Soundproof enclosure (cabinet/box) for a 3D printer
Table of contents
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Why do I need soundproofing for my 3D printer?
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Soundproofing and vibration reduction for a 3D printer
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Enclosure ventilation and cooling of the 3D printer's electronic components
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3D printer noise measurements after applying noise-reduction measures
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Optimizing the interior of the 3D printer soundproof enclosure
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Other useful information
Why do I need soundproofing for my 3D printer?
The Bambu Lab A1 is very fast yet quiet (if not the quietest) compared with competitors and higher-end Bambu Lab models. The manufacturer claims a noise level of 48 dB(A) after noise and vibration calibration of the printer and turning on Silent mode.
In my case, the printer is located in a living room, so its quiet and fast operation is a key factor in my purchase.
Indeed, Silent mode noticeably reduces noise during printing, but it also reduces print speed by 50%. One benefit is improved print quality.
The fan is also noticeably noisy while printing supports.
But even in Silent mode, the printer noise turned out to be unacceptably high for me. It distracts me from reading and watching TV.
A way out of the situation would be to print at night behind a closed door in Silent mode, but it is inconvenient, and I did not buy a high-speed printer to print slowly, so the noise problem had to be solved.
Additional benefits of using an enclosure are:
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The elimination of air drafts, which can negatively affect print quality by reducing bed adhesion and causing warping
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It also helps reduce dust buildup on your printer - especially the extruder, which can lead to clogs over time and the need for a relatively involved cold-pull cleaning procedure.
Soundproofing and vibration reduction for a 3D printer
The soundproofing solution is simple at first glance - it is necessary to place the printer in a separate enclosure closed from all sides. The problem is that I was considering only standard IKEA furniture for the enclosure, as investing in custom-made furniture specifically for the printer was beyond my budget.
I also wanted to make a solution that could be replicated by another person, so I had to use widely available standard furniture components.
Also, the enclosure had to be compact, as I have very limited space in my apartment.
After studying the IKEA furniture catalog, it turned out that none of the fully enclosed cabinets from IKEA were suitable due to the size (maximum internal depth is 53.5cm), because the print bed moves, and you need to provide additional space behind the printer to connect the cables. It was literally a few centimeters short. Turning and placing the printer at a 90-degree angle in the enclosure would make the printer awkward to work with, and I also needed somewhere nearby to place the AMS Lite system for multicolor printing.
A search on Reddit led me to an article with a very good idea for using furniture from IKEA METOD kitchen range, which is just a little deeper than standard cabinets (For the US market, the very similar SEKTION series is slightly narrower but has the same depth). The downside of using floor-standing kitchen furniture for this purpose is that IKEA METOD cabinets have no “ceiling”. These cabinets require the installation of a custom countertop on top, which is expensive and takes time to order.
But the dimensions of the cabinet (80x60x80cm, internal depth 58cm) were perfect for my purpose, and this cabinet was taken as a basis for the future soundproof cabinet.
For the enclosure, I chose IKEA ENKÖPING glass doors (40x80cm) to provide visual observation of the printing process.
I bought 2 sets of 2 IKEA UTRUSTA 110° door hinges and 1 set with 2 IKEA KALLRÖR 213mm steel handles (installed by drilling the doors).
In order to achieve success in creating maximum noise insulation, the installation of the cabinet alone is not enough, so I additionally purchased automotive sound-deadening sheets (6 sheets, 70x50cm) made of butyl rubber (Alubutyl), which were applied to all cabinet surfaces, including the doors, except the glass.
Additionally, to reduce low-frequency noise and vibrations, a sandwich of two materials of different densities was installed under the printer: compressed rubber and foam sponge. I wrapped the sandwich in film as the rubber was emitting an odor.
It is considered more effective for noise insulation purposes to place the sandwich with the denser part facing upwards.
The issue with the “roof” (top cover) of the cabinet was solved by installing the simplest flat door without any decorations, IKEA VEDDINGE (60x80cm), which perfectly fit the dimensions. I screwed it with 4 screws (12-15mm) to the metal rails of the cabinet, which contained holes intended for attaching the top panel.
