switch lever exhaust

I’m working on patent for an air filter that I designed during my freshman year at Drexel. I’d tell you more but you’d steal it, :wink:
I am looking for a material that air can pass through easily, but light cannot. I have thought of either AC filters (I’m not sure if they’re opaque enought, though) and this stuff at work.

At work, there is a pneumatic system setup for switching between rails, etc. (details not important) On the switch levers, or whatever you call them, the levers used to actuate the cylinder, there is an exhaust. The exhaust is covered (to protect it from foreign objects) by a hard white foam-like material.

I’m sorry I don’t know the proper terminology, but does anyone know what I’m refering to? Does anyone know what this foam like material is?
I’ll bring my digital camera to work tomarrow and get a picture of it, to clarify for you.

There are 100’s maybe 1000’s of powdered metal filtration media sources.

Seach with google you will find many many sources. I have one such search result linked to below.

I hope this helps.

Joe J.

One PM Filter source

Most LIkely the White bit you see is an muffler for the air comming out, they are avaliable in mcmaster, and possably in the size you may need.

I have a pnumatic air filter, which uses that stuff. Its also in the end of alot of pen ink cartridges(i think its the same stuff).

as promised here are the pictures. The part I’m referring to with a very eye pleasing arrow pointing to my dilemma.





and the good stuff





i would put a train whistle on the exhaust ports That would be so P.I.M.P.

Here’s what you are looking for:

SMC: AN ]03 Series Mufflers, specifically from your picture, AN203 (See Page 2)
The material is “PP Sintered”, or Sintered Polypropylene
http://www.smcusa.com/CC_catalogs_3100/smc//lines/smc//area/AN_6009.pdf

Thanks. I went to the site and found info about the lever, but didn’t realize that there was that silencer on it. Thanks again.