Is this sound normal when printing?
Hello, first post to forum!
I wonder does my i3 make normal sounds? I have not heard any other 3d printers and reviews claimed that cooling fan is making biggest noise when printing. To my ears the motors moving y- and x-axis make much more noise than the cooling fan. Specially on long curves (e.g. 00:13 and 04:39) they make quite loud high pitch sound. I got the printer as pre-assembled from shop.prusa3d.com.
Please confirm if this sound is normal.
Technical details if they matter: G-code for print was created with Pruca Slicer 2.1.0 rc2 (no difference to 2.0.0 what comes to sounds of printing) with "0.30mm QUALITY 0.6 nozzle MK3" print setting using "Prusament PLA" filament setting (filament used: Prusament Galaxy Black PLA).
I have printed a lot of practice prints in last few weeks (about 30h) to learn how to leave places for hex nuts/other threads and of course to learn what would be best combination between quality and printing speed as I only print large parts. This far everything seems to be working fine. Actually I haven't had yet any issues except that I could not get PLA to stick the textured sheet no matter how many tens of times I wash the build plate, but that is OK as I got textured sheet for PETG printing (I have the smooth plate for PLA).
The part I'm printing is bass reflex pipe/channel for a small subwoofer. This small subwoofer is "proof of concept" for me to study feasibility of 3d printing for real hifi speakers. All info I was able to find was about low quality super small size bluetooth speakers -> nothing to do with real hifi speakers => so I got Prusa i3 and started studying the subject, will be my winter 2019/2020 project. But I'll first print small satellite + subwoofer set, before moving to real speakers.
Samuli
Best Answer by vintagepc:
Silly answer:
It is singing you the song of its people... learn to sing along and your prints will be even better.
Technical answer:
What you're hearing is the amplification of the step/drive signals into the motors. I'm sure you're familiar with the 60 (or 50) Hz hum from transformers or old tube fluorescent lights. Transformers are metal with lots of coils of wire, and there you're hearing the mains frequency in minute vibrations in the windings/laminations. Motors are also coils of wire with magnets and metal. Ergo, they do the same thing with the signals they're given. Since step rates change, drive signals and the frequency change, and this is why it wanders in and out of the audible range of hearing, producing "music". There are numerous videos online of people having actually written programs to take advantage of this and make "music" with motors. e.g. the Floppotron.
RE: Is this sound normal when printing?
My MK3S makes the same sounds when printing curved/diagonal lines, so I guess this is normal 😉
RE: Is this sound normal when printing?
Silly answer:
It is singing you the song of its people... learn to sing along and your prints will be even better.
Technical answer:
What you're hearing is the amplification of the step/drive signals into the motors. I'm sure you're familiar with the 60 (or 50) Hz hum from transformers or old tube fluorescent lights. Transformers are metal with lots of coils of wire, and there you're hearing the mains frequency in minute vibrations in the windings/laminations. Motors are also coils of wire with magnets and metal. Ergo, they do the same thing with the signals they're given. Since step rates change, drive signals and the frequency change, and this is why it wanders in and out of the audible range of hearing, producing "music". There are numerous videos online of people having actually written programs to take advantage of this and make "music" with motors. e.g. the Floppotron.
RE: Is this sound normal when printing?
because the printer is moving in a arc the x and y motors are constantly varying their speeds and some of the step rates are in the audible range
RE: Is this sound normal when printing?
Thanks for all the answers! It seems that this is normal => I can stop worrying about the sound and concentrate to printing instead.
I just wasn't sure are the motors/transformer supposed to be that loud. They make less noise in silent mode but as my prints are all large (and will take tens of hours) I prefer to have the collision detection "on".
RE: Is this sound normal when printing?
By themselves they are not, but in this design they are essentially acoustically coupled to larger items that are able to vibrate and amplify the noise - frame, table it sits on. You're not hearing the motors themselves for the most part, but the vibrations they induce in the rest of the printer and the surface it sits on. This is why you'll read stories about folks putting pavers or other heavy objects under their printers.
RE: Is this sound normal when printing?
Thank you for this post. I experienced the same sounds. I am printing curved lithophanes, hence the extensive singing.
Now where is that paver.....?
RE: Is this sound normal when printing?
I have terrible i3mk2s "songs" as well. I was trying to change modes (tune) for "loud" or "onces" or "silence" but it does not work. Still the same loud song. My other (Creality) printers absolutely silent. Is anybody have an idea how to fix this issue?
RE: Is this sound normal when printing?
I also hear the almost-musical sounds as the printer draws out a circle or an arc. Mine is not loud by any means, however, and I can't hear it with the enclosure closed.
The loudest sound my printer makes is the 'woooosh' when it travels to front-left after the bed leveling and any other longer-distance faster moves. All slower moves when printing are essentially silent except for the circles and arcs.
RE: Is this sound normal when printing?
My Mk2 is making this demonic sound. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
RE: Is this sound normal when printing?
The solution is well known, and affordable.
https://forum.prusa3d.com/forum/postid/432334/
Don’t trust forum advice.