Use Additive Manufacturing to create custom PCB enclosures.
Use 3D printing for no tooling costs, and few design constraints when manufacturing your electronics casings.
3D Printed Manufacturing for Electronics Enclosures.
By 3D printing your enclosure, you can create a finished product experience for your hardware. Manufacturing with 3D people means you can have injection moulded quality parts without the tooling costs, minimum order quantities and design restrictions.
Six reasons to choose additive for PCB enclosures:
1. No Tooling Costs
1, 10 or 1000+ parts with no start-up costs. Unlike traditional manufacturing, we require no set-up costs to 3D print your part
2. No Min Quantity
Use our 3D printers to produce a 1 off prototype or a batch run of parts, there is no minimum order quantity required.
3. Design Freedom
Use design features impossible in traditional manufacturing. Modify the design of your product between orders.
4. Finishes Available
Take advantage of our Vibro-polishing & Black Dye services for durable high end finishes.
5. Fast Turnaround
Express 2 - 4 working days means you can prototype your part quickly before moving to production
6. Durable Materials
PA12 nylon will create a robust case easily capable of protecting your electronics.
Case Study: Pocket Operator Case
Teenage Engineering Pocket Operators are Ultra-portable groove boxes. Their unique style features an open PCB design that you can use without any enclosure. However, there is a large fanbase that still wants to protect their beat machines from damage.
Case Study: MarineGuard Systems
When installing a security system on a yacht, bespoke solutions are often required for each vessel. To house their security sensors, MarineGuard required a low volume batch of electronics enclosures that can be ordered on demand and adapted each time to their customer’s needs.
Case Study: Midi Thru Case
Tindie’s products are usually PCB boards for DIY projects and therefore do not come as a final consumer electronic product with casing. Starting with just the PCB itself, we reverse-engineered the board and designed a case for a perfect fit. The enclosure had to be rugged enough for bands to take on tour and be thrown about during stage installation and de-installation.
Don’t have a 3D File?
Contact our design team today.
ENCLOSURE MANUFACTURING FAQ
+ How can I order a custom PCB enclosure?
Before we can manufacture your custom PCB enclosure, first you will need a 3D file of the design. For 3D printing, we require files as .STL or .OBJ files.
If you don't have a 3D file
We offer CAD Design services to generate high-quality models optimized for 3D printed manufacture.
If you already have 3D Files
If you have 3D files already, you can order online using the 'Instant Quote' tool on our website.
Upload your 3D files, select a material and instantly order your prints.
+ What is a PCB enclosure?
PCB enclosures are the plastic cases manufactured to hold and protect electronic components when using a device. As circuit boards are usually custom-made for each product, a custom-designed enclosure is required.
+ Is there any tooling or start-up costs for 3D printing custom cases?
When manufacturing your enclosure using 3D people, the only cost you pay is the unit cost. There are no start-up, tooling or other hidden costs in our additive manufacturing service. In fact, by increasing the quantity of parts, you can take advantage of the volume price breaks as shown on the pricing information page.
+ Are 3D printed enclosures cheaper than injection moulding?
Often, additive manufacturing can be more cost-effective than using injection moulding for PCB enclosures. The part cost of a 3D printed enclosure is higher than IM, but due to no tooling costs, the price can be more economical for low to mid-volume parts production. Our customers make savings on quantities up to tens of thousands of parts, and better yet, the designs are not restricted to alterations through the production process.
+ Is there a minimum order quantity for 3D printed electronics enclosures?
No, we can 3D print your design from just one unit. As prototypes are produced on the same machines used for batch manufacturing, the final production run will be exact to the sample/prototype.
+ How can I design my case to be more affordable?
The best way to reduce costs in 3D printing is to minimise the overall volume of the part. The pricing for SLS is calculated by XYZ volume and therefore creating, slimmer, tighter-fitting components will reduce costs significantly. Other than this, if there are multiple parts in your order, you may be able to nest the elements within the casing to reduce costs further. Please see the Guide to 3D nesting.
+ What materials and finishes are available for the cases?
We recommend PA12 Nylon (SLS) for custom electronics enclosures as it is a robust and versatile plastic. The material has several finishes that can be applied for a premium quality final product.