Completed Kibo K1 | 3D printable Case | customizable & expandable | 60h | 10L |

[robbee]

PLA suffices in terms of thermal stability as Radiators mostly don’t reach temperatures higher than 60 C

Hey, I can offer some insight as I have made a couple of cases with PLA from different high quality manufacturers like Prusament and Extrudr. I can safely say that PLA is not the way to go. While its glass temperature may be around 60C, it will still warp over time if exposed consequent to much lower temperatures.

I've had 6mm thick parts warp over time being inside a case with a simple Haswell i3 and a 1050ti while not being near any radiator. This was after about 6 months of usage. I've also had parts that were near the backplate of a 3080 warping after a couple of weeks, although the backplate was nowhere near 60C.

Glass temperature is not the only metric to look at IMO when deciding on temperature resistance of a filament used to print computer cases. It only tells you how hot you can go for the case to instantly loose stability, but nothing about stability over time.

On a more positive note, I also have an ABS case which shows absolutely no signs of warping after 2 years so ASA should be equally good!

 

[Kiborato]

Hey, I can offer some insight as I have made a couple of cases with PLA from different high quality manufacturers like Prusament and Extrudr. I can safely say that PLA is not the way to go. While its glass temperature may be around 60C, it will still warp over time if exposed consequent to much lower temperatures.

I've had 6mm thick parts warp over time being inside a case with a simple Haswell i3 and a 1050ti while not being near any radiator. This was after about 6 months of usage. I've also had parts that were near the backplate of a 3080 warping after a couple of weeks, although the backplate was nowhere near 60C.

Glass temperature is not the only metric to look at IMO when deciding on temperature resistance of a filament used to print computer cases. It only tells you how hot you can go for the case to instantly loose stability, but nothing about stability over time.

On a more positive note, I also have an ABS case which shows absolutely no signs of warping after 2 years so ASA should be equally good!

Thank you robbee for your know-how.
I myself am intrigued by your experience in 3D-printed cases.

I used "Extrudr PLA NX-2" for my previous Prototype.
After disassembly, I couldn’t find any warped parts after 1 months of extensive CPU&GPU rendering tasks, mainly fluid simulation work.
Average 79 C CPU temp(3900x 240mm AIO)
GPU has a blower-style cooler, heat will be evacuated immediately

Second prototype will be made out of ASA, with the thought of a longer lifespan.

I will revise my last statement of the material recommendation of PLA:

• PLA suffices in terms of thermal stability as Radiators mostly don’t reach temperatures higher than 60 C
  • on the note of Filament-quality, pls mind the cheaper ones and go for suppliers that offer datasheets of material properties, where thermal resistance is higher than 45C
  • expected lifespan +5 years (without constant UV stress; e.g. Sun)
• PLA will warp after extensive Hardware usage, resulting in warped parts
  • negative case pressure recommended
  • use at your own discretion
  • expected lifespan +2 months

 

[robbee]

Hey @Kiborato , reading my post again, I may have been overly negative about PLA. Looking at the actual parts you're printing, I think the most critical are the ones that make the spine inside the case. They will endure the highest temperature and have to carry the most weight, while also being the smallest parts. These ones probable should be printed in ASA or at least PETG.

The shell parts and top+bottom will be a lot cooler and are probably fine in PLA.

 

[morj]

Hey @Kiborato , reading my post again, I may have been overly negative about PLA. Looking at the actual parts you're printing, I think the most critical are the ones that make the spine inside the case. They will endure the highest temperature and have to carry the most weight, while also being the smallest parts. These ones probable should be printed in ASA or at least PETG.

The shell parts and top+bottom will be a lot cooler and are probably fine in PLA.

I had a 5.5L case fully made of PLA for several months, experienced no warping or melting whatsoever. In my opinion, if you don't have hot parts right up to the plastic, you are good. So just make sure you have a cutout in the spine behind the CPU, a cutout in the spine for the rear M.2 if your board has one, etc.

 

[Kiborato]

Hey @Kiborato , reading my post again, I may have been overly negative about PLA. Looking at the actual parts you're printing, I think the most critical are the ones that make the spine inside the case. They will endure the highest temperature and have to carry the most weight, while also being the smallest parts. These ones probable should be printed in ASA or at least PETG.

The shell parts and top+bottom will be a lot cooler and are probably fine in PLA.

