Noisy XL  

RE: Noisy XL

I have had this issue as well, see this post for some of my issues. The source, to my understanding is from the X and Y movements but the really annoying part is from the tool heads acting like speakers for this noise. You can validate the X and Y source by moving the control with no tool loaded (you should hear the noise to some degree) and you can validate the tool heads by pressing lightly on the left side (when facing the front of the machine) of each tool head when in use and hear much of the noise diminish. This does not include the high speed movement noises which I do not thing will be 'solvable' short of a completely different stepper solution and the elimination of the belts. For what it is worth I will be adding foam to the inside of each tool to muffle the speaker effect shortly and will report back on that. 

RE: Noisy XL

Here are the steps I took to reduce noise level. In total they substantially reduced the total volume of noise by over 80% (perceptual, not db).

1. Built the EnXLosure
2. Placed sound deadening mat on ( https://a.co/d/eDgYjG8)
   1. Inside rail covers
   2. Bottom panel
   3. Back side panels
   4. Rear panel
   5. Top rail covers (where EnXLosure top cover rests
3. Placed a strong rubber band around the extruder assembly case
4. Attached dual level vibration deadening foot pads

The impact of these steps was to reduce most vibrational and ambient noises from turning the XL into a giant speaker

The remaining culprit is still the extruder stepper motors when the model to print is circular or has long straight edges that are positioned 45deg to the build plate. It's especially problematic for hollow models as there are double the perimeters printed. For these builds, both stepper motors are working at full tilt and set up harmonic vibrations when the x/y motions are roughly equivalent in absolute scope. The only solution I've found for this is to reduce the external and standard perimeter speeds. The vibratory noise mostly goes away at 35, so it slows the print times down quite a bit. But, it is only with those types of models (circular or at an angle) where that speed reduction needs to be implemented. For most other prints (irregular, square in line with bed, etc) I stay with default perimeter speeds.

I chatted with Prusa and they advised using input shaping profiles, but that didn't help the last issue discussed above. They said the XL is just a noisy machine. I'll keep looking for tweaks to further reduce noise. I tried reducing acceleration for perimeters but that didn't help. Your mileage may vary.

RE: Noisy XL

Interestingly, I exported a small model using the default Input Shaper properties. The model was a circle, so it maximizes the noise from stepper harmonics. As typical, the noise was a sinusoidal 'wave' which was louder when both steppers were at their max movements. I used the tune menu to change the print speed from 50% to 200%. At 50% the 'waves' were quieter but still exhibited the that grinding sound we all know. When I raised the print speed to 200% the harmonics exhibited less of the 'wave' undulations and were more consistently loud as there was less time between 45deg passes. My next trial will be using a really high speed for the perimeters and Input Shaper defaults for the other elements. I've already tried reducing the perimeter speeds, which works if they are reduced from 70 to 30 or so, but that really lengthens the print times.

RE:

have you tried that ?

RE: Noisy XL

Yes. As mentioned above I placed a strong rubber band around the extruder covers. I also applied sound mat to the inside of the dwarf board front cover and placed foam earplug wedges inside the back cover. However, about a week later, I found some of the butyl rubber (sound proofing mat) on the build plate. I don't know where it came from, but I stripped out all of the mat from the dwarf board cover and the rail covers. At 40C the butyl rubber gets quite soft. I left the sound mat on the main enclosure panels. The printer is a little louder now. It's an odd thing in that I have the perimeters set at the same speed (outside vs inside) but the loud stepper noise only occurs on the inside perimeters.

RE: Noisy XL

https://www.printables.com/fr/model/688831-prusa-xl-series-front-antivibrationsupport-3030-pe

may also help (I am printing it)

RE:

It's sad that the community still has to make such improvements to a printer in this price range. That shouldn't really be the case for this price.Are you sure that your extruder might not be causing the problem? So that it vibrates abnormally, causing all the plastic parts and covers to vibrate too much and thus become too loud?In other videos where you can hear the XL printing, it is much quieter than yours. I find that quite I find that quite confusing.

RE: Noisy XL

I have the feeling that one of the worst culprits is the black plate on them bottom of the printer, for testing reasons i just put a box of filament onto it and it seems to help alot ( yet its awefull)

What is the most unnerving part about it, is that it is completely changing from second to second.... 3 axes may almost be silent, but one is so loud that you can technically not stay in the same room....

