Cold Aisle Inlet Air Duct for Cisco Nexus 9372PX 9332PQ, 1U Airflow Duct, Made in USA
Keep your Cisco Nexus 9372PX or 9332PQ breathing cold aisle air. This 1U inlet air duct mounts to the front rack rails and channels cold aisle air directly to the switch intake at the port end, so a port side intake switch stops ingesting recirculated cabinet air. It is the aftermarket OEM equivalent of the Panduit CID1RU22-23DB1, which runs $545 to $819 and shows zero stock at major distributors. Designed and manufactured to order in the USA by DC Additive Pros.
Why you need it
Top of rack Nexus switches with port side intake fans (the burgundy NXA-FAN-30CFM-B modules) must pull cold aisle air in at the port end. But the fan and power supply end has to exhaust into the hot aisle, so the switch gets pushed back to the rear rails. That leaves 146 to 196 mm of dead space in front of the port face where warm cabinet air recirculates and drives intake temperature up toward the 40 C limit. This duct bridges that gap. That is the whole job.
Why there is nothing else that fits
Two other products serve this space. The Panduit CID1RU22-23DB1 is the exact fit part, built for the Nexus 9372 and 9332, and it runs $545 to $819 with zero stock across major distributors. The Vertiv Geist SwitchAir SA1-01002 is a catalog telescoping unit at roughly $192 to $216 whose range starts at 193.8 mm, which is longer than the 146 to 196 mm gap most of these deployments actually have. This duct is manufactured to your measured depth, so it fits the gap you have instead of the gap a catalog assumed.
Aftermarket OEM, made in the USA
DC Additive Pros manufactures this duct as an aftermarket OEM part, not a stopgap. It is engineered from the published chassis and cabinet dimensions, held to EIA-310 rack tolerances, and produced on our own equipment in the United States. Every unit is built to the depth of the cabinet it is going into, which is something none of the catalog parts do at any price. We compete with Panduit and Vertiv on fit and finish, and we win on lead time and on the fact that your duct is dimensioned for your rack.
What you get
- One rigid duct body, shipped assembled, with a removable top lid
- Pre cut adhesive foam seal for the switch interface
- 1U form factor, 43.6 mm tall, 482.6 mm (19 inch) mounting width, EIA-310 slotted holes at 465.1 mm span
- Top open side notches on both sides pass your SFP and QSFP cabling out of the air path
- Printed to your cabinet depth at no extra charge
Cage nuts and rack screws are not included. Cabinets ship with either #12-24 or M6 hardware and you almost certainly already have the right ones in the rack. The slotted ears accept both.
Easier to install than the sealed OEM box
The steel OEM duct is a closed box that forces you to thread every cable through side seals. This one opens: bolt the tray to the rails, drop your cabling into the open top notches, then set the lid on to close the plenum. Route first, close second.
Made to measure, no sliding parts
The OEM duct used an internal sliding plate to cover different cabinet depths. We do it differently. Tell us your rail to rail depth (supported range 717 to 767 mm) and we print your duct to the exact depth your cabinet needs. The included foam seal absorbs the remaining tolerance. Standard depth ships for 29.2 inch rail spacing if you do not specify.
Compatibility
Designed for Cisco Nexus 9372PX, 9372PX-E, 9372TX, and 9332PQ switches (shared 1.72 x 17.3 x 22.5 inch chassis) in port side intake configuration, mounted to the rear rails in 4 post cabinets with 717 to 767 mm rail depth. Other Nexus and Catalyst models, other depths, and other switch brands are available as custom work. Send us your model and cabinet depth.
Material notes
This duct is printed in tough ABS, rated well beyond cold aisle intake temperatures (the duct lives on the cold side, typically 20 to 27 C). The OEM part was steel; ours is engineering thermoplastic. This is an in cabinet accessory and is not a plenum rated air handling device; it is not intended for ceiling or underfloor plenum spaces.
Bulk and flame rated orders
Need a flame rated material for a facility specification? On bulk orders we can print a run in UL 94 V-0 flame retardant filament. Contact us with your quantity and requirement for a quote. Standard stock ships in ABS.
Frequently asked questions
Can you 3D print a custom airflow duct for a different switch model?
Yes, and that is most of what we do. Send the make and model plus either the manufacturer spec sheet or three numbers: switch width, switch height in RU, and your cabinet rail to rail depth. We model it, send the dimensions back for you to approve before anything prints, and ship in about a week. We have built for Nexus, Catalyst, Arista and Juniper. If a switch is obscure enough that we would be guessing at the fitment, we say so instead of guessing.