&

I had a 5.5L case fully made of PLA for several months, experienced no warping or melting whatsoever. In my opinion, if you don't have hot parts right up to the plastic, you are good. So just make sure you have a cutout in the spine behind the CPU, a cutout in the spine for the rear M.2 if your board has one, etc.

Thank you for your Feedback and Insight!
I will change it to a parts-differentiated material recommendation:


RED Spine-parts are recommended to be printed with ABS, ASA, PETG or other thermal resistant materials
WHITE Shell-parts have no material-restrictions

More about the print:​

Base configuration 89h + 2x 20mm Module 32h = 121h​

Printing-time with the following settings:
Layer height: 0.2mm
Wall thickness: 1.2mm
Top&Bottom thickness: 1mm
Infill: 30%
Printing speed: 50mm/s

 

[Houdini]

Interesting project. Will follow the thread. Keep it up!

 

[Kiborato]

K1 1. Prototype disassembly​

I got all the parts printed out for the second prototype, so I got all the Hardware out of the old one.


I can not promise when I will post the next update. SOON!

RIP

 

[Kiborato]

K1 2. Prototype​

zoom in!

Expactations vs Reality​

Renders are very easy to create and are usefull to visualize a project in its early stages.
But they do not mirror the flaws and cosmetic defects, which will surface during 3d printing.

SOooo... --> DISCLAIMER/WARNING: Take past & future Renders with a spoon of salt!

Here are some examples for cosmetic defects that will occur during 3D printing:

For your information: most of these defects can be corrected through sanding or ironing with a soldering iron.

2. Prototype summary​

Printing with ASA this time brought me lots of troubles, mainly because of the high temperature printing.
I was met with a lot of lacking bed-adhesion and underextrusion problems, resulting in lot of scrapped parts & wasted time.
What I learned: never save on bed-adhesion glue-sticks!

In conclusion this "Project" has mainly four chapters:

1. Printing If you trust your 3D printer you could print everything out in a week of time, initiating a print every 12 hours. 12 Prints x 30 min initiating time + 2x 60min scheduled maintaince = 8h

2. Processing BTW I skipped this part Freshly printed parts always have some small defects. You have the option to sand them down, which is very cost effective, but time-consuming(15 min per part ~3h). Second Option: use an electric hand sander ~1h. TIP: Assemble the Case before Sanding --> sand only protruding defects --> uniformity Third Option: use your (unavailable) Woodwork-(200€), NC-(500€) or CNC-router(2000€) with a flush trim bit <1h. I want a CNC too

3. Having Fun Assembling Now you have all the needed parts and you can start assembling your case.

4. Modding - Want to add another Radiator? Print yourself an expansion module! - Want to change the look of the case? Design yourself your sidepanels! you got the hang out of it!

I will put the printfiles online after some small tweaks.


Printtime: ~110 hours
Printsettings:

- Layerheight: 0.2mm​

- Bottom/Top-thickness: 0.8mm​

- Wallthickness: 1.2mm​

- Innerwall Flow: 102%​

- max Speed: 50mm/s​

- Infill: 30%​

​

Material-list(Case only)​

necessary rigid & aesthetic

Base Module Filament ~570g(ASA)=700g(PLA) M3 x6mm 24 36 M3 x10mm 20 28 M3 x14-20mm 4 4 M3 x6mm insert 0 30 M3 x6mm standoff 4 4 6-32 x6 HDD screw 4 6 6-32 x6 hexagonal head 0 1

Sidepanels (two sides) Filament ~130g(ASA)=160g(PLA) 6x3mm cylindric magnets 16 20 10mm Nickel/Steel band 1.2m 1.2m

Expansion Module Filament 20mm: ~90g(ASA)=100g(PLA) 10mm: ~50g(ASA)=62g(PLA) M3 x10mm 4 12

Radiator Mounting Screws M3 x6mm 4 8 Fan Mounting Screws included with the fans

Countersunk Screws if not mentioned otherwise

Necessary Tools:
2mm Allen-key
Philips-key
Superglue
Solder Iron for inserts

Gallery​

6mm Honeycomb Sidepanel


28 inch monitor for reference

 

[Kiborato]

K1 2. Prototype free Files​

Before I fall in to the Spiral of endless prototyping, I will share my Prototype stl-Files with you!

