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Let Us Enjoy Some Raspberry Pi!

Raspberry Pi Logo

Ever since the Raspberry Pi came to the market with the first release of the Raspberry Pi Model B in 2012 there has been a need for a custom plastic enclosure to protect the board. Since then there has been the Raspberry Pi Zero, Raspberry Pi 3, Raspberry Pi 4, and now the Raspberry Pi 400 (released in November 2020). The subsequent releases have not changed the customer’s need or desire for an enclosure that fits their product. Every release adds some precision to the board and new options for users to enhance their project and make it live faster.

The popularity behind the Raspberry Pi is continually growing. People are expanding their minds. They are trying to discover new and exciting ways to use computer circuit boards to complete projects previously out of reach. It is not just Raspberry Pi that we can build a custom enclosure around. We are just as happy and open to discuss the housing needs for your Orange Pi, Banana Pi, even the Onion Pi. Though an Onion Pi does not sound nearly as delicious… Regardless of the “taste” of it, we will achieve any electronic project you may have, acting like a minicomputer.

Once we were asked if we could make a Raspberry Pi housing that looks like an Apple TV. We were up for the challenge and delivered an apple TV-like enclosure in less than 3 weeks. We added all the necessary ports for the customer to make that device his own. The only main difference with the Apple TV is the glossy texture. This was not a problem for the customer, a matte finish was a great fit for his application.

Custom Raspberry Pi Enclosure Options

Custom Raspberry Pi Enclosure

At Toolless Plastic Solutions we are experts in the field of designing and fabricating enclosures around your board and requirements. We have the capabilities to move, open, or close ports as required for each special project. Something that off-the-shelf enclosures cannot give you. Our pricing compares well to off-the-shelf enclosures as soon as the NRE (Non-recurring engineering charge) is out of the way. Pricing is based on per part milling, bending, printing, and assembly. Pricing will change according to size, type of plastic, color, and gauge. We also have the ability to spray EMI coating on the inside of the enclosure. This comes in handy when you want your enclosure to act like a faraday cage or a sheet metal type of enclosure, but in plastic.

Everything we offer in our enclosures is available for customization in the fabrication of the Raspberry Pi Enclosure. Any mounting features like brackets, rails, standoffs, and hinges are fully integrated into our process. It is cost-effective and keeps our customers away from adding off-the-shelf standoffs that sometimes do not meet their needs. We can also add any of the following features to either ease your assembly line or make an enclosure cosmetically pleasing:

Additional Features

–        Cooling vents to prevent overheating.

–         Standoffs to support multiple PCBs.

–        Polycarbonate windows to view the internal structure or see-through to view a display.

–        Light pipes for status LEDs.

–        Custom digital printing of logo, image, wording, etc.

–        Part engraving or etching for design.

Interested in creating some excitement with the way the Pi looks to make it stand out from the pack? We can mix and match the color of the plastic so that the top is one color, and the bottom is another. Just check out our material selection to see what colors we offer. You can also contact someone in Sales to discuss your options! Additionally, we can also make the Raspberry Pi enclosure see-through, using clear acrylic, so the end-user can admire the Pi in action.

Raspberry Pi: Fabrication Process

One of our dedicated CAD Designers will work with you on the prototype to make sure that what you are ordering is what you are looking for. Our designers have more than 10 years of experience using the Raspberry Pi. They have all the necessary 3D models in solid works files and can adjust any cut-outs in a timely manner.

We will not start the fabrication process until we receive approval from you. Once we have the approval, we will create the prototype and send it to you. This way you can hold it in your hand, put your Pi inside, and decide if there are any modifications or changes you want to be made before production. There is no mold and no tooling to purchase, so modifications are easy to handle. Our goal is to make an enclosure you are happy with at minimum cost to you.  A re-quote is sometimes necessary to accommodate all the changes, but you are in good hands with our sales team’s expertise.

If there is no secondary board, the size of the enclosure could vary but it would be roughly 5”x4”x2”. With these dimensions, our production capacity can run up to 1000 units at a time. Although our preferred quantity would be around 100 units. We have created a special line of products to speed up the process for the Raspberry Pi enclosures. This allows us to reduce lead time by sometimes more than a week.

Customer Care

It is very important for our customer to have a responsive vendor, that can modify its programs at any step of production. It is very rare that an enclosure does not get modified through the course of its lifetime. We have ten products with customers who have been with us for 25 years. All of them had different iterations throughout the years.  These customers stick with us. They know that they can easily update their electronic circuit board display or change an old enclosure and replace it with a custom Raspberry Pi case—something that cannot be done with a mold. Our customers are very faithful. Some projects just naturally come to an end, but no customer has left us because they were not happy with service, quality, or lead time.

You do not want to miss out on our expertise in building your dream enclosure, above all, the one with Raspberry Pi in it.

Yours faithfully,

Brice

Custom Plastic Enclosure
Pre-Designed Plastic Enclosure