Looking for variety of good cases

[heinburgh]

Hello good folks,

I'm working on a few different projects, some use UNO's, others MEGA's, with combinations of SIM800 shields, SD Card shields, RF sender modules, etc. So I'm looking for a good source of cases for my projects of decent quality and various shapes, sizes, colours. So far ebay and amazon have not shown to have much of a variety, I was wondering if any of you have a good online source for cases.

Thanks in advance!

Hein

[robtillaart]

3D printing ?

[heinburgh]

Do mean mean I should 3d print cases? Don't have one.

My projects are mostly to do with remote switches and sensing and reporting.

[ard_newbie]

http://www.duinocases.com/product-category/arduino-enclosures/

[robtillaart]

http://www.duinocases.com/product-category/arduino-enclosures/

Pricy but nice

[PeterPan321]

Hello good folks,

I'm working on a few different projects, some use UNO's, others MEGA's, with combinations of SIM800 shields, SD Card shields, RF sender modules, etc. So I'm looking for a good source of cases for my projects of decent quality and various shapes, sizes, colours. So far ebay and amazon have not shown to have much of a variety, I was wondering if any of you have a good online source for cases.

Thanks in advance!

Hein

Having nothing specifically to do with Arduino, I've used POLYCASE (Polycase.com) products and also BUD (https://www.budind.com/), on occasionally HAMMOND. Also, for what its worth, I've learned the hard way to work backwards. That is, a box or case is both the first thing a user sees, and often affects the design plan significantly, its a good idea to pick from available box sizes and THEN, when you find things you like, see which ones will likely fit all your electronics, controls, displays, LED indicators, etc. I say I've learned the hard way because whenever I ASSUME a PCB layout BEFORE picking a box, I often end up re-doing that PC Layout.

Any yeah, people chime in to everything these days with "3d Printer". In my estimation the cost of a 3d printer of acceptable quality, along with supplies, and the 3D CAD learning curve and time needed to turn out a design is usually not sensible for a prototype. And lets face it, until something is PROVEN and survives a test market, calling it more than a "prototype" is risky at best. But I digress! ;-)

[DangerouslyExplosive]

You could always design and CNC or laser-cut your own from acrylic/wood/[insert material here].

The designs are simple because they are 2D, and as such the learning curve is minimal.

Another cool thing I found is the idea to use the PCBs themselves as a case, especially when everything is surface-mount on the interior. All it takes is some fiddling with the design, and then you've got it!

-D.E.

[cedarlakeinstruments]

I wholeheartedly agree with PeterPan321. Those manufacturers make great cases and 3D printing, while useful, seems pointless to me unless you're looking for something not available off the shelf. Even then, the 3D  print falls short if you need a transparent cover, or a NEMA4X (washdown-proof) rating, or any number of other structural properties. That off the shelf $20 polycarbonate case has a lot of engineering time put into it.

As far as laser cut enclosures, I've yet to find one that doesn't look completely ugly like something a 6 year-old put together for a craft class. Seriously, burnt wood edges is not a professional look! I have seen PROFESSIONAL enclosures for large machinery made out of wood and particle board and you'd never know what the material was. Those "snap together jigsaw cases" all look like crap in my opinion. And that's a pity, because you can do some great stuff with a laser cutter. It's just that the community has apparently decided to embrace the lowest common denominator design quality.

@OP:
My gotos are Polycase & Bud for plastic wall and desk mount enclosures. Hammond for metal enclosures (although Bud has some nice aluminum cast boxes). Serpac or OPC for handheld/belt mount types. Altech for industrial enclosures with electrical knockouts (although Polycase is now carrying those also).

[heinburgh]

Some good leads, thank you all kindly. I agree on the esthetics of laser cut etc - I'm pursuing a commercial market and my stuff need to look GOOD.

Cheers

[cedarlakeinstruments]

I forgot one thing: Polycase has very reasonable prices on enclosure modifications. Custom cutouts, multicolor printing, etc. with no minimum order. Other manufacturers provide those services, but I have the most experience using them. Not affiliated, just a happy customer.

I made the same comments about enclosures on my blog here

When I have time, I'll update the post with some more information and suggestions.

[Jedi_2]

If it means software interface, I do have a favorite design which is a password manager.