You can get the Files here on cults3d.
Or on Prusa Printers for no fee.
Current specs:
SFX&SFX-L PSU
Variation 1 CPU-Clearance: 64mm / GPU thickness: 44mm
Variation 2 CPU-Clearance: 65mm / GPU thickness: 43mm for NH-L9x65
Variation 3 CPU-Clearance: 49mm / GPU thickness: 59mm
Added Versions with non-requirement of threaded inserts

Warning: if you dont add inserts in the specific parts, it may split apart the layers of the part.​

You can notice the splitting apart in the 1st prototyp, where I didn’t use inserts.​

If u want to start printing, Print the Parts marked in white first except the Backplate!

Added a German Desription to cults3d

With the addition of non-requirement of threaded inserts, I consider the Kibo K1-lite File completed!

Note that this is only the Prototype!
I may make drastic changes to the design In future iterations!
But I will try to make a majority of the parts backwards compatible! (main-Beam, Hats, Side-&Front-panel

A peek what I am working at:


This will be the 3rd Iteration

 

[Kiborato]

K1 2. Prototype small side-dishes​

Since Prototyping the K1 I had some Ideas that I wanted to do.
Here are some results:

1. Rainbow-Puke​

I am honestly not a fan of RGB, I like monochrom lights more.
So here you go for either of both teams.

2. Floating lines​

This one involves a bit of creativity .
The idea is having a background mesh for form-stability and a second layer, which you can design to your wishes.
The second layer can be emphasized through contrasting paint, in this case Gold on Matte-black Mesh.
Generally all black on white designs(Text, cartoon/manga characters, geometric lines ...) can be realized with this method.



You can find these under Sidepanels: Two-tone-Squares
inspiration marshall speakers.

 

[chilman408]

Hi, I'm going to do a build with this. Question about the files.

Looks like there is a PSU bracket inside the mid-g* files as well. Is there a reason to print this separately?

 

[chilman408]

Hi, I'm going to do a build with this. Question about the files.

Looks like there is a PSU bracket inside the mid-g* files as well. Is there a reason to print this separately?

Also, what exactly is "10mm Nickel/Steel band"?

I can't seem to be able to source this on Amazon...

 

[Kiborato]

Thank you for giving this project a try.​

I hope i will be able to assist you if problems arise.
​

Hi, I'm going to do a build with this. Question about the files.

Looks like there is a PSU bracket inside the mid-g* files as well. Is there a reason to print this separately?

There is no reason to print that seperately. I added it so u could reprint it seperately, if needed.

Also, what exactly is "10mm Nickel/Steel band"?

I can't seem to be able to source this on Amazon...

Search for - Nickel Strip - the width has to be at least 8mm to cover the magnets, thickness doesnt matter.

In my research, I have seen 10 meter go around for 9 USD on US amazon.

 

[chilman408]

Search for - Nickel Strip - the width has to be at least 8mm to cover the magnets, thickness doesnt matter.

In my research, I have seen 10 meter go around for 9 USD on US amazon.

I see, thx. Any specific reason why we want to use the Nickel strip versus something like a self-adhesive magnetic tape?

()

 

[Kiborato]

Any specific reason why we want to use the Nickel strip versus something like a self-adhesive magnetic tape?

Self adhesive magnetic tape is more bulky and weaker in comparison to the thin nickel strip & magnet combination.
more info: the magnetic tape has a thickness of 2mm and is made of a mix of materials, magnetic strength comparable to N08 or lower

Also the nickel strip looks nicer if exposed, e.g. through acrylic or backside.
You can easily reuse the magnet / nickel strip combination in other projects.

 

[Kiborato]

Small update​

Back from Hiatus​

The K1 project has been in a hiatus state since November 2021 without any new developments from my side.
Main reason being the death(shattering) of my iPad Pro(12.9" 2018), where this all started as a small side project.
Using all free time during my commute, my iPad + Pencil enabled me to doodle in a 3D environment through shapr3d[very convenient]
Using my old Macbook Air 2012(i5) and Fusion360 as a substitute, didn't solve the problem of convenience and brought frustration to my design process.


