EnCata developed a custom IP66-rated enclosure for automotive electronics, tailored to a specific PCB. We handled industrial design, DFM, in-house mold fabrication, pilot production, and assembly, delivering full-cycle development under one roof.
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A fast-growing car-sharing startup company contacted EnCata to design a special enclosure for its custom PCB electronics which would be able to sustain vibrations and sharp temperature changes within the range -40 …+85 deg. C. The device should be mounted inside a car engine compartment.
Since the customer had already developed the PCB, we qualified the customer’s technology readiness level as TRL-5. The customer requested to have a distinctive industrial design to portray his advanced hardware + software technology.
Among the offered variants of the industrial design, the customer adhered to a futuristic touch with strong geometrical features and easy access for quick battery interchange. The design had also adopted IP66 protection (vandal, dust and water resistance). The casing also incorporated a 48 Pin FCI Automotive Waterproof ECU interface, as well as mini-USB and U.FL/IPX to RP-SMA interfaces.
In the industrial design phase, a selected shape was modeled in CAD, and a 3D printed prototype produced as part of the concept development. The color, materials, finish (CMF) was also part of the industrial design. To survive the aggressive and harsh environment, a fire-proof plastic was selected.
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To incorporate the functionality and test the design (as part of the DVT) a small batch of cases was produced using silicon moulding technology.
The project further required steel moulds design and larger batch production at our semi-automatic plastic injection moulding machine. The moulds were designed and produced at EnCata’s facility; a batch of 100 units was produced and tested to comply with the IPX6 standard.
In this project, we delivered end-to-end service to our client, starting from an existing PCB and developing a robust, modern enclosure. The industrial design was validated through 3D printing and silicone mold prototyping.
The full cycle took 7 months, covering EVT to PVT, and resulted in complete documentation and a pilot batch of injection-molded enclosures.
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designed and manufactured for pilot production
built and tested during the DVT phase
produced in the pilot PVT run
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