MO430
Rack Fan
Magnetic sealed dual Fan-Unit
Dust free happy rack
I bought a cheap rack on ebay in an auction. It came with dents and a broken lock/handle. While fully enclosed from all sides, it had a huge gap in the bottom where cables should go out and in. It was also the main entrance for every dust particle in my apartment. To change that, I designed a solution to use this gap as my main cooling inlet for the rack. I noticed how my 140mm fans (Scythe Glide Stream SY1) were always a perfect match that gap to be utilized. Yadda yadda yadda: I build a dual-fan block hold in place by magnets, vibration damped by sealing tape, easy mount/unmount for maintenance with a filter cover that can be changed from the outside of the rack and that still allows me to pass cable through. Not really applyable for the masses I guess, but maybe an inspiration for others to come up with their own custom designs for their exotic rack layouts.
Modular design
The basic concept
We want to suck in (dust filtered) air from below and transport it upwards into the Rack cooling the equipment
The culprit
And all we have is this ugly gap in the bottom of the rack where (at least) one cable has to pass through as well
Start with the fans
For protection of destruction for fingers and cables, I shielded the fans (140mm Scythe Glide Stream SY1 1200/min) with a simple hexagon mesh.
Two part mounting block
I created a middle block element for mounting the fans filling the gap in the Rack. They hold each two strong magnets for easy release/cleaning
Fillings the seams
To avoid vibration noise and level out the height of the Magnets, I used sealing tape for installing kitchen sinks.
Like a glove
The magnets (not visible) press the sealing tape flush and seamless to the rack, while decoupling any vibration. Notice the gap on each side, allowing up to 4 cables being passed through
Fan mounting
On top of the base plates, I mounted the fans. The baseplate (see above) also act as a shroud for the fans
Underside view
Here you can see the whole unit from below. It can be taken out in one piece for maintenance
Filter cover
The filter cover is also hold in place by magnets sideways. It can be pulled down (for cleaning) without opening the rack
Filter pad
I used some Filter Substrate that I bought in bulk from a roll, cut to the needed size. It is crucial to keep the dust out
Assembly Parts:
Some are obligatory for the model to work, some are optional. It's up to you how close you will follow the instructions. Use what you have on hand and alter the model if necessary.
Part
Pieces
$ / € / ¤
Mini-Screw STOCK
Very small Screw 2mm x 8-10mm
For connecting the bridge part to both sides
Source: local, ebay
6x
± 0.05
sum: 0.30
M4x25 Bolt
Standard M4x25mm Hex Bolt
Connecting the 4 Rubber-Magnets to the prints
Source: local, ebay
4x
± 0.30
sum: 1.20
Magnet Disk
Small magnet with m4 thread, ~ 22x6mm
Hold & decouple the fan from the metal rack
Source: local, ebay
2x
± 2.00
sum: 4.00
M4 Shim
Standard M4 Washer OD=~11mm
Distribute the pressure evenly to the print
Source: local, ebay
8x
± 0.10
sum: 0.80
M4x55 Bolt
Standard M4x55mm Hex Bolt
Holding the Fans to the prints
Source: local, ebay
8x
± 0.30
sum: 2.40
M4 Nylon Nut
Standard M4 stop nut with nylon ring
Holding the fans to the print
Source: local, ebay
8x
± 0.15
sum: 1.20
Magnet Disk
Small magnet with 4mm hole, ~ 15x3mm
Easy removing of the bottom filter from outside
Source: local, ebay
8x
± 0.70
sum: 5.60
Foam tape UNIT IN METER
Damping/Sealing foam tape 10x5mm, endless
decoupling the unit from the housing
Source: ebay
1m
± 2.00
Air Filter UNIT IN METER
Air filtration dust mat 1x1m 8-10mm
10mm Air filter 10x26cm, cut to size
Source: ebay
0.1m
± 6.00
sum: 0.60
Scythe SY1425HB12M
Scythe Glide Stream 140mm 1200U/min
140mm Fan. You can use other brands if you like
Source: ebay
2x
± 16.00
sum: 32.00
All parts =
10 (48 pcs)
~ 50.10
STL Files
Downloads and Purchases have been suspended as of 2024.
Thanks everyone for downloading! Feel free to build your own version of this ✌️
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
