GloveBox

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This is a low cost solution for having a clean room environment for handling dies and other components which require a clean room environment.

While there are commercial solutions available for sale, they typically cost several thousand dollars, while our BOM, even for the big variant, is typically bellow thousand dollars.

The design was originally based on the premise that the whole goal is just to have some quasi-airtight enclosure of some kind, where a circular airflow can be achieved which is purified by pumping the air through multiple stages of HEPA filters, while accessing the objects to be handled by using gloves fixed to the enclosure.

For obvious reasons, a glove box only makes sense when the material to be handled is visible, so acrylic glass was chosen as material for the enclosure.

During the development process it turned out, that just using glue isn't sufficient for holding the sheets of acrylic glass together in a box shape, because the weight of the material, puts too much stress onto the glue, which compromises the isolation and lets external dust enter, additionally, after a while the glue gives up under the mechanical stress, and the box falls apart.

For this reason additional aluminum extrusions are being used, for giving the whole box more stability.

This only increases the cost minimally because the main cost of the BOM ironically is in the acrylic glass.

For the airflow cheap 120mm PC fans like the ones found on AliExpress (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003980506458.html) can be used.

Tools
Name Description URL
Screwdriver

(sonic or normal)

Used to screw in the screws

(and potentially fighting against Daleks and Cybermen, in case it's actually a sonic one)

... really?
A soldering station Well... it's used to solder stuff I've got this one, it's awesome! -> https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32969863227.html

General airflow fan assembly

Below of a 4x4 array of 120mm, 12V fans, as used in the glove box air circulation system can be seen.

FPYT6ZQI03OBHCG.png

When wiring the fans together into a common 12V power rail, you should keep in mind, that each fans draws around 2 Watts, which means that your wire, you're using to provide power to the fans can drive at least 160mA (milli amps), per fan.

Do not use too cheap wire, which might go up in flames, use a wire diameter which actually can drive the current

Large box

The large box

FreeCAD design: Large box
BOM
Component Amount Price per Piece Price Total URL
Gloves 4 9,89€ 39,56€ https://www.manutan.pt/pt/map/luvas-em-neopreno-com-manga-comprida-ultraneo-450-a169336
Roll of single sided silicone tape "enough"... 2-4, depending on the lenght 2-8€ per roll 8-32€ https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003961444166.html
12 volt fans 64 (2*32, top and bottom) 0,64€ 40,96€ https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003980506458.html
Acrylic glass 50cm x 50cm 2 15,99€ 31,98€ https://www.leroymerlin.pt/Produtos/Madeiras-acrilicos/Vidro-acrilico/Acrilico-vidro-sintetico/WPR_REF_81902623
Acrylic glass 100cm x 100cm 1 54,99€ 54,99€ https://www.leroymerlin.pt/Produtos/Madeiras-acrilicos/Vidro-acrilico/Acrilico-vidro-sintetico/WPR_REF_81902578

Small box

BOM
Component Amount Price per Piece Price Total URL
Gloves 2 9,89€ 19,78€ https://www.manutan.pt/pt/map/luvas-em-neopreno-com-manga-comprida-ultraneo-450-a169336
Roll of single sided silicone tape "enough"... 2-4, depending on the lenght 2-8€ per roll 8-32€ https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003961444166.html
12 volt fans 32 (2*16, top and bottom) 0,64€ 20.48€ https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003980506458.html
Acrylic glass 50cm x 50cm 4 15,99€ 63,96€ https://www.leroymerlin.pt/Produtos/Madeiras-acrilicos/Vidro-acrilico/Acrilico-vidro-sintetico/WPR_REF_81902623
Perforated floor https://www.leroymerlin.pt/Produtos/Ferragens/Perfis-chapas-e-grelhas/Chapas/WPR_REF_11118485