3D printer soundproof enclosure

How To Soundproof A 3D Printer QUICKLY – Easy Home Soundproofing

Soundproofing a 3D printer isn’t a very difficult task- yet there are so many who never get around to it.

Unless you have a big space to yourself, you might seriously cheese off flatmates and/or neighbours with the incessant noises a 3D printer makes.

Even if that’s not a concern, you certainly can’t leave most amateur 3D printers on if you want a good night’s sleep!

Luckily, there are some really easy fixes that just about anyone can do.

Along with that, I’ll also cover some more involved noise reducing solutions that require a bit of technical know-how.

The simplest way I found online was to just block all sounds coming from the printer by building a box/cabinet to place the printer in or buying one.

You might find it difficult to buy a cabinet that’s just the right size for your printer, though, so you may just have to do a bit of work here.

Going by several accounts online, you can get up to 10 dB reduction in noise doing this- that’s more than 50% noise reduction.

There are 3 things that you should keep in mind though:

First, the cabinet should not be combustible. Most DIYers will use wood , so make sure you use a thick plywood that won’t catch fire easily.  

If you have found a pre-made cabinet, it’s even better if it’s made of aluminum or steel with thick insulated glass.

Secondly, also remember to think about accessibility while buying your cabinet. Ideally, you should be able to open it from all sides so that if you need to adjust or change any part of the 3D printer you don’t have to take it out entirely and then make the adjustments.

Third, you’ll want to read up on the ventilation aspect of your cabinet. My research on this suggests that you don’t need ventilation for all types of builds and having a closed environment could even be beneficial for your build.

Essentially, it all depends on the filament you use and the optimal temperature to use it.

After having gone through a couple of tutorials online to build such cabinets/ enclosures for 3D printers, I realized that there are two things you can do and then forget about the ventilation problem altogether.

Mind you, this requires one to be a little bit handy with tools and electronics, but if you are comfortable doing it, you could:

• • Remove the filament coil and install it on top of the cabinet. You’ll need to drill a hole through a cabinet to allow the filament to feed through.
  • It’s also a good idea to install the stepper motors outside of the cabinet since these need to be kept cool

You can read how this guy ventilated his printer enclosure here.

Some at-home 3D printers tend to vibrate a bit excessively while functioning. The cause could be anything- from loose screws and belts to just a generally inefficient functioning of the 3D printer.

The easy fix for this is to dampen the vibrations by placing some insulation under the 3D printer. You could buy specially designed anti vibration pads such as this one on Amazon, or, if you’d rather not spend money here, try out cheap hacks such as placing a thick yoga mat under the 3D printer, cutting up spare tire tubes from the inside and using that as insulation etc.

The only thing you should keep in mind here is that your 3D printer stays level after placing the insulation under it- otherwise it will definitely affect the accuracy of your builds.

Over time, with wear and tear, the rods that form the X, Y and Z axes accumulate dust, grime and will need to be cleaned as well as lubricated.

Ultimaker, for instance, recommends using a drop or two of sewing machine oil on each rod for this purpose.

There also are some pretty cheap lubricants that you can buy, such as this one on Amazon. While it’s not branded for printers especially, lot of people in the reviews section have mentioned that they use it for 3D printers.

If you are in a pinch and absolutely need some lubrication you can also use WD-40 as it’s usually available in most homes.

WD or ‘Water Dispersant’- 40 isn’t a normal lubricant, rather- is a mix of multiple lubricants along with water repellent substances, among other things. However, most 3D printer owners I came across on forums recommend you avoid it for this very reason- that it also has water repellant properties which makes the dries the surface you put it on.

The stepper motor is a major source of noise in most 3D printers. Within permissible limits, reducing the current being supplied to it will reduce the amount of noise it makes. You will need to fiddle around with the potentiometer connected to the stepper motor a bit for this

In case the above step isn’t enough you might want to consider changing the stepper motor itself. There are quite a lot of  alternatives that provide relatively silent functioning as compared to the default motors in most 3D printers.

The most popular one is the TMC2130 Stepper Motor Driver. It comes with wireless integration, so the best part is that you don’t even need to manually change the resistance values or fiddle with the board at all- it automatically does that and you can monitor it from your computer.

