Glowforge to emit loud sound at start printing!

[joanmmarchant]

Hello to all Glowforge users.

I have a doubt about the strong sound of my Glowforge when starting a print job.
I have no idea that this is normal or is the beginning of a failure.

The Glowforge take some short time to start a job and in this time emit the loud sound.

I take a video of my Glowforge, thanks in advance for any help you can provide to me.

Video: Glowforge Video

[MechanicalGoose]

The only thing I hear running is the ventilation fan which is normal.

[rpegg]

There is a noticeable vibration sound from the exhaust fan starting at 7 seconds. Possibly due to a build up of gunk on the blades. But might be just a resonance with something else and nothing to worry about. Had to put on headphones to hear it. Is the vibration new? Doesn’t seem to continue once the fan comes up to full speed. Probably just a weird resonance and not a bearing or anything. My opinion. Worth what you paid for it.

[rbtdanforth]

I have had worse on my own machine. The fan is dirty enough to have the weight unbalanced and at certain speeds the unbalance matches a resonance before spinning faster. Sometimes the resonance can slow the fan quite a bit making it take quite a while to get past that point. In any case not good for bearings, so the “joys” of cleaning the fan is now a good time to experience.

Caution: Dirty Pictures....or...How I Cleaned the Exhaust Fan

Update: 12/14/2018: Happily, the Glowforge crew has released an “easier to implement” cleaning regimen for the exhaust fan now…instructions for how to do it involve purchase of a special non-flammable degreasing spray cleanser and use of a special cleaning mode of the software…instructions here: Written up below is the old way that I was doing it…it’s a fairly labor intensive alternative that has worked very well if you are willing to keep up with it as you go along and not let it get …

[joanmmarchant]

@rbtdanforth

Update: 12/14/2018: Happily, the Glowforge crew has released an “easier to implement” cleaning regimen for the exhaust fan now…instructions for how to do it involve purchase of a special non-flammable degreasing spray cleanser and use of a special cleaning mode of the software…instructions here: Written up below is the old way that I was doing it…it’s a fairly labor intensive alternative that has worked very well if you are willing to keep up with it as you go along and not let it get …

I think the possibly due to a buildup of gunk on the blades. This sound or resonance starting after long job.

[joanmmarchant]

I think the possibly due to a buildup of gunk on the blades. This sound or resonance starting after long job.

[PrintToLaser]

A recent inspection confirmed my fan blades stay a lot cleaner after my warranty turned into a pumpkin and I did This.

[stephen4]

Would you please clean and inspect the exhaust by following these instructions:

Remove Hose from Unit
Squeeze the two ends of the ring clamp together and pull the clamp and the hose away from your Glowforge to remove them.

Vacuum Exhaust Connections
Use a vacuum to remove dust and debris from your Glowforge unit’s exhaust connection as well as from your outdoor exhaust vent. Then take a photo of the exhaust connection like the one below and attach it to your reply.

Thank you!

[joanmmarchant]

[joanmmarchant]

I attach some photo of the exhaust… thanks thanks in advance for any help provide to me.

[chelsea]

Thanks for your patience. We are looking into this now and will follow up when we have more information.

[chelsea]

I apologize for the slow response. After taking a look at the video and the photos the fan appears to be functioning normally. The laser produces smoke and fumes which can result in particulate building up on the fan. This can cause the sound of the fan to change slightly. When this happens you can use our cleaning procedure to remove this build up.

First, you’ll need to obtain a can of 3M Novec Electronic Degreaser, which you can purchase from Amazon or Digikey.

• Go to this URL: https://app.glowforge.com/maintenance/fan

That page will walk you through the cleaning process. Brief summary:

1. Turn off and unplug your unit and move it outside. Make sure it’s in a location where it has power and Wi-Fi

2. Using the fan maintenance page, you’ll be able to turn the fan on

3. Following all manufacturer’s safety instructions from 3M, spray the degreaser into the fan while it’s running for approximately 5 - 10 seconds, or until the fan is clean.

4. When you’re done cleaning, turn off your unit to stop the fan, and return it to its usual home. You should now see considerably better performance from your exhaust fan!

I am going to close this thread for now. If you have any more trouble, please start a new thread or reach out to us at support@glowforge.com.