Product packaging

From Ece

Product packaging describes an ingenious process concocted by Wes Reeves for increasing the overall aesthetic value of Senior Design projects. The patent disclosure for this novel approach is being filed internationally as we speak.

Put your product in a box

Would you pay money for a PCB duct-taped to a piece of cardboard? NO! Then don't package your final product like that.

Enclosure selection

No one expects your final product to be housed in a custom made enclosure with your company logo screen printed on the top. Inexpensive plastic or metal enclosures are available from the usual outlets; Digikey, Jameco and Mouser. Here are a few examples:

Here's an example of a metal enclosure from Jameco:

• High-quality metal enclosures are made to suit a large variety of electronics projects and applications. The base is made of aluminum. Slots are located on the sides of the cases for maximum cooling. Cases screw together and come with an attractive two-tone finish. Mounting screws and rubber feet included
• Size: 4.0"l x 3.3"W x 2.2"D
• Weight: 0.4 lbs.
• Jameco P/N 208901CM
• $6.49

Here's an ABS plastic enclosure from Jameco:

• Will not crack or split when drilled or punched. PCB mounting slots on all sides. Complete with four screws and lid. Size is for interior dimensions.
• Size: 3.1"L x 2.0"W x 0.9"D
• Weight: 0.1 lbs.
• Jameco P/N 18921CM
• $3.15

There are many more options, including clear cases, colored translucent cases, cases with 9V battery holders, etc. Look through the catalogs and find one that's big enough for your board dimensions and tall enough for your component height.

Board mounting

• If you select an enclosure before you layout your board, then you can have an exact match. You'll have mounting holes in the right place, and you can just screw the board down to the enclosure, or the enclosure may have card guides that the board slides into.
• If you've already finished your board, it's time to get creative with standoffs and hot glue.
• There are optional end panels for common interfaces like DB9 connectors, or you can cut holes and slots in the enclosure for the interface components.

Label the interfaces

A lot of students forget this step. You've been working on this product for two semesters, and you know exactly what those switches and LEDs mean, but a user won't. You MUST label all the LEDs, buttons, switches, etc. Here's a simple example:

Again, this doesn't have to be anything fancy. Small labels made with a label printer would be fine. You might be able to get a screen printed look by using small letter stencils and paint. Try it and post the results here.