General Design and Manufacture Discussion

[owliwar]

And Prim0, if you're a student, we may be able to assist you with the cost of your custom case through our Student Sponsorship Program. We support the talents of young engineers and designers, and you can apply to have Protocase manufacture your professional-grade custom enclosures and sheet metal parts.

WOW.
I did not now that! it this still up? do you guys sponsor go as far as south america?
oh boy that would be nice.

It would step up so much my bachelor final project

 

[zovc]

Hey guys, I'm starting to get the hang of farting around in SketchUp--it's pretty quirky. I'm enjoying improving at it, though. I have a few questions.

1. I have only been using the "Workshop" search in SketchUp to find components, it seems kind of lacking in terms of modern hardware. Am I able to import models from here into SketchUp?
   
2. Should I be learning a different free "CAD" suite? Why or why not?
3. It's often a pain in the butt to get an imported component to line up with another part, is there a certain trick to grabbing the right point/corner on a part to have it line up with another point/corner? The measuring tape tool can create guidelines, but I don't really understand how it works... it seems to do a lot of different things and sometimes just doesn't do what I expect it to.
   
4. How do I actually have someone print/cut/machine something I've designed in SketchUp? A library an hour from where I live has a laser cutter that can cut wood (or some wood composite?), I was considering making less structural panels out of that. I am hoping to laser cut or CNC mill aluminum or steel for the more structural parts. Are there any sites worth considering if I'm based in the US? (Louisiana)

 

[GuilleAcoustic]

is there a certain trick to grabbing the right point/corner on a part to have it line up with another point/corner

Found this short tutorials that explains the basics:


The guide lines he draws at the beginning aren't mandatory but it can help with some objects.

 

[CC Ricers]

Hey guys, I'm starting to get the hang of farting around in SketchUp--it's pretty quirky. I'm enjoying improving at it, though. I have a few questions.

1. I have only been using the "Workshop" search in SketchUp to find components, it seems kind of lacking in terms of modern hardware. Am I able to import models from here into SketchUp?

I signed up to GrabCAD and use models from there when I couldn't find anything suitable in 3D Warehouse. But they use other file formats like STEP. My workflow for importing these models is to use FreeCAD, load the STEP from there, select everything and then export this to .STL. You could try importing the .stl from the file import options in Sketchup, but sometimes I find that it's unable to do so. I then would use Blender to import the .stl to a COLLADA .dae file.

All these options are built into the software and you don't need to be an expert in using them- just know the import and export functions. Sometimes you might need to resize it in Blender because the units don't translate and will appear very huge in Sketchup.

1. How do I actually have someone print/cut/machine something I've designed in SketchUp? A library an hour from where I live has a laser cutter that can cut wood (or some wood composite?), I was considering making less structural panels out of that. I am hoping to laser cut or CNC mill aluminum or steel for the more structural parts. Are there any sites worth considering if I'm based in the US? (Louisiana)

To make something printable with a 3D printer: select the objects you want to print and export to .stl. You can use that file format for just about any printing service.

To make cut outs from flat sheets (like from sheets of acrylic, metal, etc.) I recommend this plugin. You can install it directly from Sketchup and use it for selected faces but takes a bit to get used to. It makes a series of flat faces that you can export to .svg. You can then use it as is or load it with InkScape (also free) and it has various file export options too.

I spent a decent amount of time learning the InkScape software just enough to be able to alter the cutout designs, to optimize for price and cutout service. You have to keep in mind the restrictions made with cutting tools.

 

[Qualla]

I have a question regarding the distance between the PCIe panel and the outer edge of the mainboard as shown in the picture below.
The values I found vary from 1.4 to 2mm. So which one is correct?

 

[Biowarejak]

I have a question regarding the distance between the PCIe panel and the outer edge of the mainboard as shown in the picture below.
The values I found vary from 1.4 to 2mm. So which one is correct?

Second image isn't showing for me. When going with values I usually err on the side of caution and quote the larger one. The caveat is that using your head to figure out what logically makes sense is generally also applicable

 

[ASDFG123]

Hi guys, what do think about Trumpf TruPunch 5000 ? I saw on promo video that this machine can bend parts while punching. Is it possible to make parts like on CaseLabs cases on this machine? What is about precision (in comparison with laser)?

 

[Biowarejak]

Hi guys, what do think about Trumpf TruPunch 5000 ? I saw on promo video that this machine can bend parts while punching. Is it possible to make parts like on CaseLabs cases on this machine? What is about precision (in comparison with laser)?

Welcome to the forum!

Granted I've not so much as looked at the machine, and I'm not sure anyone here has, but I'd say the answer is that it is possible with the caveat that the more functions a tool has the worse it tends to be at each of them. So precision might be lacking both in the punches and in the bends.

The only real way to find out is to farm out some sample parts to various processes in order to get an idea of the tolerances at play. Lasers are generally more accurate than punches, but aren't good for all materials, or even only work up to a certain thickness.

The heat can also warp parts if too many cutting operations occur in the same area. Punches are expensive to have custom made, and ultimately do get replaced as production goes on. The benefit is that it can save time compared to laser, and reduce instances of warping.

 

[ASDFG123]

Thanks.

Punches are expensive to have custom made, and ultimately do get replaced as production goes on. The benefit is that it can save time compared to laser, and reduce instances of warping.

I've always thought that CNC punching is cheaper for a mass production than laser cutting.
Actually, are serial cases like TT, CM, Lian li and other made on CNC punching machines or they have custom made press forms and stamping ?

 

[KSliger]

Thanks.

I've always thought that CNC punching is cheaper for a mass production than laser cutting.
Actually, are serial cases like TT, CM, Lian li and other made on CNC punching machines or they have custom made press forms and stamping ?

