Replacing Filters

[rpegg]

I think the answer to your questions is in these two replies from dan.

@dan

It’s even more convoluted than that: it’s a liquid cooling system that circulates through the glass tube, then through an aluminum block, that has the exhaust air passing over it. To your question about air intake, it draws in from vents on the opposite side - it really needs to be in a place with ambient air that’s not too hot, or the heat exchanger doesn’t work efficiently.

@dan

The Glowforge has a connector to the air filter, which exhausts through many openings into the surrounding room. If you want to vent, don’t use the filter. If you use the filter, you can’t vent. The Glowforge plastics are final (the filter plastics are not) so that arrangement is not likely to change.

[gdmccormack]

Thanks @rpegg. From what I saw at CES, the water cooling system is entirely on the left side of the GF, so the air inlets should then be on the right side. I saw no inlet vents as it sat on the table, so are they underneath? - are there any pictures of the bottom of a GF?

I’m thinking about constructing a simple filter for the air going into the GF, as I can’t think of any positive outcomes from dust accumulating inside the laser cutter, given the laser beams, burning materials and high voltages. My PC cases get pretty dusty inside, and their fans run considerably lower cfm than I expect the GF does.

[rpegg]

Haven’t seen any pictures. If I had to guess the inlet would just be slots vs. an input port. Don’t know where.

[dan]

The air comes in on the bottom of the Glowforge, on the right hand side.

[gdmccormack]

Thanks @dan. Don’t suppose there’s a photo someone could post of the bottom of a GF?

I’m picturing a simple (laser cut of course) bracket to hold a sheet of reticulated foam over the input slots/holes/whatever.

[dan]

I think I posted one on the forum a while ago (when Xabbess was asking about the arrangement of the feet on the underside) but I may be misremembering.

[Scott.Burns]

I’ve read every post so far on this site, and don’t remember seeing a shot of the bottom. Just searched again, and your response to Xabbess was

@dan

This is the sort of thing that would have to come from our engineering team, and I’m loathe to have them do anything right now other than get you your glowforges. Maybe later…

[dan]

Yup, no pics of the underside, sorry about that.