Custom case for Jetson Orin NX/Magewell Capture build

I had enormous fun creating this in shapr3d (my first project) and printing on a Bambulab P1S.

It involved lots of fine-tuning and many “takes” to ensure the components fitted as tightly as possible.





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Nice design. I am about to embark on a few of cases myself.

FYI Prusa now makes a “Self extinguishing” filament suitable for electronic designs/ cases.

Self extinguishing ABS has been around for some time for injection molding and out of experience it is a must for electronic case designs as a min requirement for safety.

Prusa’s filament tolerance should be good enough for Bambu.

So what I’ve learned is that PLA is not suitable for a case this size! One of the top panels has warped with the heat of the NVIDIA heatsink/fan.

So I need a tougher plastic if I’m to keep the same compact size. I’m currently looking at Bambulab PC as it seems relatively easy to use and has much higher heat resistance. I can’t use things like ABS as I don’t have the great ventilation where the printer is.

PETG might work for you. It prints at a higher temp than PLA. Approximate temps are 235°C nozzle and 70°-80° for the bed. Other’s have used different temps which also work just fine. You’ll need to use a glue stick if printed on PEI bed. No need if printed on a textured PEI like what Prusa offers. I’ve had good luck with PETG and have used it as a replacement for ABS. Yes, not the same specs as ABS but close enough for my use

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Thanks - according to this PETG heat resistance is certainly better than PLA (69 degrees C vs 57) but maybe that’s still not enough headroom, I’m not too sure.

I’ve read where the glass transition temperature for PETG is around 80°- 85°C.

You might consider ColorFabb’s nGen filament- 85°C glass trans temp. I’ve used it with good results (not for heat resistance, but for quality and durability).

PETG

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Prusa PETG VO… which is now UL certified. Designed for electronic cases.

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I’m not yet confident with trying non-Bambulab filaments, not familiar enough with the various manual settings I would need to use rather than the automated system used for their own filaments.

Well, IMO Prusa has a tighter tolerance than most filaments out there. Most advertise at +/-.03mm where Prusa is a strict +/-.02mm.

I use Prusa’s default settings for most off brand filaments, e.g. Prusament PLA or PETG setting, with great success. I use many colors from multiple vendors with only one or 2 stringy filaments that were off brand I wouldn’t use again.

I worked for an electronics company 16yrs doing prototyping for gas appliance controls for RV appliances from schematic/ PCB to product case.
We used Self extinguishing ABS in all of our cases and it payed off when we got dragged into a lawsuit that burnt a RV and the barn it was in down to the ground.

IMO you should use nothing but self extinguishing plastics or metal for any electronics.

I see - I’m curious, is this what most consumer electronics are made from then?

If I go into a store and buy a mini PC with a plastic case, what is likely made from?

Presumably not PLA as it would be liable to warp.

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ABS is most common. Expense, easy to work with etc. Has a slightly higher working temp than PTEG. I think it’s about 220f vs PETG at about 205f. But it’s smelly to print. Kinda bad for you too. Plastic Electrical Enclosures | A Guide to Plastic Electronic Enclosures - A&C Plastics

I washed some parts I made out of PLA under the sink. You can form them easily at 130f. Not suitable for Arizona summer weather. :rofl:

Yep, I have to avoid ABS for those reasons. Bambu’s ASA seemed a possible alternative, as does PC.

The latter two are the options I’m going to try this week, but perhaps I should research this Prusa PETG VO a little more and figure out what settings I would need for my Bambu printer.

Your case design looks nice. Does Bambu have powder coated build plates? They put a really nice texture on things.

They do have a Texturesld PEI plate yes, looks good although with this case due to wanting to avoid the need for support when printing not all external surfaces benefit from it.