RIP iPad Pro November 2018 - November 2021

Current Project Progress​

The 3rd Iteration is currently in the prototyping stage. Aiming for May 2022(optimistic estimate).
This Iteration will mainly focus on these three features:

1. screwhole covering backpanel
2. step-wise adjustable sandwich layout [CPU cooler height & GPU thickness]
3. 10+1.3L ATX support

Features not on priority list:
- HDD mount
- custom Top-Hat for EK-FLT Reservoir / Pump Combo
- Flex-ATX support
- 120 mm front fan in 10+1.3L version
- modding friendly frame with more screw holes

Quality of life improvement: strengthening spine parts for more rigidity, take away stress from MoBo

​

K2 May 2022​

Will upload renders next weekend!
Renderings pushed back until 3rd of March
I finished the doodling phase of K2:

Main specs:
- "classic" & "sandwich" Layout
- 360x180mm Footprint [200mm height without Hats]
13L No Hats | 15,5L 1 Hat | 18L 2 Hats

Hardware support:
- 280mm Rad support
- 340mm GPU length
- NH-U9S support (in "classic" layout)
- PSU: ATX SFX-L SFX
- 2xHDD / 4xSSD
- mini-ITX & mini-DTX

Structure specs:
- 120 hour print time [Hat: 4h/10mm]
- ABS 900g [30% infill 1.6mm wall/top/bottom thickness]
- All 6 Sides removable without tools [magnetic & click-flextures]
- Easier assembly, majority of screws directly accessible without overlapping

 

[Togan]

Hi,
first of all..... this case is really cool. I would love to print it. However, I'm running into comprehension difficulties because I don't quite understand when I have the print files in STL which of them I need for my ITX case and which ones I don't.

Can someone help me please what to print?
This is the hardware I have:

-Motherboard MSI Z490I Unify

-PSU SFX Modular (standard SFX size)

-MSI Gaming X GTX 1660 GPU

-Phanteks Glacier One 240mm AIO (Fans are MSI Silent Gale 2x 120mm, 30mm thick) mounted on Top
The fans on the radiator have additional so called halo frames (0,5mm thick)
So the specs of the thickness of the AiO rad is:;
-Rad: 25mm
-Fans: 30mm
-Halo Frames: 0,5mm

-Additional 2 fans 120mm (30mm thick), perhaps to be mounted on the bottom.

Would be happy if someone helps me.
II appreciate the inserts for better quality and stability.

Please help me and e-mail me at togan@gmx.net

Love and Kibo :-D

 

[Kiborato]

Hi,
first of all..... this case is really cool. I would love to print it. However, I'm running into comprehension difficulties because I don't quite understand when I have the print files in STL which of them I need for my ITX case and which ones I don't.

Can someone help me please what to print?
This is the hardware I have:

-Motherboard MSI Z490I Unify

-PSU SFX Modular (standard SFX size)

-MSI Gaming X GTX 1660 GPU

-Phanteks Glacier One 240mm AIO (Fans are MSI Silent Gale 2x 120mm, 30mm thick) mounted on Top
The fans on the radiator have additional so called halo frames (0,5mm thick)
So the specs of the thickness of the AiO rad is:;
-Rad: 25mm
-Fans: 30mm
-Halo Frames: 0,5mm

-Additional 2 fans 120mm (30mm thick), perhaps to be mounted on the bottom.

Would be happy if someone helps me.
II appreciate the inserts for better quality and stability.

Please help me and e-mail me at togan@gmx.net

Love and Kibo :-D

Hey Togan,​

First of all, Yes the current file naming sceme is a mess.

I will go through the file choosing with your system as an example:

Required Prints Checklist:​

☐ Front panel
☐ Front Barebone + Riser
☐ Mid GXX
☐ Backplate GXX
☐ 2x Main Beams

Cosmetics:
☐ Grills
☐ Sidepanels
☐ Feet
☐ Hats

1. Riser​

Do you have an angled or reversed pcie riser?
If you don’t have one yet I would go for the ssupd 185mm dual reverse riser.
Reverse Riser + Front Barebone.stl

Note: the Power-Button is one-size only: 19mm threading
added additional button sizes 12 16 19 22mm diameter

2. GPU Thickness​

The GXX stands for your GPU thickness. And you should orient your Mid and Backplate print on your GPU thickness.

MSI Gaming X GTX 1660 has a thickness of 46mm, which leaves us with the G59 option
Or u go without sidepanels with G44 for the x-posed look
Mid G59 C49.stl
Backplate G59 C49.stl

3. AIO height​

The Main Beam part has two variants: 20 & 25 mm.
They stand for the included height-space for Fan or Rads.
Expansion modules are sized from 5-50mm and stackable on each other. K1 starts with 20mm headspace, while the 20mm footspace should be reserved for cable organization.
If u need more height, you have to add a Hat matching to your needs:

In your case:
Top Rad + Fan = 57mm (doublechecked on Caseking.de)
Bottom Fan + Cable space = 30mm + 20mm
2x Main Beam with 25mm Rad-Fan space.stl
35mm Hat.stl Top
25mm Hat.stl Bottom

4. The Rest​

Front Panel.stl
feet.stl
Grill 1.stl, Grill 2.stl, Grill 1 feet.stl, Grill 2 feet.stl
Sidepanels two of each size

5. Inserts Required!​

I know that inserts are such a hassle to push into the prints,
But I see it as an effort that pays you back in reusability of the parts.

