I’ve been designing PCB mounting plates into several project enclosures. Liz (BlitzCityDIY) suggested I’d do a Layer by Layer tutorial on the subject. I shared a CAD explosion on twitter and was asked why I used a separate mounting plate instead of building them into the case itself. This got me thinking about some of the benefits of this design method.
- Modularity. Don’t have to reprint the whole case for minor changes and updates.
- Can adjust position of components and only reprint PCB mount.
- Can use additional hardware standoffs, screws and hex nuts to secure PCBs.
- Can hold various PCBs together in a single mount.
- PCB Mount takes ~20 minutes to print verses several hours for half of an enclosure.
- Elevates the PCB and allows clearance for wiring and spacing for positioning.
In this tutorial we’ll take a look at using PCB mounting plates for enclosure designs. We’ll dive into four projects and pull out how to use PCB mounts and why they’re helpful. Check out the links to the learn guides of the projects featured in this video. Thanks for watching!
Download Adafruit 3D Models on GitHub
https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_CAD_Parts
BLE Buzzy Box
https://learn.adafruit.com/ble-buzzy-box
PyBadge Thermal Camera
https://learn.adafruit.com/pybadge-thermal-camera-case
PyPortal Weather Station
https://learn.adafruit.com/pyportal-titano-weather-station
PyPortal Case
https://learn.adafruit.com/pyportal-case
3D Printing Projects Playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjF7R1fz_OOWD2dJNRIN46uhMCWvNOlbG
3D Hangout Show Playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjF7R1fz_OOVgpmWevin2slopw_A3-A8Y
Layer by Layer CAD Tutorials Playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjF7R1fz_OOVsMp6nKnpjsXSQ45nxfORb
Timelapse Tuesday Playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjF7R1fz_OOVagy3CktXsAAs4b153xpp_
Milling Monday
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjF7R1fz_OOVL48weqeHiu7aw-_sPhCSA
