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Lockheed Martin
Amazon
Apple
Meta
Samsung
MIT
Walt Disney Co.
Tesla
Toyota
Volkswagen
John Deere
Procter & Gamble
Home Depot
Corning
Hologic
Analog Devices
Molex
Red Hat
Cricut
Oak Ridge Nat'l Lab
Pacific Northwest Nat'l Lab
Jefferson Lab
MIT Lincoln Lab
NOAA
U.S. Air Force
U.S. Navy
U.S. Army
U.S. Marine Corps
Blue Origin
Sierra Nevada Corp.
Collins Aerospace
L3Harris
General Dynamics
Rolls-Royce
Kitty Hawk
BAE Systems
Booz Allen Hamilton
CACI
Northrop Grumman
Figure
GSK
Takeda
U. of Michigan
U. of Florida
Texas A&M
UT Austin
Northeastern
NC State
U. of Iowa
U. of Edinburgh
Description
xClearview Plastics · SnowX SnowPod Enclosure · Coming soon
Engineered safety enclosure for the SnowX SnowPod
The Clearview SnowPod enclosure is a second layer of containment around SnowX's desktop SLM metal printer. It contains the metal powder and fine metal dust that get out when the SnowPod's own closed loop has to open: swapping powder pods, docking the transfer box, emptying the waste powder container and changing the rear filter. A 4″ exhaust carries that air, and the nitrogen the printer purges, out of the room. Pair it with the matching 4040 workstation table and the SnowPod, its NitroPod and your powder supplies become one mobile metal-printing station.
SnowX built the SnowPod around powder safety: closed powder pods, a transfer box for part removal, dual HEPA filtration and an interlock that holds the chamber shut until the air clears. That handles the inside of the printer. The enclosure handles the space around it: the bench, the floor, and the people who share the air. If your lab, school or shop answers to a safety review, the Metal Powder Handling Station document pack covers the written program.
Why enclose a metal printer
Metal powder first. Then fumes, nitrogen and heat.
A metal printer is enclosed for different reasons than a plastic one. The feedstock is a fine stainless steel powder, and 316L is roughly 10–14% nickel and 16–18% chromium by weight. So the job is to keep powder where it belongs, carry metal fume and gas out of the room, and give a heavy, vibration-sensitive machine a steady home.
01 — METAL POWDER
Stray powder stays in the enclosure
Every pod swap, transfer-box dock and waste-container change is a moment the loop opens. Powder that escapes lands on a lipped spill-tray floor inside clear walls, where it's wiped up wet, instead of on the bench, the floor and your shoes.
02 — FUMES AND PARTICULATE
Metal fume goes out the duct
Laser melting turns some of the powder into condensate: nanoparticles of iron, chromium and nickel around 10 nm across. The SnowPod filters its chamber. The enclosure contains what escapes at the door and during filter changes, and the exhaust carries it out.
03 — NITROGEN AND HEAT
Air keeps moving around the printer
The NitroPod feeds the chamber about 3 L/min of nitrogen, and that gas leaves the printer into the space around it, along with up to 700 W of heat. The exhaust and low make-up vents keep both moving out. Never run the enclosure closed with the exhaust off.
04 — PROTECT THE MACHINE
A steady, protected home
The SnowPod weighs 40 kg (88 lb), and vibration can affect print quality. On the matching workstation table it sits on a rigid 4040 frame, behind clear panels that keep shop dust off it and hands off it.
Scope, stated plainly
This is containment and air management around the printer. It does not change the SnowPod's laser safety, its interlocks, or SnowX's own guidance on PPE for powder handling and maintenance. The front door closes on a magnetic latch and the optional lock is for after hours only, so during a print the SnowPod's emergency stop stays one motion away. For anything involving metal powder, keep a Class D extinguishing agent in the room. Water, CO2 and standard ABC extinguishers are the wrong agent for burning metal, and we don't offer BlazeCut on this enclosure for that reason.
What's on it
Tailor fit, with access that follows the metal workflow, not against it.
FRONT
Full-height front door
Opens in one motion to the transfer box, the touchscreen, the emergency stop and the waste powder container. It closes on a magnetic latch; the optional lock is for after hours.
