Why are Fan Mounts Necessary?
Vibration from fan motors can travel into a PC case and become amplified when a fan is fitted tightly. This unwanted 'vibrational' noise is an issue if you wish to build a very quiet or virtually silent PC. These mounts have been designed 'from the drawing-board' specifically to tackle fan-induced vibrational noise! Acousti Ultra-Soft Fan Mounts are a 'no-vibration' alternative to standard fan screws or hard plastic push pins.
To prevent the transmission of vibrations from a motor (such as a fan motor), the vibrating part needs to be decoupled (or disengaged) from the case, and the vibrations need to be damped, that is, attenuated. Acousti Products have selected an ultra-soft silicone polymer that effectively decouples the fan and also attenuates unwanted vibration. Both the shape and materials have been designed together to give a widely compatible fan mount.
These mounts are made from an ultra-soft silicone polymer because it is softer and more chemically stable than cheaper alternatives like rubber or EPDM. Ultra-soft silicone is non-toxic, more chemically stable, and can also tolerate higher temperatures - so it is a superior material for this application.
AFM03B Fan Mount Design. The fan mount has been designed with smoothed corners to prevent the propagation of cracks when stretched. When in position, the fan is held 1.25mm away from the case side - this is just enough to allow free movement of the fan and effectively absorb vibrations, but not too much to cause excessive air pressure loss around the fan.
Please note that this product is only compatible with flange type fans. This is because flange type fans (shown below) do not have a 'tunnel' connecting the mounting holes like Rib type fans. Flange type design is the most popular type of fan moulding used in PCs & servers.
Fitting Instructions
The AFM03B fan mounts need to be fitted to the fan first, and then the fan assembly fitted to the fan mounting holes. This makes the AFM03B model easier to fit in restricted spaces and therefore may be more suitable for OEM and IT System Builders.
