How to Design an Enclosure for Electronics

Start with the inside, not the outside

The enclosure exists to hold the board, so measure the PCB first: length, width, and the tallest component on top. Then design the internal cavity around it with clearance — a couple of millimeters on each side, and a few above the tallest part. Build a box around the contents rather than guessing at a size.

Create a rectangular enclosure with a 84 x 56 mm inner cavity,
25 mm deep inside, 2.5 mm walls

With PartWork.ai you describe the cavity and it builds the walls outward. See Creating Parts for prompt tips.

Add mounting bosses and a lid

Most boards have mounting holes. Add bosses — small posts the board screws into — so it sits off the floor:

Add four 6 mm diameter mounting bosses, 4 mm tall, with 2.5 mm holes,
positioned for an 80 x 52 mm hole pattern

For the lid, design a separate flat cover that drops into the top with a snug fit. Aim for about 0.2 mm of clearance so it seats without forcing — see tolerances for 3D printed parts for the exact gap. Need to nudge a boss after seeing it? Just describe the change — more in Modifying Parts.

Cut openings for ports

USB, power, buttons, an LED — each needs an opening. Place them by describing the wall and the position:

Cut a 9 x 4 mm USB-C slot in the short wall, centered, 6 mm up from the floor

Already have a drawing of the enclosure?

Then you don’t need to redraw it. If the box exists as a drawing or a supplier’s PDF, upload the PDF, PNG or JPG to PartWork.ai and get a STEP solid checked against every view of the drawing, in minutes, with an STL for the printer. One part per drawing, so the body and the lid each need their own.

A free check confirms it can be built, $9.99 builds the model, and the CAD files are from $29.99 per part. See Drawing to STEP for what it converts, or how it compares with a CAD drafting service.

Design your enclosure now