Noctua explains why its chromax.black fans take so long to release

Noctua has published a technical blog detailing why chromax.black versions of its fans often launch months or years after the standard brown and beige models. The company attributes these delays to the complex engineering required when introducing new pigments into the injection moulding process, which can alter material properties and disrupt the tolerances of its designs.

According to Noctua, its fans are designed with extremely tight tip clearances between the impeller and the frame, measuring approximately 0.5mm for 120mm fans and 0.7mm for 140mm fans. The company states that introducing third-party pigments can disrupt the structure of its Sterrox liquid-crystal polymer (LCP). Noctua claims that pigment particles possess unique characteristics that affect the behavior of the molten plastic during injection moulding, potentially leading to microscopic structural changes.

The manufacturer compares the process to the precision required in Formula 1 engineering rather than a simple aesthetic change. These material variations reportedly impact the results of Noctua's lab performance testing, necessitating extensive re-evaluation to ensure the black versions match the performance of the original designs.

Noctua confirmed it is currently preparing the chromax.black version of the NF-A12x25 G2, scheduled for release approximately 10 months after the launch of the original model. By comparison, the first-generation NF-A12x25 chromax.black took three years to reach the market, a delay the company attributed to a combination of engineering hurdles and pandemic-related logistical issues.

KitGuru says: Have you ever wondered why the Noctua chromax.black fans take so much longer to release? 

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