Sheet metal product design and development of a family of enclosures.

One of our existing clients asked us to help with a new sheet metal product design for a family of enclosures to house their electronics.

We were already manufacturing a unit for them of their design which they wanted to improve on. They were looking for a cost-effective, aesthetically pleasing design with improved functionality and wanted a different design to the standard “square box” style enclosures.

We were initially provided with the circuit board for the larger enclosure and also a basic cardboard model of the front panel. Our engineers put together a selection of 3D drawings, outlining the basic shape of the full enclosure, the positioning of the holes for cable entry and circuit board features. Working closely with the client, all aspects of the design and functionality were discussed to promote cost-effective manufacture. A number of meetings were held at the clients’ site to run through the design constraints and solutions proposed. These included:

To minimise the overall size.

To reduce the number of component pieces.

To design the most effective way of cooling and ventilation.

To reduce the number of ancillary parts, such as cable clamps and fixing screws by incorporating them into the metalwork.

Serviceability and ease of mounting electronics.

Aesthetics with no screws visible on the front face.

Screen printing options and colour combinations.

As soon as the client was happy with the final sheet metal enclosure design, prototypes were produced. Our engineers then came up with design solutions for the further two enclosures. All three parts are now in production. Not only do the enclosures look stunning, but the ease of use and installation is also now greatly improved and they are more cost-effective.