In addition to the cabinet, I took the IKEA UTRUSTA (80x60cm) shelf (a set of 2 pieces) and installed one shelf inside the cabinet, thus raising the height of the printer, which not only increased the convenience of working with the printer but also allowed me to use the resulting compartment to store accessories and filament and also hide the cables.
I put the second shelf on the floor, in order to improve noise insulation and raise the height of the whole cabinet a bit.
Additionally, for noise insulation, I used IKEA STOPP FILT non-woven material, putting one layer on the floor, another layer between the shelf (on the floor) and the cabinet, as well as on the inner shelf.
I also put one additional automotive sound-deadening sheet between the shelf on the floor and the cabinet.
I rotated the cabinet's back panel 180° (square holes located down) to hide the two square holes behind the shelf, and used one of them to put the power cable inside.
Another additional soundproofing element used was the TESA rubber seal E-profile installed around the perimeter of the cabinet on the door side. It is used to eliminate gaps between the door and the cabinet. 3 meters of double profile were used.
Inside the cabinet, in addition to the Bambu Lab A1 printer and AMS Lite, you can see the following objects in the photo below:
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The rectangular white plastic frame on which the AMS Lite stands (model link).
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Low-profile grey stand for AMS Lite (model link) instead of the original stand.
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DryBox for two spools (it is located under the AMS Lite inside the frame). DryBox is based on the IKEA 365+ 10.6L container (model link).
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On the left side of the printer on the cabinet wall, white panels compatible with the IKEA SKADIS system (model link) are screwed with 3.5x25mm screws. Two rows of panels of the following dimensions (Width x Height):
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first row: 3x7, 11x9, 11x9
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second row: 6x11, 5x11, 7x11
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At the left side of the printer, near the bottom, is a compact wastebasket for collecting print waste (purge). The wastebasket does not block ventilation holes. (model link)
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Behind the printer, there is a shelf (model link) with a 1-spool DryBox based on the Vtopmart 4L container (model link). A Sunlu S2 filament dryer can also be installed on this shelf, or this dryer can be placed on the main cabinet shelf in front of the 2 spools DryBox.
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Also, behind the printer, a square of white PTFE film is glued on the wall to reduce the friction of the cable connecting the printer and the hotbed against the cabinet wall.
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Containers for small accessories are mounted on the IKEA SKADIS-compatible panel (model link)
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Adapters for AMS Lite to SUNLU/JAYO spools (two types: spools that can be disassembled and spools that cannot be disassembled).
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Xiaomi thermometer-hygrometer is mounted on the glass of the cabinet door in the upper left corner. A great quality model with a mobile app. I install these hygrometers in all my DryBoxes and monitor the humidity through the app. You may observe humidity and temperature in dynamics by looking into history. The temperature inside the cabinet at the time of printing did not rise above 39 degrees in summer and 31 degrees in winter. The maximum difference between the room and the inside cabinet temperature was 13 degrees.
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Lighting is made by installing a high-quality LED strip (Auxmer 12V 4000K 95CRI 14.4W/meter) with a length of 40cm. The stated wattage of the strip is correct, and the 40cm strip requires 6W at 12V and 4W at 11V. The LED strip is powered by three Li-Ion batteries Liitokala 18650 in series with built-in BMS protection. Batteries were installed in the holder. Alternatively, I can connect a holder with four AA batteries with a boost module that increases the voltage up to 12V. The light is switched on with a push button wired in series between the LED strip and the power source. The LED strip is installed on two rails with a 45-degree inclination (model link). Rails were printed using PETG, as PLA becomes softer when the temperature increases. I modified the model, setting the height and width to 12mm, as the original rails' dimensions were too tight for the LED strip.
I installed a printer build plate holder on the outside right wall of the cabinet (model link).
On top of the cabinet (you might have seen it in the first picture at the beginning of the article), there are 2 spool holders for 6 spools each. You can also place another 6 spools on top of each of them (model link).