TOP
Lift lid over the pod bays
Lift the enclosure lid, then the SnowPod's top cover, and swap powder pods without moving the enclosure.
FLOOR
Spill-tray base
A lipped floor panel under the printer and the transfer box. Spilled powder stays on a surface you can wipe down wet.
AIR OUT
4″ top-rear exhaust
Placed above the printer's rear filter. Duct it outside with an inline fan, and it carries out powder dust, metal fume, nitrogen and heat.
AIR IN
Low make-up vents
Room air comes in low at the front, so the enclosure runs below room pressure and the leaks go inward, not out into the room.
REAR
Pass-through and service panel
A grommeted port for the NitroPod line and power. The rear panel comes off with a screwdriver for SnowPod filter changes.
Where the NitroPod goes
The NitroPod sits outside the enclosure, on the table's lower shelf, and its line runs through the rear pass-through. That way it draws fresh room air, not the nitrogen-rich air around the printer.
Air cleaning
Duct it out. Metal dust and nitrogen belong outside.
On this enclosure the air step is a ducted exhaust, not a recirculating filter. Run the 4″ port to a window or wall with an inline fan at the end of the run, so the whole duct is under suction and any leak in it pulls inward. Plan on at least 150 CFM at the port. The 200 CFM inline fan is the one we recommend for this machine, because it has to carry out the printer's heat as well as its air. Choose the inline fan and the window exhaust kit in the quote form, or bring your own 4″ duct.
Complete the setup
A matching workstation table for the whole metal station.
TABLE
4040 workstation table
Cut to the enclosure's footprint, not the printer's, with a rigid frame for a heavy, vibration-sensitive machine. Quoted with the enclosure.
STORAGE
Storage cabinet kit
Keeps powder pods, build plates, PPE, the Class D agent and waste powder containers in one place, under the printer that uses them.
LOCK
Optional lock kit
Keyed lock for the front door and the cabinet, for labs and classrooms that keep metal powder away from untrained hands after hours.
Safety documentation
The written program for working with metal powder.
The Metal Powder Handling Station document pack is written for the conversation with your safety officer, facilities team or insurer. It covers powder handling, combustible dust, PPE, Class D fire response and hazardous waste, built on NFPA 484 (combustible metals), NFPA 652 (combustible dust) and OSHA requirements. You can read the full sample before you buy.
Who it's built for
Built for rooms where metal powder is new.
THE LAB
R&D and engineering labs
Fixtures, tooling and test parts in 316L and 17-4PH, next to people who didn't sign up to work beside metal powder.
THE CLASSROOM
Schools and makerspaces
A first metal printer in a room that answers to a safety review and a facilities manager.
THE STUDIO
Jewelry and design studios
Small, detailed metal parts made in a studio, a home office or the corner of a shared shop.
Fortune 500 companies, government labs and top universities run Clearview enclosures. So do physicians, attorneys, executives and senior engineers.
Coming soon
Tell us you want one.
The SnowPod is launching through SnowX's Kickstarter, and we build around real machines. Final dimensions are set once we measure a production unit. Use the notify-me button and we'll tell you when it's ready, or send the quote form with your setup: table or bench, exhaust plan, lock kit, and whether your site needs a particular panel material. Schools, labs and makerspaces buying on a PO, the quote form is the way in. Institutional orders set the build order.
About the images
The renders show the Clearview custom safety enclosure in clear acrylic. It shares the CNC-cut panels, bracket system and door hardware with the SnowPod version, but it isn't the SnowPod version, which adds the lift lid, spill-tray base, 4″ exhaust and rear pass-through described above.
FAQ
The SnowPod already has HEPA filtration and closed powder pods. Why enclose it?
The SnowPod's systems protect the inside of the printer. The enclosure covers the moments that loop has to open, like pod swaps, part removal, waste container changes and filter changes, plus the nitrogen and heat the printer releases into the space around it. It's a second barrier, not a replacement for SnowX's own.
Will nitrogen build up inside the enclosure?
Not with the exhaust running. Even a small fan moves air around a hundred times faster than the NitroPod's 3 L/min, so the nitrogen is diluted and carried out. With the exhaust off and the door shut, it would build up in the small air space around the printer. That's why the enclosure is never run closed without the exhaust, and why the NitroPod sits outside it.
