EEVblog 1537 - NEW PROJECT Enclosure Search FAIL

Working on a new project, Dave failed at finding an off-the-shelf enclosure, can you find one?

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#ElectronicsCreators #project #enclosure

[EEVblog]

Closest I can find is a PDT555 console enclosure from Ningbo Keao, but it's 300m wide. I think it's ultimately pointless to continue to search.

[TomMinnick]

I now just do custom 3D printed enclosures. It was the main reason I got into 3D printing.

[ianide]

Being a person that cannot stick to a single hobby, I started out with buying a desktop CNC engraver. I find it rather fun to mill out my own circuit boards. Nevermind the cheap board making houses, I get to make this myself. This lead straight to a desire to have custom project enclosures, so then I designed and built my own 3D printer. Learning CAD, circuit design, and CAM programming actually lead me to a career in the company that I work at now. I always 3D print my own boxes now.

[williamgottlieb]

Your drawing looks like an early 1980s LED alarm clock where big red seven-segment displays would be on the sloped window. Time set, alarm, hour minute and such would be chosen with buttons on the level section.

[wurl]

Hi, Dave. In your Google picture search, you've found several enclosures for small display and big keypad. Maybe, if you change your 3D perspective, and swap bottom side with back side, you might find yourself having found an enclosure for big display and small keypad..

[PaulSteMarie]

That's called a console in my experience. Bud PC-11495 is one such. PacTec has some that are similar, but don't have the upright panel, just the sloped panel, at various angles.

[TheDefpom]

I have some enclosures that are similar to what you are looking for, I use them for an electronic event scoring system I built, I will reply to this comment with the URL for them in case it gets filtered, they do a few versions of the case, with and without the screen cutout, and in cream or black. I 3D print a button surround as my unit has 9 buttons on the bottom section, the screen section and bottom section have posts for PCB mounting inside.

EDIT: you found them @15:40

[WreckDiver]

You're looking for a console it seems. Good luck. We had to custom make 100% of our "consoles' for our products for 3 different companies I've worked for. Even with the companies that specialize in this stuff they all said "we don't do consoles because there are literally 10 million versions, and even if we thought we had the most common 10, we'd never sell enough"...so...yea, weldshop made them up for us.

[mikeselectricstuff]

You could make something close using PCBs - do the ends in 2.4mm material with depth milling to locate pieces of PCB for the panels. Held together with lengths of threaded rod, or right-angle brackets off the internal PCB
Another approach I've seen a while ago is for the top & front/rear to be made out a a sheet of ABS, scored, folded and glued with solvent cement to make 2 halves. There was a hook profile machined into the mating edges to make it snap together This looked very professional with minimal tooling.
Of course folded metal is another possibility.

[AppliedCryogenics]

Enclosures are so freaking expensive, it's worth it after the first couple projects just to get a metal break, tin snips, and a center punch, and watch some diy videos.

[beauslim]

Got into 3d printing to make enclosures for handheld electronics projects because premade enclosures were too limiting. ABS filament is available in every color you could possibly want, and modern machines make it easy to print with. Get a soldering-iron bit for heat-press inserts and learn to design with them in mind, and you can CAD up a new enclosure in minutes and have it ready to go in a few hours of print time.

[IanScottJohnston]

I failed to find an enclosure for the PDVS2mini and ended up getting them custom CNC'd & anodised (aluminium) in China. Supplied them a simple 2D drawing and am able to order in low quantities.
PS. UK costs were quoted 10x the cost.

[BBC]

If we were playing Pictionary I would've guessed your "Dave CAD" drawing reminds me of a vintage digital alarm clock.

[juweinert]

"Console" seems to be a magic keyword. I found a few "desktop console enclosure"

[complexity]

Good video. I did not know what to search for in the past. Enclosure manufacturers for when you need big runs. Either way, this very need led me to build my own prototype boxes: Like everyone else, choose one of following (or all of these like I did).
1. 3d_printer + PLA_filament
2. 3d_pinter + ABS_filament + [Air filters so you don't die of long term exposure to plastics]
3. Tig_and_flux-core_Welder + Auto_darken_first_helmet 1/50000_or_faster_delay + angle_grinder +

The welder was a waste for small enclosures, but I use the welder for other big enclosures like car modifying and rack server. I build my own ATX boxes too. Make sure your metals are not galvanized or you'll get sick. There are other things with welding. Welding is dangerous for most people are not physically inclined. But the savings are huge. Server racks that I need are like $1_000. I can build one for about $100 bucks now.

[AllTheFasteners]

I've been making electronic products for nearly twenty years - and putting the electronics in the box is often the hardest part.

[timothystevenhoward]

that METCASE sloped enclosure looks exactly like the Lego classic space sloping computer pieces from the 1980s! <3

[miker]

At 4:52 there was a bus industries SC-13101 from Newark sorta looked like what you wanted

[UpLateGeek]

Another approach could be to find an enclosure where the bottom half works as the basal platten to mount your PCB board to, then 3D print a custom top half that holds your buttons and display. Or you cold find one that has a bottom and top shell that works for holding the PCB board and buttons, then 3D print a shell that mounts on top to hold the display at the right angle.

[alasdair]

I frequently fabricate similar style enclosures from sheet metal, perforate all openings and then vinyl wrap for a good finish. Vinyl wrap is so much better than paint or powder coat and can always be re wrapped if damaged.
Dave, if you get stuck I can custom make you one with cutouts, although you did state no metal...
(Im in Tassie)