In high-performance polymer additive manufacturing, material quality does not start at the extrusion stage. It starts before the material even reaches the nozzle.

For hygroscopic polymers such as ULTEM™ AM9085F, moisture absorbed from the surrounding environment can directly affect the manufacturing process. Even relatively small amounts of moisture can contribute to internal porosity, poor interlayer bonding, dimensional instability and surface defects, increasing the risk of rejected parts and repeated production cycles.

For applications where repeatability and process control are fundamental, drying therefore cannot be treated as a separate preparation step. It has to become part of the manufacturing process itself.

That is the approach behind the integrated drying system of the ARGO 500 HYPERSPEED Mission Ready.

From external material preparation to integrated process control

Traditional workflows often rely on external dryers and separate material-handling procedures. Once dried, however, the material may be exposed again to ambient humidity during storage, transfer or machine loading.

ARGO 500 HYPERSPEED Mission Ready integrates material conditioning directly into the production environment, combining drying, controlled air treatment, material handling and processing within the same workflow. The objective is to maintain controlled conditions not only before production, but throughout the complete manufacturing cycle.

At the core of this system are two technologies:

An integrated high-temperature dryer, capable of operating at temperatures up to 120°C, continuously conditions the material on board the system.

An advanced air-drying unit supplies treated air with a dew point down to −80°C. A dual-membrane filtration system removes moisture from the incoming air before it enters the drying circuit, helping maintain stable environmental conditions around the material.

Rather than drying the filament once and then exposing it again to uncontrolled conditions, the system is designed to preserve material conditioning all the way through production.

Why moisture control matters with ULTEM™ AM9085F

ULTEM™ AM9085F is widely used for demanding applications because of its combination of mechanical performance, flame resistance and lightweighting potential. At the same time, it is a hygroscopic material.

According to the tests, its equilibrium moisture absorption can reach approximately 0.4% under 23°C and 50% relative humidity conditions, far above the moisture levels required for controlled aerospace processing.

This creates a practical manufacturing challenge: material that has been correctly conditioned can begin absorbing moisture again when exposed to its surrounding environment.

An integrated drying and feeding architecture is therefore not simply about accelerating material preparation. It is about reducing one of the variables that can affect the repeatability of the entire process.

Controlling moisture throughout the manufacturing process

Testing conducted by Roboze on ULTEM™ AM9085F demonstrated the ability of the integrated drying system to reduce residual moisture from highly saturated conditions to below 0.01%.

More importantly, the system is designed not only to dry the material, but to maintain controlled conditions during material feeding and production, reducing the risk of moisture re-absorption before extrusion.

This continuous approach turns material conditioning from a separate preparation step into an integral part of the manufacturing process, helping create a more stable and repeatable production environment.

Drying as part of the manufacturing process

In industrial additive manufacturing, repeatability depends on controlling the variables that influence the final component.

Temperature control, extrusion parameters, machine kinematics and chamber conditions are all fundamental. Material condition should be treated in exactly the same way.

By integrating drying directly into the machine architecture, ARGO 500 HYPERSPEED Mission Ready reduces dependence on external drying equipment and uncontrolled environmental conditions. The result is a more predictable material preparation workflow and a more controlled foundation for producing high-performance polymer components.

This becomes particularly relevant in aerospace manufacturing, where qualification requires more than producing a successful component once. Manufacturers need processes capable of delivering consistent results over time.

The drying system works alongside the ARGO 500 HYPERSPEED MR’s heated production chamber up to 180°C, dual high-temperature extruders up to 450°C, and precision motion architecture to create a controlled manufacturing environment from material conditioning through final production.

Building repeatability from the material up

Moisture management may appear to be only one part of polymer additive manufacturing, but for hygroscopic high-performance materials it can influence the stability of the entire process.

Controlling it means reducing the risk of porosity, inconsistent bonding, surface defects and unnecessary rework. More importantly, it means removing another source of variability from production.

With ARGO 500 HYPERSPEED Mission Ready, drying is no longer an external preparation step. It becomes part of a controlled manufacturing workflow designed to maintain material conditions before and during production.

Because when the objective is repeatable, aerospace-grade additive manufacturing, process control has to begin with the material itself.

Want to learn more?

Download the full Roboze white paper, Moisture Control as a Foundation for Aerospace-Grade Additive Manufacturing, to explore the complete test methodology, drying kinetics and experimental results behind the ARGO 500 HYPERSPEED Mission Ready drying system.