The prints without the Inserts Required Tag are doing just fine, if u want it quick and easy.
But be warned that without Inserts the printed parts will be fragile and will be affected by wear & tear.


I Hope this will be helpful for you, I am here to help for any further questions.

 

[Kiborato]

K1 Max​

Hey Guys, It's been a while​

Hope there is still some general interest in this Project, I am trying to pull out of a Hiatus.

Maybe some of you are still patient enough to expect me to post anything about those empty promises I made months ago.
So to regain some momentum, I will resume with K1 Max!

Basically K1 Max will be x1.2 times longer than the original.
The gap between Motherboard and Psu will widen to make cable organizing more managable.
But it will still be only 240 Rad compatible, so you will have to wait for K2 for 280 support. maybe in April?

Btw, Recently I have been improving the Project-Page on Printables, if you want a summary and shoppinglist for everything.

Redesigning the Backplate​

Backstory:​

Originally this concept began on a Fit-all principle,
but during the many drafts it dawned on me that in a restricted small space compromises are due to be made anytime.
So I am forced to set certain design restrictions and balance them to create a more mainstream Case.

K1 at the time before the scalping crisis was designed for 200-500 USD GPUS
where a big chunk of them (85%) were smaller than 290x130x60mm.

K1 Max on the other hand should serve a more contemporary(2023) market situation,
where many are willing to or have already spend 500-800 USD on a GPU.

Which demands a bigger build volume to be reserved for new gen GPUs.
This leads us to the current call for a rethinking of smallformfactor cases.
Thus the Target GPU volume would be somewhere around 350x150x60mm,
while still leaving enough space for a watercooled Motherboard.

Problems/ Obstacles in the current design:​

1. C14 Power Plug needs to be relocated from the GPU side to the Motherboard side
2. GPU will be further lowered down to create more available headspace
3. Design a new Mid-Bone to retain more structural integrity and adjust to GPU height needs

Yep trying out some clickbait: 72 hour printtime only for the barebones, without sidepanels, hats and grills!​

 

[Kiborato]

Result: K1 Max v1​

Back-Bone​

The whole Assembly got moved down for about 10mm to get more headroom for GPU and Powerplug relocation above the Motherboard-Cut-out.
The Back-Bone had to be thickened to 8mm to adjust to the demanding thin parts between the cut-outs.

Motherboard/Riser Beams​

Aside from changes on the Back-Bone, the Beams for mounting GPU and Motherboard got improved functionality and space efficiency.
The most significant change will be the elimination of the need for 6mm standoffs, resulting in an increase of 6mm playroom between GPU thickness and CPU cooler height.
Another Idea I wanted to try out was the automatic alignment of Motherboard through pre-defined imprinted corners.
So that the Motherboard can get laid into place with the screwholes perfectly aligning to the inserts on the Beams.

Mid-Bone​

The Mid-Bone got split into two functional parts.
The PSU-Bone serves the sole purpose of maintaining the PSU placement.
While the New-Mid-Bone needed to be created to offload the weight-load from the GPU at an earlier distance from the PSU-Bone.

Files?​

Files will be uploaded shortly after adding following missing feature:

1. Support Bracket for oversized GPUs to strap them into place, considering their cooler weight.

Note: that K1 Max v1 will only support dual-reversed risers

​

Sidepanels:​

The Sidepanels are sized at 360x200x3mm so that the 180x200x3mm Sidepanels from the regular K1 can be used without further modification.

​

K1 Model Reached 100 downloads on printables Yay!! ​

in a blink of an eye it reached 120 lol from saturday to monday, looks like some printables-mod boosted the model to the front page.

Another Funny Fact: I am not surprised to find out, that my main audience are Middle-aged-Males...


Shall I make a more girly themed K1 Max to get some female audience? Or am i expecting too much?

Did a little overdue timelapse of the current build​

I am slowly starting to assemble a screw set for K1 including Screws and Magnet kit aiming for April