V output from the Printer PS. To do this I believe I would have to have a "Normally closed" relay so that the circuit is only open when a fault occurs. Question being is it possible to control the power with an Arduino that relies on that power to operate?

2

I don't think it is a good idea to run a 3D printer unattended. And if you are in the vicinity wouldn't it be sufficient to have a regular smoke detector that sounds an alarm?

Also I would be reluctant to rely on any microprocessor for a serious safety-related action unless it is suitably certified.

...R

3

Fair point. Although I didn't necessarily plan to leave the printer unattended, I liked the idea of having that extra layer of protection that would be able to respond quicker than I could. Although through further research I have found that connecting a relay shield to a mains power source isn't the best idea, I would apparently be "solving" a potential fire scenario with a different fire possibility. Because of this, it seems as though the project will be abandoned

4

I do have a smoke detector in the room with my printer. I have lots of arduinos in that room too. but the detector is simply a commercial unit.

5

Another important factor - you DO NOT want a long running print terminated by a false alarm.

...R