For an in-depth look at the TMC 2130, here’s a video demonstration:

Along with the stepper motor, cooling fans are generally the noisiest parts of a 3D printer. You can easily replace them with quieter ones, such as this one on Amazon

You could buy specific rubber dampeners for placing under each stepper motor to dampen the vibrations, effectively, at the source.

From user reviews online- while most are happy, some of them say that it affects the build quality slightly. They are cheap though, so you could try them out if you wanted. The Nema 17 is the most popular solution.

This is more of a recurring maintenance tip, but you should check each and every screw- if it is too tight or too loose it might be affecting how much noise your printer makes. Similarly you should check the pulleys, belts and tighten them if they are loose.

Here are the few common sources of noise in a 3D printer:

• • Stepper motor
  • Fan noise
  • During X, Y or Z axis motion
  • Vibrations from the frame of the printer

That’s about it, but I’d like to hear from you now. Have you used these tips or any other solution to quieten your 3D printer?

Let me know in the comments!

Some Cool Tips To Reduce Noise – 3D Printerly

3D printers are very useful machines, but they can be a bit of a noise disturbance depending on what 3D printer you have. You’ve probably been thinking about getting a 3D printer and wonder, just how loud are 3D printers?

The average 3D printer is around 50 decibels, which is as loud as a normal conversation. Cheaper 3D printers tend to be the loudest, as well as FDM printers because of all the moving parts. Thankfully, there are many ways to reduce how loud your 3D printer is.

Considering 3D printers usually run for hours on end and maybe even days, it’s important for it to not be too loud. I’ve looked into how loud 3D printers can be, and also found some cool tips to reduce noise so keep reading to found out.

How Loud is the Average 3D Printer?

So as previously mentioned, the average 3D printer is roughly 50db, but this is without using techniques and tips to reduce noise. Some 3D printers are actually known to be relatively quiet.

One of these printers is the Monoprice Maker Select v2. It’s something that will be very hard to hear in the next room over. They can be too loud to have in quiet rooms such as an office or library, but if had this 3D printer in your dining room while you watch TV, it won’t be too noticeable.

It’s important to note that noise sensitivity affects people in different ways, so you should try to be as accommodating as possible.

Creality Ender 3’s are pretty loud on the surface, at roughly 58db (conversation at a restaurant), but when you convert the right parts such as stepper motor dampers and premium fans, it can be a lot quieter.

The Prusa MK3 actually has a silent mode which makes a big difference on how loud it is. On it’s a normal mode, the loudest parts seem to be the fans, which is as loud as a laptop fan at maximum capacity.

The Ultimaker 2 works pretty quietly, with just minimal noise coming from the stepper drivers and fans.
The Flashforge Creator Pro, is the opposite, where it can be heard from the next room, even with the door closed.

The Anycubic i3 Mega has an average of 55db being roughly 3 feet away.

What Makes A 3D Printer Loud?

How loud your 3D printer will depend on a few different things, but it’s mainly based on vibrations.

The main things that make a 3D printer loud are: Motors, fans, bearings and stepper drivers. Cheaper printers do tend to be a lot noisier due to the cheaper mechanical parts and result in more vibrations. A lot of the time, this can be alleviated by changing to better parts.

Most 3D printers are relatively quiet, but are still too noisy to be in the same room with for many hours. The average decibel range of 3D printers is around 40db-55db, but it can get a lot quieter with some basic techniques.

Fans also make a portion of the noise of 3D printers, similar to a laptop fan on high blast. Radial fans seem to be the loudest of fans out there.

FDM printers which are the most popular have several stepper motors in them, as well as many moving parts. On the other hand, SLA resin printers only have a moving build plate and maybe a few smaller bits, but these a lot more expensive.

How Can I Reduce How Noisy My 3D Printer Is?

Many people wonder, “how do I make my 3D printer quieter” because they can be quite distracting, especially if it is operating near you.

If your 3D printer is loud, your best bet is first identifying what is making the most noise. If it is a vibrating noise, find out where it’s coming from then you can narrow down solutions to your issue.

Reducing Noise From A Stepper Motor

A lot of the time, simply replacing a few parts on your 3D printer will quieten it down to acceptable levels. Replacing the stepper driver is one of the main culprits of noisy printers. 

