After a full day of designing, I’ve completed the first beta version of my smart dry box — a sealed storage and heated drying system in one — and it’s working seamlessly with my Bambu A1 Mini. My P1S is paired with the Bambu AMS HT as its dedicated filament drying box, and now the A1 Mini has its own matching filament dryer that can rival the AMS HT —maybe even one step ahead, because my DIY version can dry filament while printing, whereas the AMS HT immediately stops drying the moment a print starts. And in terms of storage seal quality, my DIY dry box actually outperforms the AMS HT, plus it offers more room inside for desiccant packs to keep things dry for longer.
This design also comes with a few standout advantages: First, it requires very few additional materials. Apart from the SONOFF TH Elite I already had on hand (for temperature and humidity control), the core components are just a 150W or 200W PTC heating module, and a turbine fan that supports 110V/220V AC power. The rest is just common stuff — wires, M3 screws, and other basic bits that are easy to gather. The total DIY cost is surprisingly low — my estimate is around ￥80 RMB (Not including SONFF TH16）- just about ＄12 USD, which is far below the ￥880 RMB price tag of the Bambu AMS HT. The cost-performance difference speaks for itself.
Additionally, since there are so few parts, the system wiring is incredibly simple, no electrical engineering background required — if you can twist wires together, you’re good to go.
Thanks to using the SONOFF smart temperature controller at the core, you get a lot more smart capabilities compared to the AMS HT, such as:
- Remote control and monitoring of drying status — whereas the P1S + AMS HT setup still only works via its onboard screen.
- The ability to log and review temperature and humidity history inside the sealed box
- You can set up remote alerts to your phone — get notified immediately if temperature or humidity goes beyond your limits
- It integrates with platforms like Home Assistant or openHAB, so you can customize heating curves or create advanced automation scenarios
So far, I’m really satisfied with how everything’s working. When not actively heating, the system serves perfectly as a sealed filament storage box for the A1 Mini — and it supports direct printing. The sealing is solid, and there’s plenty of space inside for desiccant packs. You can also view the current temperature and humidity, along with historical charts, right on the TH Elite display. When heating is needed, simply enable automatic mode — the system will kick in and maintain a stable temperature based on your settings, all without interrupting your print jobs. I’ll keep using it for a while longer and then put together a separate guide on installation and setup for others to follow.
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