3D Printed, Snap Fit Enclosures

This week I brought my 3D printer out from the attic because I wanted to build some electronics enclosures. I’m fairly experienced with CAD and Fusion 360. However, my experience with building boxes is limited to laser cutting. This blog documents my first steps learning to build laser-cut enclosures and references to resources about building electronics enclosures using a 3D printer.

My first attempt at an enclosure failed because the connection pins failed to be able to enter their bosses. The pins were also too weak and broke off in the process of attempting to force them in. I realize now that I need some design rules for dimensioning parts to achieve these types of clearances.

References

Example 3D Printed Enclosures

Adafruit Feather/Perma-Proto board case

Design Guides

Hub: Enclosure Design Guide

Hub: Dimensional Accuracy of 3D Printed Parts

Hub: Snap Fit Joints for 3D Printing

Adafruit (Video): Easy Snap Fit Cases!

Hub: Snap Fits

This entry was posted in 3D Printing, Projects. Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply