Can Cheap Look Pretty?

The electronics for the new control unit are prebuilt and sourced from China via AliExpress. Therefore it is not surprising that they are very competitively priced (chiefly for cheap). Even though the quality is surprisingly good, most people won't enjoy looking at bare electronics on their desk (apart maybe from some engineers).

I therefore spent a few hours in front of my CAD system to dress those PCBs in white…

Rendered view of the new case design

The idea was to create a classic looking case which can house the electronics without the need for any tools. This means the microcontroler board should simply snap into place and stay there. At least theoretically, If my measuring and drawing was correct and the 3D printing guys do a decent job.

I opted for polyamide SLS printing (Selective Laser Sintering) as it is cost effective and usually delivers good results. Nevertheless, getting the fit right usually requires a few iterations...

Drawing a case for existing electronics means lots of measuring...

...and drawing

After finishing my design, I've ordered two (minimal order quantity) samples today. They should be delivered to my doorstep within 1-2 weeks. Despite all the CAD magic I cant wait to see how the new case looks in person and if everything fits together nicely.

Stay tuned and I'll let you know how this worked out...