Acousti Ultra-Soft Flush-Fit Silicone Fan Mounts AFM02B

Sometimes the cheapest solutions are the best, and these super-soft silicone fan mounts definitely fall into that category. They don’t cut down on air noise due to high fan speed, but for preventing low frequency fan rumble they are worth every penny.

See also: AFM03B Easy-Fit Fan Mounts

Why are Fan Mounts Necessary?

Vibration from fan motors can travel into a PC case and become amplified when a fan is fitted tightly. This unwanted ‘vibrational’ noise is an issue if you wish to build a very quiet or virtually silent PC. These mounts have been designed ‘from the drawing-board’ specifically to tackle fan-induced vibrational noise! Acousti Ultra-Soft Fan Mounts are a ‘no-vibration’ alternative to standard fan screws or hard plastic push pins.

To prevent the transmission of vibrations from a motor (such as a fan motor), the vibrating part needs to be decoupled (or disengaged) from the case, and the vibrations need to be damped, that is, attenuated. Acousti Products have selected an ultra-soft silicone polymer that effectively decouples the fan and also attenuates unwanted vibration. Both the shape and materials have been designed together to give a widely compatible fan mount.

These mounts are made from an ultra-soft silicone polymer because it is softer and more chemically stable than cheaper alternatives like rubber or EPDM. Ultra-soft silicone is non-toxic, more chemically stable, and can also tolerate higher temperatures - so it is a superior material for this application.

AFM02B - Acousti Ultra-Soft Fan Mounts are available in both Retail Packs of 8 mounts (shown), and packs of 100 mounts in bulk (enough for 25 fans) for OEM and system builders.

AFM02B Fan Mount Design. The fan mount has been designed with smoothed corners to prevent the propagation of cracks when stretched. When in position, the fan is held 1.25mm away from the case side - this is just enough to allow free movement of the fan and effectively absorb vibrations, but not too much to cause excessive air pressure loss around the fan.

Compatibility

Please note that this product is only compatible with flange type fans. This is because flange type fans (shown below) do not have a ‘tunnel’ connecting the mounting holes like Rib type fans. Flange type design is the most popular type of fan moulding used in PCs & servers. For rib-type fans, we recommend gaskets rather than fan mounts, which will give equally good performance. centre.

Fitting Instructions

1. Fit fan mounts to the case FIRST! Thread the fan mounts from the outside of the case through the case fan mounting holes, and pull the end of the mount (the arrowhead part) though until the mount ‘pops’ into position.

2. Thread the fan onto the fan mounts. Align the mounting holes on the fan corners with the fan mounts, and gently place the fan onto the mounts, so that they poke through each hole.

3. Pull fan mounts through fan holes. Using your forefinger and thumb, carefully pull the ‘arrowhead’ part of the fan mounts through the fan mounting holes. The trick here is to pull through and sideways at the same time, easing the arrowhead through. The arrowhead should pull though with a small ‘pop’.