Making cases

[amenjet]

I thought I'd create a topic about this as it might end up quite long.

As well as the casting in resin I recently had a cover for my clockwork pi devterm (https://www.clockworkpi.com/devterm) printed by JLCPCB. It was printed in their 'structural' resin and was reasonably priced at 10 pounds or so. It is quite a large print, about A5 in size. The resin looks quite tough, we'll see as this is a protective cover and will get some knocks etc. Quality wise the print is just about perfect, it is very similar to the case of the devterm which has been injection moulded. I tried printing a Psion case with JLCPCB using a file based on a scan of a case, but that never passed JLCPCBs review process (I did get a query from JLCPCB about this cover but it did eventually pass their reviews and get printed). I think if I model a top slot case using OpenSCAD and design it from the beginning to be 3D printed then it should be possible to pass the review process. I think I'll have a go at that, some time. A few iterations of the printing will probably be needed but I think this should result in a case.

[amenjet]

Well, I had a previous model of the tongue part of a top slot box, so I added an enclosed box to it, and chopped it to get a lid and box part.

I've sent these to JLCPCB for review, so these may not be printable, but I thought I'd try. In resin the box is £1.03, and in nylon it is £3.78. I have ordered both materials to have a look at them.

[amenjet]

The review failed on some case thicknesses, so I have re-done the models and re-submitted. They passed this time.

The models look the same, really:

Screenshot from 2024-05-25 05-40-20.png

Screenshot from 2024-05-25 05-40-01.png

Screenshot from 2024-05-25 05-39-17.png

I've ordered one pair of resin and two from Nylon, as samples. the prices varied, the total order was £16.02 including shipping and fees. It's just wait and see what turns up now.

[amenjet]

Well, the 3D prints are back. I printed the cases in three different materials, the black and grey are nylon, the white is resin.
There's a lot of material differences, the flexibility, temperature tolerance and so on.

IMAG4772.jpg

IMAG4771.jpg

IMAG4769.jpg

The boxes themselves are indeed boxes, the thin walls were printed fine. The long sides are quite flexible, more noticeably with the nylon than the resin. I think reinforcing material would help this. These boxes don't work as top slot boxes as the PCB connector isn't low enough to allow the pins to make contact, so useless from that point of view.
So, i think the white material is probably best in this design but the black nylon could work with reinforcement. The next step is to update the design to try to make a usable box. probably in the size of the two common top slot boxes so I can try to fit a USB adapter or speech adapter in there.

[Daren]

Good progress! Yes those full width top slot cases are very nice, so great to hear you are doing those as well as the comms/power style.

BTW is that a Lenovo T480? I have been looking at those today.

[amenjet]

It's a T460, I think. I bought it nearly new, but it was basically new, and I have used it daily since. It must have been quite a few years ago.

Yes, I started with the larger case, I think because I'd mislaid my USB case.

I've done a video of the 3D printed cases.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZbFOiiDzc4

It turns out that the grey case material is also a nylon, so just the white is resin.