Hello all, I hope the time I have been away has been good to everyone. While it has been a long time with no comment from me as always I have been enjoying an occasional perusal of other's projects. A little something I put together has gone very well and I was wondering if anyone knew a good place to have professional cases made. I would like some one who could do quantity. Thank you in advance.

P.S. I am not sure i have put this in the right section maybe it should go into marketplace or some other subcategory again thanks in advance.

 

Any sheet-mteal firm can do them, but they are only as good as your drawing!
For off-the-shelf cases which can easily be drilled to suit I use Hammond:
https://www.hammfg.com/electronics/small-case
some of their distributors will also do machining/drilling
https://www.rapidonline.com/hammond/modifications

 

If you can use a "standard" box, various companies like Hammond or Budd sell a wide array of sizes,features and materials. Hammond will modify at a surprisingly low price (routing and drilling and labeling or printing on quantities as low as 25 pieces. You can order through mouser.
Otherwise, Box Enclosures in Chicagoland.
If you need a full custom injection molded box, plan on $50k to $100k for the mold (assuming lid and box can both be done in one shot in the same mold. Plus about $1 to $5 per box for molding and trimming costs - depending on size and complexity of molding. Plus material cost - $1 to $2/pound plus about 15% losses for purge and clean out and off-spec parts. Prices may be higher if you order small quantities of materials that the iinjection molding company doesn't typically use (or special color). Then add any decorating - printing, hot stamping or labeling. Most any local injection molding commonly can help you convert a design concept to a final part. They would like to be involved early so the part is properly designed for injection molding.

 

Thank you both my first thought was looking for some one that can do something in pressed metal and plastic. but those extruded cases are interesting.

 

What one company did with a Hammond box (I think) and a printed paper label.

 

The trick is avoiding the situation where a customer picks it up and the first thing he thinks is “that’s a Hammond box”. Fortunately, most of the general public wouldn‘t recognise a Hammond box!
Have you noticed that all top-end hi-fi comes in an off-the-shelf enclosure?

Another point worth making is that aluminium extrusion tools are (relatively) cheap (compared to an injection moulding tool).
include some screwports, laser cut some end-plates and you have a unique and stylish* enclosure. if you can make it so that all your connections are on the laser-cut end-plates then that avoids having to machine the extrusion.

*that is, if whoever designs the extrusion has any sense of aesthetics.

 

I cast a vote for extruded aluminum cases from Hammond.
Give us a picture or photo of what you have in mind and we can further advise.

 

Ill have to inquire about prices from Hammond then thanks for all the advice it seems unanimous. Talk to Hammond so I will do just that.

 

hi Tel,
Can you say what type of project you are wanting to enclose.?
E

 

Design it so that most of the modification is on the flat aluminium panels and as little as possible is on the extrusion.

 

Design it so that most of the modification is on the flat aluminium panels and as little as possible is on the extrusion.

sadly not possible It's a USB switch so i need the usb to be on the front and the back.

 

hi Tel,
What would be the 'ideal' dimensions for the enclosure.?

E

 

sadly not possible It's a USB switch so i need the usb to be on the front and the back.

But the extruded cases have one flat panel on the front and one flat panel on the back!
If you want a different length of case it can be "adjusted" with a chop-saw, and I'm sure that you won't have to order that many before Hammond will cut the extrusion to whatever length you want.

 

But the extruded cases have one flat panel on the front and one flat panel on the back!
If you want a different length of case it can be "adjusted" with a chop-saw, and I'm sure that you won't have to order that many before Hammond will cut the extrusion to whatever length you want.

Yeah I thought about that but figured it would look a little strange. IDK all you can do is try and see.

 

You still have not told us what you want the product to look like.
Here is what I created with extruded aluminum stock from Metal Supermarkets.

 

You still have not told us what you want the product to look like.
Here is what I created with extruded aluminum stock from Metals Supermarket.

Ideally, well the picture I have in my mind is kinda like a nice aluminum rectangle with smooth corners curved over the top of a simple plastic bottom the aluminum would only need to be glued or epoxied to the top with a couple holes in it. It would look a little apple esque in its design ques. But an extruded aluminum case would do for a test run.

To be clear I am thinking about personally funding a few hundred of these and seeing if I can sell them. Still havent heard from hammond. Wrote them yesterday Sure Ill hear back by next week.

 

Ideally, well the picture I have in my mind is kinda like a nice aluminum rectangle with smooth corners curved over the top of a simple plastic bottom the aluminum would only need to be glued or epoxied to the top with a couple holes in it. It would look a little apple esque in its design ques. But an extruded aluminum case would do for a test run.

To be clear I am thinking about personally funding a few hundred of these and seeing if I can sell them. Still havent heard from hammond. Wrote them yesterday Sure Ill hear back by next week.

They usually take a few weeks. It is faster if you use the "request quote" on mouser.com if you search custom boxes. Also, you get a faster response if you submit a CAD file of the modified box. Without a CAd file, you might get a quote letter that says, "no quote" or similar.

 

Have a look at these Hammond extruded aluminum cases.

https://www.hammfg.com/electronics/small-case/extruded

I built this project using a case from the 1455 series.

 

Have a look at these Hammond extruded aluminum cases.

https://www.hammfg.com/electronics/small-case/extruded

I built this project using a case from the 1455 series.

That was the series I was looking at actually it looks good. How did you mount it though on the inside. I am thinking Ill need some kind of spring steel riser since I need some components to poke out of the surface and everything is on one board. Just had a thought but I don't like it I could glue it in place but blah.

 

The top panel is loose and slides in, so the pcb could be attached to the panel and then slid in place.
Otherwise the pcbs go in guide slots.
Here's one I did, placing everything on the flat panels, which were replaced by laser-cut acrylic panels. The box is a non-standard size, by cutting a standard box with a 12" hacksaw (it was before I bought the chop-saw).