Mechanical Design
The case
around the board
The same conversation-and-viewport model as our electronic tool, aimed at geometry instead of copper.
Describe it, then shape it
Enclosure shell modelled, 2mm walls, with a cutout for the USB-C connector.
Thicken the walls to 2.5mm and add a mounting boss by the regulator.
Done. Boss added, 3mm standoff. Board clearance still 0.8mm.
What it does
Parametric parts
Model by dimensions rather than by dragging vertices. Change the wall thickness and the part rebuilds, instead of becoming a different shape.
Assemblies
Bring parts together with real constraints. Move one and the parts that depend on it follow, so the assembly cannot quietly drift apart.
Enclosure fit
The case exists to hold the board. Clearances, connector cutouts, and mounting bosses are checked against the actual board, not a remembered dimension.
Export for manufacture
Step and mesh formats for machining, printing, or sending to a supplier when the design is ready.
Why it is not just a CAD tool
CAD programs are good at geometry and know nothing about electronics. That is fine when the case is a box, and a problem when it is not — the board has height, the connectors have depth, the battery has to sit somewhere, and the thermal path runs through the part you are modelling.
Because our mechanical tool shares a model with the electronic one, the enclosure is checked against the actual board rather than a dimension someone copied across. Move a component and the clearance is re-evaluated.
Where this is
The mechanical tool is the least developed of the three. It is the last discipline we are building, and it depends on the electronic tool being solid first — the whole point is that the two agree.
If you want to follow it, create an account and we will let you know when there is something to try.
The board and the case have to agree. That is the whole point.
Electronic Design