120mm fan housing with louvers

thingiverse

I print in ABS, PETG and PLA. I have an enclosure (lack based) that works great for ABS. But when I print PETG and PLA, I need to get the enclosure cooler. I am adding a temperature sensor to the unit to run an exhaust fan to move some hot air out. When I print PLA and PETG, I will set the temperature down, and when printing ABS, leave the temperature high. I didn't want heat to escape during ABS prints, so I whipped up a 120mm fan housing with louvers that push open when the fan is turned on. I wasn't sure if the fan would have enough CFM to move the louvers, but it mostly works. The current fan is 53CFM according to the spec sheet. I have ordered another fan with a higher CFM so the louvers will open wider allowing for more air movement. Here is a video of my first tests: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lt_kuR0iVJw I printed this all in PETG. I wanted the louvers to be a little bendy so the pins can be manipulated into the holes in the housing. When installing the 6 louvers, it's best to start from the bottom. Make sure the pins are clear of print brim or raft or whatever and the holes in the housing are nice and clean. You want as little friction as possible so the fan can push the louvers open and gravity can close them when the fan is off. Of course it's not air tight, but it seems to work well. Notice that the louvers have a flat side and a curved side. Slice it with the flat side down to the bed.