Do I still need PPE?
Yes. Follow SnowX's guidance on PPE for loading powder, removing parts and servicing the printer. The enclosure reduces how far stray powder travels. It doesn't change what you wear when you handle it.
How do I clean powder off the panels?
Wipe with a damp cloth, or use a vacuum built for combustible metal dust. Never use compressed air, a broom or a regular shop vac on metal powder. Plastic panels can hold a static charge, and fine powder clings to them. If your site requires grounded or static-dissipative surfaces, say so in the quote form.
Why no fire suppression option?
Burning metal needs a Class D agent. The BlazeCut tube we offer on plastic printers and lasers isn't one, so we don't offer it here. Keep a Class D extinguisher or the agent SnowX recommends in the room.
What size is it?
SnowX publishes the SnowPod at 360 × 360 × 660 mm (14.2 × 14.2 × 26 in) and 40 kg. We size the enclosure with room on the sides, space behind for the NitroPod line, power and the rear filter housing, and lid clearance for the pod bays. Final dimensions are confirmed on a production unit before we cut.
Will it fit another desktop metal printer?
Send the make, model and a photo of your tape measure through the quote form. We'll tell you if this build fits or quote one that does.
Where is it made?
CNC-cut and assembled in Rocklin, California.
What's your return policy?
30 days. Unused, undamaged panels with the masking fully attached get a full refund, less return shipping. Damaged or unmasked panels can't be refunded.
Not affiliated with or endorsed by SnowX. SnowX, SnowPod and NitroPod are used only to describe fit.
Shipping & Return
xReturns Policy
-Our policy lasts 30 days. If 30 days have gone by since your purchase, unfortunately we can’t offer you a refund or exchange. -To be eligible for a return, your item must be unused and in the same condition that you received it. It must also be in the original packaging. -We reserve the right to charge a 20% restock fee for parts that are no longer in new condition. These examples apply: Acrylic Panels that have had the protective mask peel off. Fans and filters that have been used before return. -Custom items are not available for return -Shipping charges from returning the item and charges for shipping the order out that were paid by Clearview will be deducted from the order's final refund. Additional non-returnable items: * Gift cards * Downloadable software products * Some health and personal care items To complete your return, we require a receipt or proof of purchase. Please do not send your purchase back to the manufacturer. There are certain situations where only partial refunds are granted: (if applicable) * Book with obvious signs of use * CD, DVD, VHS tape, software, video game, cassette tape, or vinyl record that has been opened. * Any item not in its original condition, is damaged or missing parts for reasons not due to our error. * Any item that is returned more than 30 days after delivery Refunds (if applicable) Once your return is received and inspected, we will send you an email to notify you that we have received your returned item. We will also notify you of the approval or rejection of your refund. If you are approved, then your refund will be processed, and a credit will automatically be applied to your credit card or original method of payment, within a certain amount of days. Late or missing refunds (if applicable) If you haven’t received a refund yet, first check your bank account again. Then contact your credit card company, it may take some time before your refund is officially posted. Next contact your bank. There is often some processing time before a refund is posted. If you’ve done all of this and you still have not received your refund yet, please contact us at contact@clearviewplastic.com. Sale items (if applicable) Only regular priced items may be refunded, unfortunately sale items cannot be refunded. Exchanges (if applicable) We only replace items if they are defective or damaged. If you need to exchange it for the same item, send us an email at contact@clearviewplastic.com and send your item to: 4235 Pacific St Ste H, Rocklin, CA, 95677, United States.Shipping
We can ship to virtually any address in the world. International orders include brokerage fees for customs. Duties, VAT, taxes, and other fees may need to be collected prior to delivery. Every country and local is different so we cannot provide an exact estimate of these fees.
When you place an order, we will estimate shipping and delivery dates for you based on the availability of your items and the shipping options you choose. Depending on the shipping provider you choose, shipping date estimates may appear on the shipping quotes page.
Please also note that the shipping rates for many items we sell are weight-based. The weight of any such item can be found on its detail page. To reflect the policies of the shipping companies we use, all weights will be rounded up to the next full pound.
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