Mailing list archives : pcb-rnd

ID:4386
From:ge...@igor2.repo.hu
Date:Sun, 20 Sep 2020 18:20:25 +0200 (CEST)
Subject:Re: [pcb-rnd] How to vertical mount a fan to PCB?
in-reply-to:4383 from gene glick <ge...@gmail.com>
 
 
On Sun, 20 Sep 2020, gene glick wrote:
 
>These little 12V square fans are great, for example:
>https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/cui-devices/CFM-4020V-145-123/102
>-5593-ND/7605411
>
>Looks like it is meant to mount flat to something, and then use the 4 corner
>holes to secure it with some bolts.
>
>What if I want to mount it vertically? I can't seem to locate any hardware
>for this. Am I missing something? Do I have to custom fab something? Mabe
>buy something close (brackets) from McMaster-Carr?
 
I think a lot depends on the context. Here are my ideas:
 
1. if it's a prototype or low batch: take a strip of thick alu or thin 
steel, bend an L or triangle shape, two holes on fan's side, two holes on 
PCB's side, use two of these and 8 bolts, and you got it mounted on the 
pcb 
 
2. alternatively the same with 3d printed parts
 
3. you didn't say how big the heat sink is - if it's big enough, you 
could simply screw the fan to the side of it with some spacer (these kind 
of fans don't like if something is too close blocking the flow, I think)
 
4. similar to 1 or 2, but less tall: do 4 small L shaped parts, either 
from metal strip or 3d print them, and use the lower 2 holes of the fan 
only to mount them to the board on both sides of the fan (6 screws 
required)
 
5. maybe use two fans from the two sides then just connect them using 
threaded rods and nuts on all 4 holes; this gives you a rigid "brick" with 
a fan on each end, heat sinks in the middle. Then you only need to mount 
the lower rods to the PCB. I imagine the air flow would be like inwards 
from the two sides of the heat sink, hot air escaping to the perpendicular 
sides or upward.
 
HTH,
 
Igor2
 

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4386 Re: [pcb-rnd] How to vertical mount a fan to PCB? from ge...@igor2.repo.hu