Enclosure ventilation and cooling of the 3D printer's electronic components
Despite the fact that the temperature in the soundproof enclosure during printing (including a long time of more than 9 hours) did not exceed the room temperature by more than 13 degrees, I decided to improve the design of the enclosure and add the following changes:
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Installed Noctua NF-A6x25 (60x25mm 12V) fan in the hole in the lower left corner of the enclosure (having previously widened it). The fan is mounted on a platform (model reference). The fan is screwed to the platform with 2 M3x12mm bolts. Used 2 bolts instead of 4 to place the platform close to the wall without air gaps.
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Installed 3 Noctua NF-A4x20 (40x20mm 12V) fans on the printer case near the vents. One on the inlet (right) and two on the outlet (left). The vents on the left are wider, so 2 fans are installed there. I installed the exhaust fans on the left to avoid drawing in printing debris, because the wastebasket is on the left and the printer cleans its nozzle there. The fans are screwed (I used screws from the fans' boxes) to the platform (model reference), which is attached to the printer. To the fan that is used for air intake (on the right side of the printer), I installed a protective cover (model reference), which is screwed on with 4 M3x10mm bolts. Installing two fans on the left side required using a smaller wastebasket. The corresponding modified model is published in a separate print profile here.
The Noctua fans were chosen due to their high performance and, importantly, low noise, which is a crucial factor for this printer soundproofing project.
When running at full power, the Noctua NF-A4x20 fans are completely inaudible with the enclosure doors closed while the printer is running, whereas the Noctua NF-A6x25 is noticeable because it exhausts air outside the enclosure. To reduce its noise, I connected the Noctua NF-A6x25 through the L.N.A. adapter (Low Noise Adapter) supplied with the fan. The L.N.A. adapter reduces power, speed (and performance) by about 1/3 but noticeably lowers the noise level. This kept the noise level unchanged at 1 meter - 36.5 dB(A). At 2 meters, noise increased by only 0.4 dB(A), to 36.32 dB(A), compared with the configuration without fans.
All fans are connected with Y-adapters and one extension cord. All necessary cables and adapters were included with the fans. If you don't plan on using Noctua fans, then you may need adapters and extensions.
The fans are powered at 12V by an AC-DC power adapter.
I also used a DC 5521 plug adapter to connect the fans to the AC-DC power adapter.
To ensure the fans turn on when it's most needed, when the temperature rises, I moved the Xiaomi Mijia Bluetooth 2 thermometer-hygrometer mounted on the enclosure glass in front of the exhaust fans and linked it in the Mi Home app to a Xiaomi Smart Plug 2 Wi-Fi, which powers the AC-DC power adapter. I configured the following automations:
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When the temperature reaches 33 °C, turn on the outlet
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When the temperature reaches 32 °C, turn the outlet off.
In this way, the fans only turn on when the set temperature is reached while the printer is running, and thanks to the shutdown condition, you don't have to worry about turning them off after printing finishes and the air around the printer cools down.
I have empirically determined the specified on and off temperature values specifically for my conditions. In your case, there may be different temperature thresholds as it depends on the thermal insulation of the enclosure, the placement of the fans and the thermometer, the printing conditions, and the thermistor inside the thermometer.
Also, thanks to Xiaomi's advanced scripting (scenario) capabilities for Xiaomi smart devices, you can create a scenario with a scheduled on/off condition, as well as remotely control on/off and monitor humidity and temperature values from the Mi Home app.
The recorded total power of the fans at 12V was 1.7W, of which:
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Noctua NF-A4x20 - 0.4W x3
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Noctua NF-A6x25 - 0.5W (connected via L.N.A. adapter to decrease noise and reduce rotational speed).
Conclusions on ventilation:
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Running the fan Noctua NF-A6x25 to blow air out of the enclosure in reduced power and reduced noise mode (L.N.A. adapter) results in a 1.4 degrees Celsius drop in the overall temperature inside the enclosure. If you are not bothered by the noise produced by the fan, I recommend using it without the L.N.A. adapter. It is not possible to install a larger fan under the shelf, 60mm is the maximum size that fits.
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3 Noctua NF-A4x20 fans are installed for the purpose of cooling the printer's motherboard, providing air circulation. Installation of such fans makes sense because the exhaust-air temperature is 9 degrees higher than the temperature of the air inside the enclosure. This solution definitely reduces the risk of overheating of the printer's internal components.
