Bean, does this box have any negatives or side action requirements? If not then for a few grand you can get both parts on one mold probably. Then the parts are cheap after the initial mold construction.
No it doesn't. I posted a STL file of one half above. The other half is pretty much the same, only with longer stand-offs inside.
I have a contact with a mold making business that has made 4 molds for me, all around the 2k mark to build the mold and make it with some proto runs, maybe slightly higher on the last one at about 2200. 3 week turn. He is in LA. Another option is to do that in metal and powder coat it. I have a contact that could do a great job in Orange County, I predict the metal version would be a lot cheaper. Typically a 2-3 week turn on my metal fab, then about a few days a powder coating and then 3-5days at the screen printer. He just drops the parts off at the silk screener so you don't have to deal with that other than to provide a graphic.
These options versus laser or CNC allow for repeats for dirt cheap. I would do it in metal with a matte powdercoat and silk screen and it would be as study as it gets. The standoffs would be press fit.
I have a contact with a mold making business that has made 4 molds for me, all around the 2k mark to build the mold and make it with some proto runs, maybe slightly higher on the last one at about 2200. 3 week turn. He is in LA. Another option is to do that in metal and powder coat it. I have a contact that could do a great job in Orange County, I predict the metal version would be a lot cheaper. Typically a 2-3 week turn on my metal fab, then about a few days a powder coating and then 3-5days at the screen printer. He just drops the parts off at the silk screener so you don't have to deal with that other than to provide a graphic.
These options versus laser or CNC allow for repeats for dirt cheap. I would do it in metal with a matte powdercoat and silk screen and it would be as study as it gets. The standoffs would be press fit.
That sounds great. We would rather have metal anyway. How much do you think it would cost (total) to have 100 of each half made in metal with standoffs and silk screen (1 color) ?
Greg at GP mfg in Orange. gpmfg at earthlink net Send him your drawings first, then request a call from him to discuss your drawings and specs. I will shoot him a note to expect an email.
He will either handle the screen printing or you can do it direct with the screen printer, but either way the quote is going to come from Technical Screen Printing in Santa Ana, CA. So if you want a quicker quote for screen printing, call them and send the graphic and explanation of the part so they can have some basic understanding of how complex or simple the jig is to hold it.
GP can quote his parts with and without the powder coat. But I suggest the matte finish over glossy on metal.
Regarding the standoffs, you may want to discuss how the punch out for the press fit standoff will look on the exposed finish so you can know if this will work cosmetically.
That's just a basic rectangular box. Why didn't you just make it to fit some off-the-shelf enclosure? Surely it wouldn't be all that expensive to have the manufacturer add those simple cutouts. Or would it?
Laser cutting acrylic may be the best for this, but do keep in mind that both PVC (expanded and not) and ABS can be quite effectively cut with waterjet, and for 100 sets, at a price similar to laser. As most commercial waterjet beds are capable of taking a full 4x8 sheet, they might be able to do it at all once. Polycarbonate is another contender for waterjet, and there's no need for burnishing the flamed edges.
I have not seen acrylic cut with a water jet but I can image that the edges would not be smooth. A laser can leave the edges of acrylic smooth and shiny.
Waterjet cut acrylic is indiscernible from laser cut, and in fact is the cutter of choice for flatbed machining as it leaves the material burr-free, so not requiring any secondary work. For plastic the edges are extremely smooth, as there is no need for an abrasive. That's really only required with thicker metals, slate, thick glass, and other dense materials. It's true they can control the striations, but the highest quality cut is glass smooth. The rough cut is for things like foam, corrugated plastic, and other materials where a smooth edge isn't critical.
Home-based waterjet machines are not common, however, so it's work you pretty much have to farm out.
You might look for a local waterjet jobber and ask for a sample. They can produce cuts with varying edge quality, depending on thickness of material, whether abrasive is used, and how cheap you want to get with the production speed. That said, as I mentioned above you could use waterjet or acrylic with laser. But if you wanted a stronger material such as polycarbonate, waterjet is your go-to solution.
Comments
No it doesn't. I posted a STL file of one half above. The other half is pretty much the same, only with longer stand-offs inside.
Bean
I have a contact with a mold making business that has made 4 molds for me, all around the 2k mark to build the mold and make it with some proto runs, maybe slightly higher on the last one at about 2200. 3 week turn. He is in LA. Another option is to do that in metal and powder coat it. I have a contact that could do a great job in Orange County, I predict the metal version would be a lot cheaper. Typically a 2-3 week turn on my metal fab, then about a few days a powder coating and then 3-5days at the screen printer. He just drops the parts off at the silk screener so you don't have to deal with that other than to provide a graphic.
These options versus laser or CNC allow for repeats for dirt cheap. I would do it in metal with a matte powdercoat and silk screen and it would be as study as it gets. The standoffs would be press fit.
That sounds great. We would rather have metal anyway. How much do you think it would cost (total) to have 100 of each half made in metal with standoffs and silk screen (1 color) ?
Bean
Greg at GP mfg in Orange. gpmfg at earthlink net Send him your drawings first, then request a call from him to discuss your drawings and specs. I will shoot him a note to expect an email.
He will either handle the screen printing or you can do it direct with the screen printer, but either way the quote is going to come from Technical Screen Printing in Santa Ana, CA. So if you want a quicker quote for screen printing, call them and send the graphic and explanation of the part so they can have some basic understanding of how complex or simple the jig is to hold it.
GP can quote his parts with and without the powder coat. But I suggest the matte finish over glossy on metal.
Regarding the standoffs, you may want to discuss how the punch out for the press fit standoff will look on the exposed finish so you can know if this will work cosmetically.
Home-based waterjet machines are not common, however, so it's work you pretty much have to farm out.