CNC stamping is cheaper than punching, but new fiber lasers are cheaper and faster than even the best punches. Only thing is you cannot form like countersinks or bridge lances on a laser.

Lian Li uses standard punch presses and press breaks like you're thinking, all other manufacturers use stamp tooling and conveyor lines.

Setting up a metal fabrication shop isn't cheap, will need around $50k to get a Pega, FDB press break, and everything else on the low low end. If you're looking at new stuff punches are around $300 for basic EM punch to $1.8million for the punch/laser combos with auto-load and unload (which trust me you'll want), and new press breaks are $300k~$900k depending on options and automation.

Would not try form punching in a punch press unless you have deep pockets for scrap.

 

[Waffuls]

I've been designing a case off and on and am running into some question cause I don't have the hardware on hand to measure. For a back to back design, how may mm/ inches does the GPU have to be or will end up being with extension?

So with Motherborad | Tray | GPU, the recommended space between the tray and the GPU, and the minimum, recommended space for making the cutouts on the back of the case?

Thanks.

BTW, putting this into resources would be awesome for people wondering the same as me.

 

[KSliger]

PCIe slots are .8" on center, so I would space the GPU side face of the middle tray / rib .8" from the middle of the first slot cutout for the GPU.

There was a wiki / guide under construction but I think that was James project - if anyone wants to take it over I don't mind contributing.

 

[iamtheqi]

HUGE WALL OF TEXT AHEAD

Hi everyone, I'm hoping to custom a SFF case for myself and am currently in the brainstorming phase. I have a bunch of questions so some help would go a long way!

First of, I want to design a case that optimally is smaller than 9L and similar in shape to the likes of the Dan A4, Ghost and Steck. The reason I didn't just order one of those cases is because of the price and shipping included it would cost me well over $350 in my local (Singapore) currency which is quite a big sum of money and I figured if I'm going to spend so much on a case I might as well try to create my own case (partly also because i like to do stuff like this).

For design wise, I'm thinking of taking inspiration from cases like the Steck or the Geeek A50. Okay i'm just gonna put it out there that I'm going to copy as much as I can and only do small adjustments like making it just wide enough or long enough to fit the parts that i want so i can have it just the way i like it. I'm assuming that would be okay since I'm not going to put this design into production and make profit off of it, unless it's not then I'll make myself scarce.

So going forward, I'm thinking between the 2 different mounting methods which I'm going to mainly to refer to the Ghost S1 and Geeek A50. One uses "beams" as it's structure edges and extrudes mounting standoffs from the side while the other has a spine running down the centre of the case. Here are my thoughts on the two mounting methods:

1) The A50 mounting would be easier for me as I have to process less materials and come up with less complicated designs (It's mostly flat plates with holes in them) however, if i were to use this mounting method I'd have to get longer brass standoffs than the ones that are used in the A50 as I want more space to mount my GPU but the main concern there is whether it will be stable enough to have all the weight pulling on those thin and long standoffs. If i do go with this method I'd most likely use the same aluminum profiles that ship with the A50 and i'd have to use those flat nuts that wedge in between the spaces, which is not a deal breaker, but i'm trying to avoid them if i can.

2) If i go with the spine mounting I would preferably like to have a sturdy spine which I'm not entirely sure of how to go about it. I'm thinking that I should use steel but I don't know the thickness that I should get it in and whether a thicker aluminum spine would be strong enough. I'm considering steel to minimise the amount of space that the spine would take up since I'm already widening the case slightly. I read through James' process for his STX160 and am in love with the idea of inserting self clinching nuts but a 1mm thick steel plate would not be thick enough so I have to go thicker, which then begs the thought "if I am going thicker i should probably go with aluminum?" since it is light and would be strong enough for my use case? Or did i just get everything totally wrong, i would love for someone to tell me.

If you're reading this, thank you for using your precious time to read through my huge chunk of text!

Edit: I thought I should give the reason behind this build while I'm at it. I already have a desktop which i'm using as my gaming rig and workstation. Specs are as follows:

• Ryzen 2700X
• Corsair Vengeance LPX 32GB 3200Mhz (2 x 16GB)
• AsRock X470 Master SLI/AC
• Zotac GTX 1080 ti Amp Extreme Edition
• Samsung 970 Evo NVMe 512GB
• Superflower Leadex II Gold 650W
• Wraith Prism CPU Cooler

^I game at 21:9 1440p@100Hz and do rendering and programming(Game Dev)^

I've always entertained the thought of building a SFF ever since i chanced upon the sff subreddit, however there was never a need for that but I will be receiving a used 1800X from a friend since he is upgrading and I thought I'd use this chance to try this SFF build. The underlying reason would be to migrate my gaming and workstation capabilities into something small in the future and this would be more of a proof of concept. If it doesn't work as well as I would hope, doesn't matter I had fun and have a custom made SFF pc, if it does then I can plan for future expansions and upgrades. I realise that it might be a bit of a pipe dream since airflow is a huge thing with SFFs and it might hinder the performance of my hardware but it's still a process I want to go through with. Proposed build is as follows:

• Ryzen 1800X
• Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB 3200Mhz (2 x 8GB)
• Gigabyte Aorus B450i Aorus Pro Wifi
• Some 2 Slot thick GTX 1070/ 1070 ti/ RTX 2060
• Adata/ Samsung m.2 NVMe drive
• Some 600W SFX PSU
• Noctua NH-L12S

 

[NurseLeo]

Hello,

I am seeking advice in designing a computer case. Anyone have a company they have worked with or any individuals who are interested in commission?