Finished 3D Printer Anti-Vibration Stand

I had two problems I needed to solve.



The first was reducing the noise of the printer above my bedroom. Overnight prints sounded like the cat doing something between remodeling and being a DJ at a rave.



The second problem was improving the quality of my prints which I attributed to a weak and wobbly stand for my printer.



I was able to solve these problems by using pavers, a foam mat, and a brand new stand all for under $50.

Theory

My approach toward damping vibration was twofold. The first thing to do was increase the mass of the system. The significance of mass in damping is that it lowers the natural frequency of the system. This is important because the printer typically has high frequency vibration as the hot end moves around quickly.



As mass m increases, the natural frequency f decreases.

By lowering the natural frequency of my stand, the high frequency vibrations of the printer moving will not resonate with the natural frequency.



This in itself is not damping, however it reduces resonance which would amplify the vibrations amplitude.



To add mass to my system I used 2 concrete pavers at 20lbs each as well as a heavy and solid MDF square board as my stands top.

When blue and green waves are in phase their constructive interference results in higher amplitude (vibration).

The second part to reducing vibration is adding the material to slow down the oscillations. The goal here is critical damping:

The damping sweet spot.

Materials

Note: This was sized for an Ender 3 printer



2 x Concrete Paver (1′ x 1′) from Home Depot – $3

1 x Square MDF Board (2′ x 2′) from Home Depot – $5

3 x 12′ 2×4 Wood – $15

1 x Foam Mat (2′ x 2′, typically sold as a 6 piece set) – $20

The Build

MDF Square 2′ x 2′.

2′ x 2′ wood frame glued to MDF board with PVA glue.

Legs were made from 2x4s. Foam mat placed on top.

40 lbs of pavers added.

Printer added, layers from top to bottom: Paver, Foam, MDF.

Stand finished.

Results

Significant reduction in noise throughout the house, especially the bedroom below printer. Although the printer is still relatively loud if you are in the same room, it became virtually silent when you leave the room and shut the door.

For print quality I also noticed some improvement:

Before shown on the left, after on the right.

Overall, I am very pleased with the results of this anti-vibration stand. I can finally go to bed at night and let a print go without hearing the whirring, thudding sounds of a printer above me. Not only that, I have improved print quality. All of this was done under $50.



If you already have a sturdy stand or workbench for your printer you can do this extremely cheaply with just pavers and foam mat or anti-fatigue pads.