Custom Lexan side panels for cases

[bobbybluz]

I finally got to talk to the person I needed to at the company that makes windows and body panels for NASCAR, IndyCar, NHRA, F1 and other auto racing series. They have extensive experience with polycarbonates and other materials. He said they're always looking to expand into new areas of manufacturing and I have an appointment with him later this week (I don't live far from their main production facility).

On the telephone we discussed the viability of making aftermarket side panels for computer cases as well as the potential market for them. Want a lighter side panel in the color of your choice to replace the stock tempered glass (complete with all needed mounting hardware) you currently have? Want a custom panel for a case long out of production? How about carbon fiber panels? These things and more are possible and at quality standards that exceed OEM parts. Now I have to get a presentation together and try to sell his company on the project. When I talked with their head of sales months ago he said he liked the idea.

If you had the opportunity to buy the things I've mentioned above and at reasonable prices (everything made in the USA as well) would you do it? Dreaming into the future how about carbon fiber cases that custom water cooling setups would be guaranteed to fit in? This isn't fantasy, it's all 100% totally possible and from a company with a proven track record (literally) of manufacturing excellence of already making somewhat similar products. What would TPU folks like to see made available in computer cases that nobody is offering at the moment or aftermarket parts to improve upon what you already have?

 

[The red spirit]

Carbon fiber? Shit, stuffs already unaffordable as it is. We can't even afford basic sand.

 

[dragontamer5788]

Hmmm, I look at server designs and see their airflow designed so well. All the air flows from one side to the other with very logical "cold intake" and "hot outflow" on the other side. I feel like typical mATX or ATX cases could have side-panels that encourage this kind of flow.

However, the current design trend is to use some kind of transparent material to "show off" your fancy innards. If you spend a lot of money on liquid-cooling, you will want a transparent side-panel to show it off to your friends. I don't think carbon fiber is transparent.

Instead, maybe a selling point of better airflow? Punched steel is necessarily going to be a thin shape, as well as acrylic. Carbon Fiber can lead to many different shapes, possibly some that are more optimized for airflow and better management of internal turbulence?

That's all I got on this subject, lol. Good luck with your discussions!

EDIT: Oh, Lexan is transparent? I guess that can be useful. I don't know what kind of shapes Lexan can be made into efficiently, or what kinds of shapes would end up selling well.

 

[erocker]

Lexan/Plexiglass is something I can pick up at a hardware store cheap. It would definitely be interesting to see some side panels made from more newer materials like "gorilla glass" and things like that.

 

[cvaldes]

While I am likely in the minority here, I don't see the practicality of gratuitous implementation of exotic materials like carbon fiber or Gorilla Glass when they don't provide any functional value add.

Gorilla Glass? I get the use of extra-hard glass for watch crystals, smartphone displays, supermarket laser price scanners, etc. I don't get it for a PC case. It's not like I'm going to wear it on my wrist and risk banging it into a metal pole or something. Desktop PCs mostly just sit on a desk or floor.

Carbon fiber? Okay, I can see the aesthetic appeal to some but it's stiffness has pretty much zero utility for your typical desktop PC. I understand why you might want it for certain vehicle parts, sports equipment, etc. Plastic manufacturers can simulate the carbon fiber appearance pretty well these days. I can understand the utility of carbon fiber as a case material for a notebook PC though since you're lugging it around.

Even Lexan/polycarbonate is puzzling. I don't need a super light/super strong window in a desktop PC. I get it for race cars, yachts, etc. I even get plexiglas for large picture frames (when you don't want the extra weight and you might prefer a safer material when it shatters). Plus cheaper Lexan/plexi is going to scratch easier than glass. That's probably the bigger consideration than its lightweight qualities. For a race car, that's not going to matter -- you'd install a new one for each race.

All of these materials have pros and cons however most of their advantages aren't all that useful for a PC that spends most of its time parked off to the side.

Hell, they would be better off designing replacement panels for PlayStation 5 consoles not enthusiast desktop PC cases. PS5s all have the same design and tens of millions will be sold over the lifetime of this console generation.

 

[dragontamer5788]

Hell, they would be better off designing replacement panels for PlayStation 5 consoles not enthusiast desktop PC cases. PS5s all have the same design and tens of millions will be sold over the lifetime of this console generation.

That's a good point. There are a ton of case designs, and while they all follow the same ATX / mATX screw locations, the side panels seem to vary quite a lot.

PS5 or other game consoles could be a more marketable business opportunity due to their consistency.

 

[maxfly]

Front panel replacements, though far more involved might be something to pursue. That's almost always the weakest point for modern cases. Very little air allowed in through the one part of the case that needs it the most.