3D-Box/Enclosure For PCB - Tutorial

[BlackCoffee]

For a variety of reasons, it’s sometimes useful to see a PCB in an Enclosure of some kind (3D-Printed Box or a typical Box from any Electronics source (DigiKey, Mouser…etc)).

Cleaning out old stuff prompted me to consider that others not fortunate enough to have
3D-Printer or a 3D-Print Hub nearby may have need of Pretty Pictures of their PCB in a Stock box.

I made another sloppy video demonstrating How To Do It… Here’s the Link

[Anool]

I’d recommend using the KiCad StepUp Tools workbench in FreeCAD to design complex PCB outlines more accurately.

KiCad StepUp

More details here

Kicad StepUp New exporter for 3D MCAD (feedbacks are welcome)

Hi, I’ve done a script to easily export pcb board and modules to MCAD STEP format with colors using kicad StepUp the easiest way is done with minimal effort from user: just add STEP models to your standard 3D packages path and run the script (detailed instructions in README.txt) kicad StepUp is a new approach to export kicad board and modules in STEP AP214 (with colors) and create the wrl library. requirements: latest kicad FreeCAD 0.15 Please consider that the project is at beta sta…

[BlackCoffee]

Thanks.

If you dig around, you find several of my videos show making more complex PCB shapes uisng DXF’s from FreeCAD, LibreCAD…others.

The StepUp Plugin is fine to use but, not everyone wants to use FreeCAD.

This video is Less about making a PCB shape (users should know how to do that) and More about using a Stock Box/Enclosure (such as those made by Hammond) and placing it into a Footprint/Kicad with minimal need for FreeCAD & Plugins. If user has favorite other CAD, they can use that to break apart the STEP/STP.

Also, the video may give Users the idea of making Footprints of other Hardware such as Threaded-Inserts, Standoff’s, Plastic Panels and FacePlates…etc. Other hardware used in connection with PCB/electronics…