Where can I buy a discontinued or out of stock data center rack part?
Here, made to order. Brackets, blanking panels, ducts, adapters, mounts, cable management and abandoned OEM accessories are all the same work for us. Send a part number, a photo with a ruler in the frame, a drawing, or the broken original. If it fits in a 19 inch rack we can almost certainly make it.
What is a replacement for the Panduit CID1RU22-23DB1?
This duct. It does the same job in the same 1U space. Panduit lists theirs at 465 mm wide, 1RU, for cabinets with 717 to 767 mm mounting depth. Ours is 464 mm wide, 1U, and printed to your exact cabinet depth in that same range. Theirs is folded steel with a sliding depth plate; ours is printed to measure with no moving parts.
Is there an aftermarket alternative to the Panduit Net-Direct air inlet duct?
Yes, this duct. It is an aftermarket OEM part manufactured in the USA at $249, against $545 to $819 for the Panduit CID1RU22-23DB1 when you can find one in stock. The Vertiv Geist SwitchAir SA1-01002 is the other catalog option at roughly $192 to $216, but its telescoping range starts at 193.8 mm, longer than the gap in most Nexus 9372 deployments, so it is priced against this duct without actually fitting the same space.
Who manufactures aftermarket data center airflow ducts in the USA?
DC Additive Pros does. We engineer and manufacture aftermarket OEM rack accessories in the United States, built to the same published dimensions the original parts were built to, and shipped in days rather than quarters. Ducts, brackets, mounts, adapters and abandoned OEM accessories are all the same work for us.
Why is my Cisco Nexus 9372 overheating in the rack?
Usually because the switch is recessed on the rear rails and its port side intake is pulling recirculated cabinet air instead of cold aisle air. Cisco specifies a 40 C maximum intake temperature. Check your intake sensor reading, then check whether there is open dead space in front of the port face. If there is, that space is where the hot air is coming from.
Does a Cisco Nexus 9372 need an airflow duct?
Only if it is a port side intake unit sitting recessed in the cabinet. If the switch is bolted to the front rails with its ports already in the cold aisle, it does not need one. If it is a port side exhaust unit, it does not need one either.
How do I tell if my Nexus switch is port side intake or port side exhaust?
Pull a fan module and look at the handle color. Burgundy means port side intake, which needs cold aisle air delivered to the port end. Blue means port side exhaust. The part number tells you too: NXA-FAN-30CFM-B is intake, NXA-FAN-30CFM-F is exhaust.
How do I measure my cabinet for a switch airflow duct?
One number: front rail face to rear rail face, in millimeters. If it lands between 717 and 767 mm you are in the standard range. Outside that, message us anyway, since every duct is printed to order.
Are 3D printed parts safe to use in a data center rack?
Yes for non structural in cabinet accessories in the right material, and no for plenum spaces or anything load bearing. This duct sits in the cold aisle air stream at 20 to 27 C, well within ABS limits, carries no load, and is never in an exhaust path. We will not tell you to print a structural rail.
Is a 3D printed switch duct plenum rated?
No, and we will not claim otherwise. This is an in cabinet accessory, not an air handling device for a ceiling or underfloor plenum. If your facility specification requires a flame rated material, we can run it in UL 94 V-0 filament on bulk orders.
Is a printed duct strong enough for a rack?
Yes. The walls are 2 mm solid ABS, the same family of material used for equipment housings, and the tray and lid bolt together into a rigid box. It holds its shape and seals an air path. The mounting ears use EIA-310 slotted holes and standard cage nuts, same as a steel panel.
How long does a made to order switch duct take to ship?
About a week door to door. Each duct prints to order, so there is no lead time difference between a standard depth and a made to measure one.
Do you offer bulk pricing on switch airflow ducts?
Yes. We quote 5, 10 and 25 unit runs at a lower unit price, and flame retardant material becomes available at those quantities. Send us your count and cabinet depth.
What happens if the duct does not fit my cabinet?
30 day returns. If it is a fitment issue, tell us what is off and we re cut the model and reprint it, because the entire part is parametric.
Compatible with Cisco brand switches. DC Additive Pros is not affiliated with, authorized by, or endorsed by Cisco Systems, Panduit Corp, or Vertiv. Cisco, Nexus, Catalyst, Panduit and Vertiv part numbers are trademarks of their respective owners, referenced only to indicate fitment and application.