New project - MSFS C++ USB interface

[Demon]

45deg was too shallow, 50deg was too tall, 47.5deg was just right under the upper limit, and fit within caution area on bed.




Print time is not realistic. This was done with a 10mm thick triangle, just to test for best print angle.

[Demon]

Sometimes when you make support panels, they might not have a lot of detail and it's not always apparent which way is which.

So I add little alignment markers to help me when I assemble it for a print (like on these supports).

[Demon]

The more I think about it, the more I'm leaning towards 3D printing to make the enclosures. There's a LOT of details in using liquid plastic, the one that scares the crap out of me is the vacuum chamber to degaz the liquid. I have the chamber and pumps, but I'm scared silly to have that thing fail. Liquid plastic makes a superior enclosure, but it's also labour intensive. With 3D printing, you start the job and go do something else; it literally doesn't take any of your time

The 300mm x 300mm x 300mm limitation of my Ender 3 S1 Plus was costing me a lot of time having to print at an angle. And then I fall on this puppy.

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0CD7S18PB/?th=1

The Anycubic Kobra 2 Max has a ridonculous 420mm x 420mm x 500mm print size that runs at 500mm/s (reviews say 300mm/s is better). Considering my printer runs at 50mm/s, that's a 6-fold increase in speed.

I'm definitely setting up an exhaust port in the basement. I could print my enclosure flat on its back with ABS, no supports, no wasted filament, and at an insane speed. I can still keep my Ender for supports jobs; like to print the smaller enclosures, brackets, light pipes, etc.

[Ioannis]

Well, OK with the self 3D printing for one or two pcs. But is it cost effective for small production?

What about using JLCPCB 3d capabilities? https://jlc3dp.com/?source=JLCPCB-top-productbar Will this be better choice regarding cost/time/quality?

Ioannis

[Demon]

I didn't even know JLCPCB offered 3D services. I have only one fear when dealing with China; it's having my idea stolen. I grew up in a time when China regularly cloned western products. I'm sure they still do today. Back then, they had to reverse engineer devices; now we're just sending them the actual prints willingly (whether it's PCBs, 3D files, etc).

I know that anyone could fabricate what I'm building; there's no rocket science involved. But still, I'm apprehensive about helping them clone my idea. I'd use multiple names for various components if I could, but that could create havoc with things like shipping, customs and such.

Out of curiosity, I got an instant quote for just the front panel for the display, $87.45.

I'm clearing more workspace for a Kobra 2 Max coming in tomorrow. I pay the printer in 6 prints, and I'm not even including shipping and brokerage fees on that, so it's probably more like 4 prints.


EDIT: One thing I'm thinking of doing, is having only the switches, encoder and pot circuits in china, and have the main USB circuit done with digikey.

[Ioannis]

Well, you do not have to tell them what you are doing. And after all, having a plastic thing printed there, what really means to them? They cannot figure what you are doing, right?

The $87.45 is for one piece?

Ioannis

[Demon]

...The $87.45 is for one piece?

Ioannis

Yup. I didn't even bother checking for quantities.

My enclosures consist of 3 parts; it's not like they will assemble it, the wrap and ship (they probably offer the service, but I'm not interested in taking them apart again once they get here.

I remember how JLCPCB likes taking humongous boxes, and that's what I expect from the 3D print service; each part wrapped separately. It's not like you can pile them up one inside the other either, I don't have a slope on the case. Shipping is gonna cost a fortune cause the final box is going to be huge.

[Demon]

Well, you do not have to tell them what you are doing. ...

Yup. I googled "jlcpcb steals design" to see if there's a history of incidents, and fell on this thread right away:

https://www.eevblog.com/forum/manufa...-risk-of-copy/


Read « Reply #19 on: July 22, 2023, 07:30:50 pm » specifically. The best thing I've learned was "don't put your company or product name on the PCB".

And I JUST finished generating all my PCBs.

I'll go through them tomorrow and take out my company name.