Slowing your printer speed should also reduce how loud your 3D printer gets, so you can do this overnight when noise isn’t ideal in most cases. You do have to know what level you can reduce your printer speed down to, as it can affect how your printer runs. This information should be accessible online on forums or on your 3D printer brand’s website.

The 3D printing community is very helpful, and have even solved this problem for other 3D print artists out there. Here is a link for a vibration dampener for the Prusa i3 Mk2, which attaches to your printer. The comments from people who have used this design give it very positive reviews so I’d give it a go!

Dampers for stepper motors have seen huge improvements in sound reduction for many people, especially with any high-pitched harmonic sounds. A customized design for the Creality Ender 3 has great reviews and looks like it does the job, so you may not have to buy one just yet.

Is Your Cooling Fan Too Loud?

While your 3D printer is working, you can bet your fan will be working too. With cheaper 3D printers, you can expect manufacturers to use cheap parts. A cheaper cooling fan is likely to lead to problems of being loud.

Quieter fans can be purchased and installed to reduce how loud your 3D printer is and they aren’t too expensive either. If you identified your fan as being loud, this is definitely a great solution to this problem.

Reducing Noise From X, Y & Z Axis Movement

I’ve seen someone recommend using thin machine lubricant on your X and Y axis linear bearings. It has to be a thinner grease because a heavier grease will cause your internal bearings to slide instead of roll which can cause unnecessary wear and dirt build-up.

If you do want to use WD-40, make sure it is the White Lithium Grease formula and not the standard formula. The standard formula is too thin and does not act as a brush on type of lubricant. You want to use machine oil on your linear rods and bearings.

Decoupling Your 3D Printer From The Floor

With the vibrations from your 3D printer, it definitely contributes to how noisy it gets. This isn’t an ideal situation if you have neighbors below you because it can really disturb them. This is where decoupling comes in, which simply means to separate it from direct contact.

A quick DIY fix for this is to put a thick yoga mat under your printers to dampen the sound, or even carpet. This does the trick because it absorbs the vibrations below the printer. Some people have put sponges and even foam underneath to get the same result.

You want to make sure whatever you put underneath your 3D printer to dampen vibrations is straight and level. You don’t want your prints being negatively affected by having a slanted print bed.

Using a Sturdy Enclosure For Your 3D Printer

This is hands down, the easiest method to get the best results. Simply having a good quality enclosure for your 3D printer can make it so it is relatively quiet and won’t disturb yourself or people around you.

If you have a printer that’s enclosed, it will absorb some of that noise compared to an open style printer. Some printers come already enclosed, which is great but if not, you’ll benefit from getting yourself one.

If you have an open style printer, the sound can be reduced by getting foam core boards and making a box around the printer.

A basic enclosure you can get is the Creality Fireproof & Dustproof Enclosure from Amazon. One user who got this mentioned that the sound went down about half as loud as it was before, but definitely not soundproof.

You could probably even add some padding to the enclosure to improve its sound dampening effect.

More Useful Tips To Reduce Noise

You can get sorbothane feet, which are small anti-vibration rubber stands to absorb vibrations from your 3D printer. People have reported this working very well to substantially reduce sound.

Another solution is changing your board to a Duet3D board or Soundboard Heat box. These do a fantastic job with dampening loud sounds from your 3D printer.

Regular maintenance of your printer will do wonders to reduce noise, as get the most life out of it. Making sure loose screws are tightened and screws that are too tight, loosened will have a beneficial impact.

I’d recommend getting some sound dampening objects around the room such as heavy curtains, foam pads on the walls, hanging up objects so the noise vibrations don’t reflect too much.

The video below explains how to make high performance sound absorption panels for cheap.

Examples of People Making Their 3D Printer Quieter

Reading around on this issue, there are a few basic examples of people using tips to make their 3D printer quieter. One example is from someone reporting a 50% decrease in decibels after using a good quality enclosure.

Enclosures don’t only block out sounds, but they have multiple benefits such as helping with temperature stability, reducing the risk of physical injury and reducing the spread of air pollutants.

If you have the DIY skills, you can essentially make your 3D printer almost noise-free.

One individual went through many steps with their Ender 3 3D Printer:

• Replaced the frame nuts with square nuts then added on lock washers to prevent rattling.
• Replaced it’s metal bearings with higher quality Dry-Lin Polymer Bearings
• Added EVA anti-vibration pads which are designed to eliminate vibrations coming from motor-driven equipment due to its special composite foam with vibration dampening technology
• Installed cork gaskets on the motors to reduce vibration.

