GloveBox

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

Large box

The large box

FreeCAD design: Large 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	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
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