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The conclusions on the change in noise resulting from the installation of the fans are described below.
3D printer noise measurements after applying noise-reduction measures
I measured the noise of a running printer with the UNI-T UT353BT device. Measurements were taken in 10-minute intervals, and the average value was recorded. During the measurement, I was in another room. The noise values recorded by the device were transmitted via Bluetooth to a smartphone app.
Measurement results at a distance of 1 meter:
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Standard mode: 36.5 dB(A)
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Standard mode with 4 fans on: 36.5 dB(A) (noise level unchanged)
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Silent mode: 35.77 dB(A)
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Silent mode with 4 fans on: 36.17 dB(A) (+0.6 dB(A))
Measurement results at a distance of 2 meters:
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Standard mode: 35.92 dB(A)
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Standard mode with 4 fans on: 36.32 dB(A) (+0.4 dB(A))
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Silent mode: 35.59 dB(A)
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Silent mode with 4 fans on: 36.17 dB(A) (+0.58 dB(A))
The value of background noise in the apartment at night is 35.30 dB(A).
The noise-reduction measures described above produced excellent results. The Bambu Lab A1 can print in Standard mode at full speed inside the soundproof enclosure. The enclosure works so well that from the other side of the room I cannot always hear whether the printer is running, so I sometimes have to walk over and check.
Optimizing the interior of the 3D printer soundproof enclosure
After six months of using the soundproof enclosure, I realized that the space on the right side of the printer was not being utilized effectively, and replacing the far filament spools on the AMS Lite (positions 1 and 4) was inconvenient.
To address this, I found a suitable mount for the motherboard and AMS Lite filament feed system, which can rotate. I mounted it to the enclosure ceiling using 3.5x25mm screws and placed the filament spools on IKEA SKADIS-compatible panels.
This arrangement allowed me to remove the large frame that previously served as a stand for the AMS Lite, freeing up valuable space. With this extra space, I added more dryboxes: one box for two spools and two boxes for one spool each, in addition to the drybox that was already on the shelf behind the printer. I later switched to using four single-spool DryBoxes.
The process of installing new filament spools and connecting them to the AMS Lite is now much simpler. The rotating ceiling mount also makes maintenance easier and allows for quick removal of the AMS Lite when needed.
On the SKADIS panels, I installed a PTFE hub organizer with fittings. This not only eliminates the clutter of filament tubing and strings but also enables direct filament feeding from the drybox without exposing it to air if necessary.
Using easily removable filament spool holders on the SKADIS panels provides flexibility for future redesigns and optimizations. For instance, if you primarily use dry boxes and no longer need all four spools on the SKADIS panel, the freed-up space can be repurposed for shelves or accessories.
3D-printed models and materials used in this upgrade:
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White IKEA SKADIS-compatible panels were printed and attached to the right wall with 3.5x25mm screws (model reference). Two rows of panels of the following dimensions (Width x Height):
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first row: 3x7, 11x9, 11x9
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second row: 3x10, 11x10, 11x10
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DryBox for two spools is based on IKEA 365+ 10.6L container (model reference).
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DryBox for 1 spool is based on Vtopmart 4L container (model reference).
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PTFE hub organizer for 8 fittings (4 at the top and 4 at the bottom) (model reference).
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Spool holder for SKADIS board (parallel to pegboard) (model reference).
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Spool holder for SKADIS board (perpendicular to the panel) (model reference).
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Rotary mount for AMS Lite (model reference). You will need M3 bolts and nuts, you can find them here.
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AMS Lite adapter for attaching PTFE tubes on the filament-feed side. (model reference).
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PTFE tube guides to connect the AMS Lite and printer to protect the AMS Lite mechanism (model reference).
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Swivel guides for filament, allowing for convenient organization of the filament path (model reference)
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Holder for hexagonal screwdrivers (model reference)
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Holder for nut drivers (model reference)
The space optimization described above has made working with the printer and AMS Lite much easier, and I recommend making this upgrade as well.
Other useful information
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I recommend you visit the page about 3D printing. There is a lot of relevant information and links to useful articles, printer upgrades, and accessories.
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You may also find it useful to have comprehensive information on USB fast charging protocols and standards