Small aluminium gaming case (~18.5l)

[jeshikat]

Ok, those corners may not work due to springback. Here's some excerpts from my STX160.0 build log:

This won't actually work because of what's called spring back. More of a problem with steel than with softer aluminum, but the issue is that the metal tries to return to it's original shape after being bent. So to compensate the press brake software will bend the sheet metal a few degrees past 90° (and thus would still hit the punch holder in the above illustration) so that when the metal springs back it'll end up at 90°. If we look at the press brake animation again, but watch closely you can see this happening.

Because of this it's hard to ensure that all bends are at exact right-angles so be careful not to design in such a way that the case needs perfectly exact bends to work otherwise you'll pay for it later with a high parts reject rate.

Recall from my overview on press brakes that sheet metal wants to return to its original state so when bending the flange has to be bent a little bit past the final desired angle so when it springs back it ends up where it's supposed to. To account for that, the edge of the flange here is tapered so it won't hit.

 

[schmiran]

@Aibohphobia at first thanks again for your help! It's a great hint and i think i can solve the "bending machine hit problem" when i go for 2 L outer sheathings one for front and top with little edges to fix them with screws at the back/bottom and another for the back and bottom. I was planning with a bit bigger cutout for the bent as u can see in the screenshot so it should not be a problem to bend it a little bit more to counteract against the spring back.

I have seen in your post:

How thick?

So now you're probably wondering: "what thickness of steel or aluminum should I use?"

I'd say 20 gauge (0.036"/.91mm) is a good starting point for steel and 0.0508"/1.29mm for aluminum.

18 gauge steel can be used for exterior panels or where extra strength is need at the expense of weight. I would not typically recommend anything thicker than 18 gauge for steel because it's overkill but if that's the design goal then it can be used to great effect.

The Compact Splash for example uses 14 gauge (almost 2mm!) steel for that extra-rugged industrial feel.

That this beautiful case use a U outer sheathing with an dedicated backplate so maybe this is a solution too. The design without an inner frame like i planed it before is a nice thing too. I'll try to finde a new mounting solution for my part-layout to fit in

 

[schmiran]

Hey guys here a first sketch of the new design :-)

I'll go for another layout with PSU and 120 radiator in the front. I get a much more "tower" look and not that cube like. A bit under 19l. I am planing to go for 2 pieces for the case (top-front and back-bottom). From the frame its pretty close to the compact splash design (I rly like the style just don't like the part layout.

Cant go for the clean front because need some ventilation holes for the radiator but i think ill be fine with it. Does someone has a good idea for a ventilation hole layout?

And another question, did someone know where i can find an PSU Cable extension to get an PSU input at the back?

And am I right that the min outer radius for bending 3mm aluminium is 3mm? I am asking because of the bends Into the inside of the case.

 

[D_McG]

And am I right that the min outer radius for bending 3mm aluminium is 3mm?

As a rule of thumb, the inside radius should be at least the material thickness. So 3mm aluminum + 3mm inside radius = 6mm outside radius. Hope this helps!

 

[jeshikat]

And for aluminum 1.5x the material thickness is safer.

But what exactly is possible depends on what tooling your manufacturer has. So I wouldn't worry too much about getting it exact in the model, they'll fix it in their CAM software.

 

[schmiran]

Hey guys, i have seen this here:
http://www.hd-plex.com/HDPLEX-300W-Hi-Fi-DC-ATX-Power-Supply-16V-24V-Wide-Range-Voltage-Input.html

My planed system parts are round about 360W with water pump include, see here:
https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/user/schmiran/saved/WLrpgs

Is it possible to get something similar to the HDplex wich can support that?

Have seen hdplex has a 400W peak, is it okay to run it 24/7 at something close to it?

 

[Ceros_X]

Hey guys, i have seen this here:
http://www.hd-plex.com/HDPLEX-300W-Hi-Fi-DC-ATX-Power-Supply-16V-24V-Wide-Range-Voltage-Input.html

My planed system parts are round about 360W with water pump include, see here:
https://ca.pcpartpicker.com/user/schmiran/saved/WLrpgs

Is it possible to get something similar to the HDplex wich can support that?

Have seen hdplex has a 400W peak, is it okay to run it 24/7 at something close to it?

G-Unique does made-to-order DC PSUs similar to HDPlex, and they can get up to 400W (depending on model). They come with power bricks as well. See their vendor thread here: https://smallformfactor.net/forum/threads/g-unique-plug-play-units-pre-order.1404/ (currently on break for Chinese New Year).

 

[schmiran]

hey guys, another question, is it possible/advisable to route just the electric wire into an sfx psu? I would like to power it from the bottom and have no place for a plug.

 

[EdZ]

hey guys, another question, is it possible/advisable to route just the electric wire into an sfx psu? I would like to power it from the bottom and have no place for a plug.

There is nothing technical to stop you. You would lose any warranty on the PSU however, and you would be dealing with mains voltages so you would be taking your own safety entirely into your own hands. If you;re not familiar with safe mains wiring practices (e.g. making sure the cable does not wear on a metal edge when exiting the PSU), probably not the best idea.

 

[schmiran]

Hey guys, have exams at the moment, so it took a while but here a small update. Do you think the ventilation for the front radiator is enough? Its now ~18.5l

@EdZ Thanks! I have a friend in the university who is electrical engineer, he should be able to do it then.

 

[blubblob]

It's hard to tell from the perspective, but you might be getting an issue with cable routing for the PSU. How many mm are there between the PSU cable sockets and the radiator? I would suggest at least 20mm space for the plugs and cable bends. Most SFX PSUs also have connectors on the back that are not flush.

The front radiator seems to be a bit starved for air and there are airflow issues with the PSU - half the fan is blocked by the top radiator, the rest is fighting for air with the fans on the radiator (or possibly worse, recycling hot air if the fans on the radiator are in pull) and then the hot air moving out the top (at least i assume that's the exhaust) is blocked by the chassis walls.

 

[schmiran]

Hey @blubblob its about 25mm between the PSU and the front radiator (with thinking about connector standing out 2mm). At the back i have about 10mm for the button and the wire, ill go for "hardwired" PSU the cable needs about 6mm so it should be fine.

Yes with airflow i have my problems :-/ but i cant find a better way to do it. Front has 20mm clearance in front of it and ventilation holes at the right side. Its pull in the front, push at the top radiator. i hope i can fit 2 slim 120mm fans at the bottom pulling hot air into the chassis. Do u think a half fan on the PSU will cause any problems? ill add some ventilation holes for the PSU output at the top.

 

[iFreilicht]

Dang that looks sweet, I love the three-piece design for the main shell! Maybe you could integrate the mounting flanges for the side panels into the black piece?

I agree with @blubblob that the front radiator seems to be a little starved. At the very least you should open up the acrylic sidepanel as well, and possibly make vents at the bottom. Remember that the total volume of air moved has to stay constant in any given enclosed path, so if the vents on the side have a total area a third of the area of the radiator, air will move three times as fast there, which can increase noise significantly. If you then only use one of the two sides as an intake, you double the airflow at the vent again.

 

[owliwar]

thats looking nice