RE: Noisy XL

My XL is noisy, too. My old 350€ "Artillery Sidewinder X1" is extreme silent. Or in other words, the 4000€ XL is incredibly loud in a lot of cases.

This brings me in a bad situation with my neighbors.

RE:

I am also trying to find out where this resonance in the video comes from. In my test print here, there are already silicone pads in several places in the extruder and aluminum butyl is stuck to the underside of the large sheet at the bottom. This resonance is strongest at 60mm/s, which you can hear in the video.
No matter how and where I push, pull or hold the printer during the test, nothing seems to dampen this resonance. I can't locate where it's coming from at all.

Does anyone have an idea?

RE: Noisy XL

That sounds exactly like the problem I have with my Mk4. Do you have this with every extruder? Or only with one/specific extruder?

Posted by: @extrutim

I am also trying to find out where this resonance in the video comes from. In my test print here, there are already silicone pads in several places in the extruder and aluminum butyl is stuck to the underside of the large sheet at the bottom. This resonance is strongest at 60mm/s, which you can hear in the video.
No matter how and where I push, pull or hold the printer during the test, nothing seems to dampen this resonance. I can't locate where it's coming from at all.

Does anyone have an idea?

RE: Noisy XL

No, no real idea, but i have exactly the same sound when the printhead is moving forward!

RE: Noisy XL

That sounds exactly like the problem I have with my Mk4. Do you have this with every extruder? Or only with one/specific extruder?

This occurs with all extruders.
I would like to have the printer perform these movements without the extruder, but my knowledge is not sufficient to implement this. ^^

However, a firmware update is on its way which I hope will prevent this resonance from occurring.

RE: Noisy XL

I have the same problem:

With the MK4 I had it, too and blamed the bearings.
But with the XL we have linear rails. So this is not the cause.

RE: Noisy XL

Here is my print project to the video above.

RE: Noisy XL

In my observation the noise may be coming from the tool head but the tool head is acting like a speaker. I can run the empty tool holder around and get the noises from the body of the printer which means that the source of the vibration is in the X/Y assembly. When you add a tool, it just gets amplified. So, per one of the videos above, modifying the tool head and housing does help with the noise but it only seems to be treating the symptoms, not the source. 

Fingers crossed for a firmware update that allows some kind of testing and tuning to help avoid these resonances, ala Bambu's recent anti-noise work. 

RE: Noisy XL

@1Eye: You can wait a long time at Prusa for this. They are more likely to tell you that the vibration is normal and that you should put some insulating material or a stone plate under the printer.

RE: Noisy XL

I downloaded your model and this is what I observe using OPXL2H, input shaper, .32 speed...everything else default profile. I didn't know the infill you used so I chose cubic.

Good News, everyone!

I got an e-mail from Prusa saying the are on the way to fix this.

------------------------GERMAN--------------------------

Hallo xxx,

vielen Dank für deine Nachricht!

Ich habe gute Nachrichten für dich zu diesem Thema:

Wir befinden uns aktuell in der Endphase der Entwicklung einer neuen Firmware-Funktion - ein Projekt, an dem wir über zwei Jahre lang gearbeitet haben und das darauf abzielt, Resonanzen bei bestimmten Druckbewegungen zu dämpfen.

Diese Funktion, die ursprünglich im Rahmen unserer Untersuchung des recht bekannten "602"-Problems zur Verbesserung der Druckqualität eingeführt wurde, reduziert auch die Geräuschentwicklung des Druckers erheblich. Wir hoffen, die erste öffentliche Alphaversion in ein paar Wochen veröffentlichen zu können.

Die Ergebnisse sind aktuell bereits extrem vielversprechend und ich hoffe, dass der Großteil aller Probleme mit Resonanzen damit behoben wird.

Freundliche Grüße

xxxxx

Technical/Customer Support (EN/DE)

--------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------English----------------------------

Hello xxx,

thank you for your message!

I have good news for you on this topic:

We are currently in the final stages of developing a new firmware feature - a project we have been working on for over two years that aims to dampen resonances during certain print movements.

This feature, originally introduced as part of our investigation into the fairly well-known "602" issue to improve print quality, also significantly reduces printer noise. We hope to release the first public alpha in a few weeks.

The results are currently extremely promising and I hope that the majority of all problems with resonance will be resolved.

Best regards

xxxxx

Technical/Customer Support (EN/DE)

--------------------------------------------------------------