Are Resin 3D Printers Quiet?

Resin 3D printers are usually quiet compared to filament 3D printers, but they do still emit a decent amount of noise from the stepper motors (50 dB). You want to find a resin 3D printer that has quiet stepper motors like the Elegoo Mars 2 Pro, rather than one like the Anycubic Photon which can get loud.

Soundproof 3D Printer Enclosure

If you want to create a soundproof 3D printer enclosure, you can create an IKEA Lack Enclosure or your own DIY enclosure.

Here is a video of the IKEA Lack enclosure.

Here is a video of a DIY 3D printer enclosure.

Summary

With this information, hopefully you’ve learned that you shouldn’t worry too much about your 3D printer being loud. The advised method to reduce noise from your 3D printer is to use a combination of these methods to get the best results.

Get yourself a 3D printer enclosure, get a good quality stepper motor, cooling fan, with a thick yoga mat and make sure your printer maintenance is top-notch!

Acoustic reality suppression device, or music from a 3D printer / Sudo Null IT News

Good day to you, dear geeks and sympathizers!

According to my observations, almost all owners of 3D printers are divided into two groups: those who need it, and those who really need it. It was with the aim of stimulating the growth of the number of citizens in the second group that this publication was written.

Anyone who is interested in what connects a 3D printer and music, why some old sayings have lost their relevance, and how to turn a simple cardboard into a steel blank - welcome under the cut! nine0007
It's no secret that thanks to the efforts of greedy scoundrels effective management and unscrupulous scammers modern marketers, the shelves of audio equipment stores are mostly filled with ordinary garbage, the real technical characteristics of which are skillfully hidden under kilometers of advertising texts with incomprehensible abbreviations and inflated results of some meaningless tests.

What should a lazy and stingy person who wants to buy inexpensive, but high-quality "desktop" speakers do? As in most of these cases, the question already contains part of the answer: the columns need to be done. nine0003

Taking this opportunity, I decided to realize my old dream - omnipolar loudspeakers. These speakers differ from conventional front speakers in that sound waves are emitted simultaneously in all directions with the same amplitude and phase, which in theory should create the most natural sound picture. In its simplest form, this is achieved by placing a diffuser cone on top of the upwardly directed full-range loudspeaker head. The correct calculation of such acoustic systems (hereinafter referred to as AC) is not an easy task and requires serious education in this area. Therefore, I chose the oldest method of conducting research incomprehensible garbage complex processes - empirical. Simply put, you will have to act at random and at random, with alterations and design improvements in the manufacturing process.

The most important component of any speaker, which cannot be modified at home, is the loudspeaker head (hereinafter referred to as HG). Since I decided to make a compact and inexpensive single-way speaker, choosing a head turned into a non-trivial task with many unknowns.

For myself, I have developed the following search algorithm: suitable size - bandwidth - uniformity of frequency response and phase response - nominal resistance - price. nine0003

The leader of the search was the broadband GG FR88EX manufacturer Fountek:

This driver has an aluminum frame and cone, a wide frequency range, smooth frequency response and phase response. All parameters are given by the manufacturer in the technical documentation:

For the speakers, the simplest design was chosen: a cylindrical body, a GG is fixed on the upper end. A sound-diffusing cone should be fixed above the GG. The design of the case is an acoustic impedance panel at the bottom end, loose sound-absorbing material throughout the volume of the speaker. For the case, a pipe made of thick cardboard with a diameter of 125 mm (corresponding to the dimensions of the GG) was chosen. Self-adhesive bituminous vibration-absorbing mats were glued to the inner surface of the pipe, which made it possible to completely suppress vibrations and the boom of the body. The technology is simple: heating the mats with a hair dryer, we roll them with the sticky side to the pipe from the inside using an aluminum “rolling pin”. The hardest part here is finding a woman with a hair dryer. nine0003

Further, highly scientific experiments were carried out. In absolute contradiction to the proverb “Measure seven times, cut once”, diffusers were printed, crushed, cut, melted, thrown away and reprinted for the sake of experimental curiosity. By the way, PETG as a material is ideal for printing experimental parts of the speaker.