Prototype Would you trust this mounting mechanism for PSU's? (Makerbeam)

[arturbecker]

Playing around with aluminum extrusions (Makerbeam) and 6-32 screws.
Apparently they sort of fit together if an M4 washer is added to the mix. Could potentially be interesting for cases based on extrusions, for mounting power supplies and ssd's...

 

[Shatrod]

Vibrations can loosen screws over time. I would trust this if you used some loctite on the screw and added a rubber washer to compress when you slide the PSU down to make it a snug fit.

 

[arturbecker]

Absolutely! It requires some serious fine-tuning to make it slide in and not rattle afterwards. Too little pressure and it feels loose, to much pressure and it feels like you are about to shear the screws from the psu face right off while you slide it in

Another possible problem is interference with the power plug - for the sf600 pictured above it works, but the power plug position might have helped... but notice the different positioning of the plug on some Silverstone PSU's:

And this mounting method doesn't respect the specs:

 

[_ONE_]

Vibrations can loosen screws over time. I would trust this if you used some loctite on the screw and added a rubber washer to compress when you slide the PSU down to make it a snug fit.

I think It can be loose as much as possible, it won't go out because the screw head is limited.

I think for that to happen, we need both screw to vibrate and turn out of the PSU threaded holes

 

[Shatrod]

I think It can be loose as much as possible, it won't go out because the screw head is limited.

I think for that to happen, we need both screw to vibrate and turn out of the PSU threaded holes

I think that's exactly what can happen. The screw will vibrate out as fast as possible and after that the power supply would start inching away. Also vibrations sound bad. I have that problem with my current prototype where the side panel is just slid in without being screwed in and it's not perfectly snug, makes the most awful sound when the GPU fan is at the right frequency.

Absolutely! It requires some serious fine-tuning to make it slide in and not rattle afterwards. Too little pressure and it feels loose, to much pressure and it feels like you are about to shear the screws from the psu face right off while you slide it in

Another possible problem is interference with the power plug - for the sf600 pictured above it works, but the power plug position might have helped... but notice the different positioning of the plug on some Silverstone PSU's:

And this mounting method doesn't respect the specs:

I agree it doesn't respect the specs but, notice in all of your pictures the power plug is on one side of the PSU. If you screwed the two screws along the "short side" instead of the long side and have the makerbeam run "height-wise" instead of "width-wise" it should work out still .

I still say try a rubber washer that can compress. So you can slide the maker beam on with some force but it will be snug at all times.

 

[arturbecker]

Sounds good! I'll try to get some rubber washers and slot it in along the "short side".
By the way, about the spec: if we slot it in by just one side, maybe that wont provide enough support? I wonder if the three holes in the drawing are supposed to be the minimum needed for mounting the PSU

 

[Shatrod]

Do

Sounds good! I'll try to get some rubber washers and slot it in along the "short side".
By the way, about the spec: if we slot it in by just one side, maybe that wont provide enough support? I wonder if the three holes in the drawing are supposed to be the minimum needed for mounting the PSU

Do you plan to hang it on those screws or rest it on the bottom panel? Like does the PSU sit on something? For support?

 

[arturbecker]

Given the 20x20 profiles I'm using, when slotted in the PSU sides are ~4mm away from whatever the makerbeam is attached to, if that makes sense. So at first no the PSU wouldn't sit on anything.

 

[_ONE_]

I think that's exactly what can happen. The screw will vibrate out as fast as possible and after that the power supply would start inching away. Also vibrations sound bad. I have that problem with my current prototype where the side panel is just slid in without being screwed in and it's not perfectly snug, makes the most awful sound when the GPU fan is at the right frequency.

The best is to test is, screw can loosen when alone, but if there's many, they all have to sync when unscrewing which is not what happen.

I don't think it'll be that easy for it to unscrew, real test should tell the result.

though, does the psu fan vibrate that much??

 

[Spotswood]

The two most common methods we use to attach PSUs is to either drill proper holes through the center of the extrusion or use fan mounting "tabs" that we cut ourselves in the shop.

 

[arturbecker]

The two most common methods we use to attach PSUs is to either drill proper holes through the center of the extrusion or use fan mounting "tabs" that we cut ourselves in the shop.

Thanks a lot!! It just never crossed my mind to make through holes...
Do you find it hard to find appropriately long screws after that?

 

[Spotswood]

Thanks a lot!! It just never crossed my mind to make through holes...
Do you find it hard to find appropriately long screws after that?

mcmaster.com is your friend. ?

 

[arturbecker]

mcmaster.com is your friend. ?

Haha thanks!
Just one more question: do you only drill a ~3.5mm hole for the screw to go through or do you also drill a hole for the head to accomodate "inside" the profile? If that makes sense.

 

[Spotswood]

Haha thanks!
Just one more question: do you only drill a ~3.5mm hole for the screw to go through or do you also drill a hole for the head to accomodate "inside" the profile? If that makes sense.

For this application I would just drill a single through hole and use a long bolt to attach the PSU.

For joining extrusions at corners, a bolt is threaded into the end of an extrusion and the head of the bolt is slid into the slot of the connecting piece. The connecting piece has a small through hole to allow a wrench to be inserted to tighten the bolt.

A ball-end hex wrench comes in handy for this.

 

[_ONE_]

Ball-end wrench are such a great invention...

 

[arturbecker]

For this application I would just drill a single through hole and use a long bolt to attach the PSU.

For joining extrusions at corners, a bolt is threaded into the end of an extrusion and the head of the bolt is slid into the slot of the connecting piece. The connecting piece has a small through hole to allow a wrench to be inserted to tighten the bolt.

A ball-end hex wrench comes in handy for this.

Thanks for the suggestion!!

For joining the profiles at 90 degrees, what size extrusions do you have pictured? I think my 20x20 beams wouldn't work because the axial hole fits a M6 screw, however the channels are too narrow for an M6 head from what I tested.

 

[Spotswood]

Thanks for the suggestion!!

For joining the profiles at 90 degrees, what size extrusions do you have pictured? I think my 20x20 beams wouldn't work because the axial hole fits a M6 screw, however the channels are too narrow for an M6 head from what I tested.

Pictured was 15mm. It would be very odd for a manufacturer to design t-slot extrusion with the problem you describe.

 

[arturbecker]

Haha I only know this one! It's what I have found in my region so far:

 

[Shatrod]

Haha I only know this one! It's what I have found in my region so far:

Base on that diagram, can you use an M6 countersunk screw instead and just have it flush with the outside edge?

 

[Spotswood]

Haha I only know this one! It's what I have found in my region so far:

An M6 button head bolt should fit perfectly.