it’s really not new information, though, from the beginning anyone who used one of these said it sounded like a vacuum cleaner.
i know not everyone comes to the forums and reads everything, that would be silly to expect (which is why i think glowforge could stand to work on their communication skills, but this is their party and we’re all just guests), but it’s definitely not a surprise.
your comment about the 3d printers is unfortunately another example about how the glowforge really shouldn’t be called a 3d printer; they’re entirely separate beasts with separate needs. 3d printers might require a cooling fan for use from time to time (barring giant industrial models naturally), but because of the exhaust requirements of laser cutters, you really do need a big fan, and there’s basically nothing to be done on the company’s side about noise mitigation if you want to maintain the requisite airflow.
glowforge may still be modifying noise levels, but it’s basically never going to be much quieter than a vacuum, especially if you add the filter to it. i would go ahead and plan for that scenario, and simply be pleasantly surprised if it ever gets quieter, if i were in your shoes.
So the nuisance I am referring to here is a nuisance to the adjacent occupants in our office which is by far the biggest concern for me.
With respect to working in the same room as the 3D printers, the original Ultimaker is more noisy but the Zortrax is really quiet and after a while it just becomes white noise. But neither of them will be heard by the neighbours.
Some 3D printers are certainly more noisy than these models.
We need to see some sound ratings from GF before getting an idea how much of an issue this might be…
OK, so for inside noise (obviously without filter) with venting through the supplied hose to the outside:
This is 3’/1m in front of the unit. This is in a normal house. I chose a-weighted, because I felt like it. The room is carpeted, has a suspended ceiling with acoustic tiles (normal office tiles) and otherwise is probably just like your office.
Now in fairness this is a PRU with a not perfectly sealing lid (and I didn’t put my weight on top, since I was only cutting wood for a few seconds so it might be a smidge louder even than normal). And before @palmercr jumps on this as being non-scientific, I’m standing here in pajamas and my coffee is brewing, so that’s what I can accomplish at this hour…
So, referencing the chart, the Glowforge at 75dB is just over 1/3rd as loud as a vacuum cleaner, assuming everybody has the same vacuum cleaner as a reference.
not quite. loudness is, as that implies, subjective. 10dB is roughly equivalent to doubling.
when it comes to speakers and audio, it’s generally suggested that a 6dB increase ups the loudness by about half. assuming an average of five here, a bit less, but for ease of math lets say that the laser is roughly 67% as loud, but given that there are peaks of 90 in there (i know, i know, moving around), potentially quite a bit louder on occasion.
and of course, this is without the filter running; i’m not sure there’s been any suggestion anywhere about how the filter affects the overall sound (it might not make that much of a difference; i guess it depends on the extent to which glowforge has to add additional boosters to go through the filters).
Well actually there is so little low frequency that dbc likely is identical. As a former sound engineer a long, long time ago, some things it makes a huge difference (like when I worked a few shows for the Kodo drummers, man plaster was raining down, but A vs C was like 20-30db different… In that case about half the sound was probably perceived by your colon rather than your ear drums…
The sound of the Glowforge was not something I considered when I made my purchase. I envisioned it in an office or public room.I quickly learned in the forum that sound was something I had to consider, especially as I looked at YouTube videos on laser cutting, exhaust and air assist. As the first few months of the fall of 2015 gave way to the new year of 2016, I had learned enough to understand that smell and sound were things to consider in placement. There are objective physics and chemistry here, but there is also a lot of subjective experience.
At BAMF I talked to a lot of people about the smell and the noise and whenever I discuss it with people, especially asking them what is their use case and potential location, these are very practical issues. So asking how to mitigate, understanding the challenges of dealing with sound and smell, and making practical decisions are part of the conversation.
Until we have some data on the Glowforge filter, there is a lot of FUD to deal with. Kind of hard to prepare for smell and sound without it.
I note that on the Glowforge FAQ, it does not discuss sound or smell. Here is the text from the front page regarding the air filter:
The unique Glowforge Air Filter lets you put the Glowforge anywhere, no matter what material you’re cutting. It snaps right under the Glowforge and makes it just 7" taller. It’s $750. Alternately, you can use the Basic model near a window with the included duct.
The smell doesn’t bother me at all and never did, except immediately after opening after a natural rubber engrave. I do have people who visit and they note the scent of Glowforge pretty quickly. I vent out a window. No one has had to leave the room because of the smell yet, and I have some pretty sensitive family members. The sound seems to not be a big issue, except that it makes me talk louder and I talk very loud, using my preaching voice out of habbit. So they tell me to speak more softly.
But how this would work in an open area in a house where people might be watching TV or cooking dinner? Could be interesting. As to sound, I liken it to my KitchenAid mixer. You don’t mind it working, but you are relieved when it stops.
FWIW, I’m highly sensitive - even brief exposure to perfumes and such can be migraine triggers for me. With that said, the only time that the smell from the GF really bothers me is if I am doing an extended period (i.e - several hours) of leather cutting. Even so, I’m fine after a quick break outside.
The sound level is similar to that of a vacuum cleaner. One of my dogs is terrified of the vacuum (or any other loud machinery) and even she has grown comfortable being in the same room as the GF when it’s running. She still hides from the vacuum, though The only time we’ve had a noise issue with the GF was when hubby decided to watch a movie on his computer (which sits right next to the GF) while I was using it. Even with headphones, the laser was too loud for him to sit right beside it and watch a movie … so he simply went to another room.
Again, I’m highly sensitive to sound and scent, so I’m looking forward to my pro w/filter in hopes that both factors will improve. Until then, the PRU vented out the window is not too loud or smelly for my tolerance level. YMMV, but I do tend to be fairly wimpy on both counts, and neither have been especially bothersome for me.
Dogs (at least mine) are weird. They are freaked out by the vacuum, yet I have to shoo them out of the way when cutting the grass, or blowing snow. The Glowforge sounds like a vac, but doesn’t bother them a bit.
Perhaps they hate the vacuum because it captures a bit of them each time it runs. Actually, a whole lot of them via their hair (I have Golden Retrievers). It might be like the superstitious folks that think a photo captures a bit of their soul.
The only time we’ve had a noise issue with the GF was when hubby decided to watch a movie on his computer (which sits right next to the GF) while I was using it. Even with headphones, the laser was too loud for him to sit right beside it and watch a movie … so he simply went to another room.