You'll hear some mechanical noises from the robot when using a P300 8-Channel GEN2. These may be louder than you are used to hearing from the robot, but they are most likely normal.
Here's how it sounds:
When is it normal to hear the noise?
Only the P300 8-Channel GEN2 makes a louder than normal noise because of the plunger design. It's normal to hear it:
- When you attach the pipette for the first time.
- At the beginning of your protocol.
- If the pipette hasn't been used for more than 30 minutes in your protocol.
If you hear a loud noise at any other time while using the robot, try to take a video of it happening and contact Opentrons Support for help.
What is that noise and why is it so loud?
The loud noise you hear coming from the P300 8-Channel GEN2 is the sound of the motor applying a higher force than normal in order to "unstick" the pipette plungers. Unsticking is required to mechanically free the pipette when the plungers haven't been used for a while, you can think of this as the pipette stretching before going for a run.