filtered case hunt

[Sir_ReeL]

Hi, all!

I'm searching for a case for a very dusty dirty environment. Specifically, a CNC shop. Laser, plasma, 7 and 9 axis machining centers. Must be tower(large mid-tower might work if I'm wiley) or server sized and seriously filtered. Any sugestions on where to look? Thanks!

_ReeL

[madmat]

The Tt Mozart TX is big and well filtered.

[GalvanizedYankee]

http://www.overclockers.com/tips1092/
Did this for the office comp atdiesel repair shop. The filter and it's fan noise were outside the closed office. We ran it through the wall. The office stayed noticably cleaner with pressurized clean air. There was no A/C in the office.

Abhi, a member at AnandTech, used this tip to cool the comp and LCD in his polymer manufacturing plant in India. A big thumbs up from him. Before using this set-up his comp would crash every two weeks.

Ask Per Hannson over at badcaps.net how bad the PCs get with the welding and laser cutting dust at his plant in Sweden. He set-up something similar but much nicer because he had time & material.

Oneof these could be built with finished wood and long threaded rods.

[Bbq]

I had 4 ideas.

1. Something like an ITX board, a mobile processor, and heatpipes to the outside of the case. No external openings, no dust.
2. A custom case for a laptop, sealed off so nothing gets in
3. Watercooled EVERYTHING in a computer, with a huge passive rad (aqua airplex evo 1800 or so)
4. Extra long extensions

[Sir_ReeL]

Thanks for the ideas, guys. Every industrial case I've found is either inadaquate or waa-hoo expensive. I will probably end up modifying an oldish PCP&C server case I have in the spare parts room. Duct tape up the vents and build a filter box using a new car flat air filter. Don't have to be pretty, just dependable. Nothing worse than a program freezing 90% through a many-thousand-$ cut! _ReeL

[madmat]

You know, you can build a frame out of Popsicle sticks and cover the frame with one layer of pantyhose of the medium mesh variety (guys with wives can get that info from them, I dunno what brand / style to look for, I'm not Joe Namath) and mount that over the case fans with velcro for a pretty effective filter on the cheap.

[MrWicked1968]

have the computer in another room and use a slave terminal (monitor, keyboard, and mouse) in the harsh environment.

[CAD4466HK]

For 420 clams, this is the cheapest route for these guys, unless Uopt for the desktop:)

http://www.dustshield.com/std_details.asp?id=73&learn=4

[Sir_ReeL]

For 420 clams, this is the cheapest route for these guys, unless Uopt for the desktop:)

http://www.dustshield.com/std_details.asp?id=73&learn=4

That's an interesting concept, I hadn't concidered putting the whole enchalada in a box. Even the server one isn't outragous.

I also like the filter you designed, G-Yankee. I'll probably end up using a ghetto version of that. More self-contained, but with duct tape and maybe bailing wire if I can work it into the design. Hell, all y'alls ideas have merit - thanks for taking the time to edumacate me up real good! _ReeL

[KorruptioN]

I would rig up some sort of mechanism that allowed me to use furnace filters.

[Sir_ReeL]

I would rig up some sort of mechanism that allowed me to use furnace filters.

That would work also. Plenty of air flow. I had advised them to open the side cover and blow it out a couple of times a week - BAD idea! They blew metalic particles into ram contacts. Magic smoke escaped captivity, pandemonium ensued, several gigs of fdims and a Supermicro dual CPU MB died; to my chagrin. Procs lived, surprisingly.

I'm not sure, but I don't believe that much 'puter is necessary for the application, but the "engineer" who designed the system said. All it does is serve up machining programs to about a dozen various CNC machines which have their own CPUs to run said proggies. The reason it's in the shop and not the engineering office where the aforementioned programs are Autocaded and converted? Keeps nasty uncouth machinists away from sensitive engineers.(f'ing LOL!) _ReeL

[GalvanizedYankee]

As an old diesel mechanic...I'm with the uncouth machinests. :p
The guys on the floor make the engineer's dreams work... then the engineers take the credit. :lol:

I use furnace filter here at home and it deals with dust & pet hair very well
but metalic dust would find it's way through.
A stack of 2~3 automotive filters will get it all and offer low resistance.
To over come the little filter resistance use a 7~9 bladed 120 fan at about 100cfm.
It will not be loud being muffeled by the filters.

Best of luck and please post some pics when you're done.