Dust proof / resistant cases

[BiggsWolf]

I currently have a number of PCs setup in a building that receives a lot of dust (it's just off the main shop so there is nothing I can do about it), I've noticed the systems I put in just a few months ago have already had issues with the grime building up inside them.

I'm wondering if anyone has heard of a dust proof / resistant case or other way to keep the systems clean.

I've looked at some 'industrial' PCs but they seem to come with vary low system specs (i.e. 500 mhz CPUs) and this won;t work for us as we have people using AutoCAD and other non-trivial programs.

 

[Xaqte]

How about water cooled cases?

X

 

[garebo]

You could try a filter on all the air intakes of your computer and keep them clean. Also, duct tape over any holes, like where a piece of metal is missing from a pci slot if a card is taken out, other air holes.
but you may have to install better fans as well so it doesnt overheat.
Depends on the cpu you are using as well.

There are sound proof cases out there and i imagine they would do the job for you but i bet you could do the job cheaper on your own. Filter material can be bought at the hardware or big-box store, fans are cheap.


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[BiggsWolf]

Thanks for the responses. I think water cooling may be a little bit out of my reach right now. Also, I would think the dust would impair the water cooling as well – perhaps not as much?

In all I'm kind of surprised that no one makes an 'industrial' case that is more resistant. But thanks for your help, I may just have to harden my current case to the environment.

 

[garebo]

I would imagine you could find such a case.
try google, you might have to experiment a bit with different words or combinations of words.


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[garebo]

http://www.globalsources.com/gsol/I/Middle-tower/a/9000000054037.htm

heres one


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[FredDibnah]

Hi BiggsWolf,

Any case you get is going to have some level of infiltration by dirt and dust. A standard PC will only survive if it has a constant flow of cool air provided by the use of fans, and a constant flow means dirt. Garebo's suggestion of using Duct/Gaffer Tape and filters to cut down ingress is a method I use myself. As for water cooling some of the systems available are 'closed' so would not suffer from becoming impaired.

And now to get silly! If money isn't a problem then you should check out this case:

http://www.quietpc.com/uk/tnn500af.php

It has no fans, thus virtually no airflow apart from that produced by hot air created by heatsinks.

The most cost effective solution however is good old fashioned elbow grease. Depending on the amount of systems you have and how quickly they become dirty instigate a cleaning program. One vacumm cleaner, various paint brushes (pure bristles, no nylon cheepies, see my post:

http://www.tek-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=1012978)

and away you go.

Yes cleaning out the PC's is a pain, but it provides some of my income, thus keeps a roof over my head. At the end of the day the labour you put in should be less than having to buy replacement parts and lost productivity due to breakdowns.

Regards,

 

[garebo]

And again, there are cheap ways to mitigate the problem.
You can buy filter material cheap and cut them out to fit and tape them on, clean when needed.

There are probably different things you can do, depends on the room and the rest of the physical layout and such, and your imagination.

If you arent using the agp slot, or have built in video, put a fan with exhaust in the first pci slot. The exhaust not only sucks up hot air but it also sucks up dirt and dust and protects your heatsink\fan\cpu, they stay clean as a result. I found that one by accident once. I had the extra slot and used it. When i went to do cleaning i only had to clean the fan on the pci exhaust setup.


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[franklin97355]

http://www.isa.org/InTechTemplate.c...Management/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=37307

http://www.industrial-computer-enclosure.co.uk/computer_cabinet/computer_cabinet.htm

 

[micker377]

Why not just place the monitors and keyboards in the work area, and place the CPU's in a "clean" area? Many servers are set up this way.

 

[BiggsWolf]

Thank you all for your help.

micker377: I thought about that but no luck in this case, the walls in the building are not air tight (as far as the dust is concerned their are no walls at all) and a VNC solution with a thin client is no good either as CAD tends to be more screen intensive.

Garebo, GavinColes and franklin97355: your a better hand at googling then I, thanks for the links.

 

[edfair]

You might try looking for rack mount cases. They are generallly designed for dirty environments and have more filtering and sealing doors over devices that would allow dirty air infiltration.
They won't be pretty in standalone mode but the insides will stay cleaner.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[ceh4702]

Use a Via Mini-ITX box that does not have fans. Thus no direct air flow. Put the computer in an enclosure.

http://www.dustproofcomputers.com/stu505.html#

Some people are selling stuff like this. I would think your metal shop could make their own if you have a machine shop. Even a metal box with a filter can capture most of the dust. The fewer fans a computer needs the less air flow it will create, the less dust will be pulled in.

A shop floor is an environment that would do well with terminals and a centralized computer.

Might try something like a Citrix system or some kind of industrial computer that has a light client and runs off a server environment.

http://www.inducomp.com/products/hurricane-industrial-computers-products.shtm

This is just an example.

If you do not like my post feel free to point out your opinion or my errors.

 

[garebo]

Here's an inexpensive, low-tech way if you are near an office.
Get yourself some furnace duct, the round type, plastic, accordion type and, while there, get yourself an in-duct fan to fit that duct. They make them to fit right inside the furnace duct. You can use regular steel furnace duct if you want instead of the white accordion type. Cut a hole thru the wall into the office so that is your air supply. With the in-duct fan you can supply fresh air into the duct.
You can also duct it outside as well, depends on what you want.
Now build a box larger than the computer and connect the duct to it. You can even put a filter there at that point.
Now you have a supply of fresh, clean air piped cheaply into
your computer box.
Now put the computer inside that box and mark where you have to cut out a bit for your cables for your monitor and such. You can use duct tape to seal the area where the cables come out of the box and presto, you have a supply of
clean air, maybe even air-conditioned?
Under good conditions your total outlay of money could be as low as, say, $75. The fans are under $20 I believe, wood is cheap and so is the flexible duct!
Job done!



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[garebo]

p.s. You want to put the hole in the wooden box in a certain place, depends on your case, but where it will do the most good.
You can also provide an "air-out' simply by making another hole in the box and putting just another piece of the flexible duct, without the fan, or even with a fan if you want, but it wont be needed.


Good advice + great people = tek-tips