3D Printing for Custom Project Enclosures - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: JoeN
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 22, 2015, 10:47:13 pm
content: Anyone have any experience with this? Is this a good idea? I want to be able to make enclosures with cutouts of arbitrary sizes and shapes (for the cutouts - the cases will be rectangular with rounded edges, hopefully). The sizes I am thinking of don't work well with what is available as standard sizes, and those don't have the appropriate cutouts anyway. What would be a relatively inexpensive setup for a printer plus software which could be used by someone not experienced with 3D modeling at this time (but experienced with hobby electronics, programming, etc.) which would make good professional looking enclosures (maybe with a little manual labor rounding off corners with a file, etc. - does not need to be perfect.)Thank you for any help you may give.

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 22, 2015, 10:53:05 pm
content: Search Thingiverse for examples of 3d cases for arduino and raspberry pi. The are very common.

author: mikeselectricstuff
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 22, 2015, 11:23:36 pm
content: Terrible idea - 3D prints always look like cheap rubbish. Find a nice off-the-shelf case.

author: sleemanj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2015, 12:46:35 am
content: Quote from: JoeN on September 22, 2015, 10:47:13 pmYes, I've made the odd enclosure. Here's a work in progress - a constant current supply using an old printer power supply and a CC dc-dc converter, which I'll get around to finishing one of these days.Designed in onshape (www.onshape.com), kept pretty simple because 3d design is hard, a shelled rectangle with filleted edges, split in 2, some vent slots in the top, some cut outs for various hardware, printed-in mounting pins for the mains PSU (which I will "heat-stake") printed-in bracket for the DC-DC converter with window for a heatsink, and that's about it. I will just be gluing it together since it's never going to have to come apart anyway and I couldn't be bothered finding what size screws I had.Onshape is feature-rich, but consequently a large learning curve. I've also made enclosures (and other things) in tinkercad, which has less features, but is easier to get started with and is perfectly capable of being used to make simple enclosures.This is printed on a cheap chinese (laser cut plywood frame) i3 printer in PLA, I forget the print time exactly, I think it was something like 9 hours total for the 2 parts and would have been a 0.3mm layer height. But I have more interest (usually) in functionality of prints rather than aesthetics, I don't care that layers are visible, I don't care if the surface isn't perfect etc

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2015, 04:44:45 am
content: This is a custom 3D case for Gerry Sweeney's resistor decade. Works like a charm.http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:521303In this recent video, Robert Feranec, the Altium guy mentioned that he is using a 3D printer for custom cases and that he plans to have a video on the subject.As for quality, it's up to you how much effort you want to invest in quality. A file and wet sandpaper can do miracles and there are other useful techniques such as the metal threaded inserts here in this 3D printer part

author: Mechatrommer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2015, 10:04:33 am
content: Quote from: sleemanj on September 23, 2015, 12:46:35 amwhy the need for 3d printed cuboid? when someone said 3d printing is crap? why dont just buy off-the-shelf if its just a cuboid? much nicer finish, and 3d printed abs or pla are abysmal in term of heat resistance. but... for bumblebee shaped enclosure, i would say 3d printing enclosure is golden way to go if one doesnt want to spend millions on proper CNCed custom enclosure mold.Quote from: zapta on September 23, 2015, 04:44:45 am+1

author: sleemanj
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2015, 12:57:36 pm
content: Quote from: Mechatrommer on September 23, 2015, 10:04:33 amI get exactly the size and shape i want, i get exactly the mounting points and structures i need, i get exactly the holes and cut outs required, and i get it in a matter of hours

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2015, 01:34:13 pm
content: Quote from: sleemanj link=topic=55618.msg761999#msg... and the color you want.

author: The Magic Rabbit
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 23, 2015, 03:37:20 pm
content: Sounds like you have the 3D printer already of you're talking hours. Why not just give it a try and see if you like the end result? Remember you can already plastic primer onto anything and then use a massive range of colour finishes. You can even use car spray paint once plastic primed.Sent from my XT1039 using Tapatalk