Clamshell Gaming Handheld Mechanical Design

Job ID: 40479354

Budget: $1,500 – $3,000 USD

Industrial Design / Mechanical Engineering RFQ – Clamshell Gaming Handheld

I'm looking for a mechanical designer/product engineer to assist with the design of a clamshell handheld gaming device. There is no need to do any software development or PCB electrical design for this project.

Scope of Work

Mechanical Housing Design
https://github.com/StonedEdge/Retro-Flip-CM5/tree/main/CAD/housing
* Design and refine the top and bottom housing assemblies that already exist in RF-CM5_form.step
* Create manufacturable 3D CAD models suitable for prototyping and eventual production, ideally on a CNC machine for prototyping
* Consider assembly, serviceability, and manufacturing constraints throughout the design.

Display Integration

* Integrate a 4.16" 1920×1080 LCD display into the bottom housing using supplied display datasheets.
* Integrate a 6.0" 1920×1080 OLED display into the top housing using supplied display datasheets.
* Design mounting features, retention methods, cable routing, and display protection.

Hinge Design

* Integrate an existing hinge solution (currently based on Nintendo 3DS XL hinges) or propose an improved alternative to open and close the top display
* Ensure adequate opening angles, durability, cable routing, and user experience - either by suggesting the use of a flex cable (design required) or some alternative cable, such as an off the shelf eDP cable

Controls

* Integrate:

* Analog trigger mechanisms with spring return.
* Digital shoulder buttons.
* Face buttons (A/B/X/Y).
* D-pad.
* Start/Select/Home buttons as required.
* Preference for off-the-shelf button components and membranes where practical.

Thermal Design

* Design an active cooling solution including:

* Heat spreader and/or heat pipe for SoC
* Heatsink.
* Fan integration.
* Airflow path and vent placement.
* Cooling solution should be suitable for a modern mobile SoC.

PCB Outline Design (no electronics work)
* Create mechanical PCB outline DXF files for:

* Mainboard.
* Controller boards.
* Power/volume button boards.
* Any additional daughterboards.
* Electrical design is not required.
* PCB outlines should be exportable to DXF for import into KiCad.

External I/O Integration

* Integrate housing cutouts and mounting provisions for:

* 2 × USB-C ports.
* Mini or Micro HDMI port.
* 3.5 mm headphone jack.
* MicroSD card slot (if space permits).

Battery Integration

* Integrate battery pack(s) totaling:

* Minimum capacity: 6000 mAh.
* Preferred capacity: 7000–8000 mAh.
* Consider safety, mounting, serviceability, and weight distribution. Size will be up to the developer, as long as sourceable. To work together with the creator to find the right size

Deliverables

* Complete 3D CAD assembly.
* STEP files.
* Manufacturing-ready housing geometry.
* DXF exports of all PCB outlines.
* Basic assembly documentation.
* Renders and exploded views.
* 2-3 month timeline (by end of July/August 2026)

Information Provided

* Display datasheets.
* Existing concept CAD.
* PCB component placement information.
* Mechanical constraints and target dimensions.

## Please Include

* Relevant portfolio examples.
* Experience with handheld electronics, gaming devices, or consumer products.
* Estimated timeline.
* Estimated cost.

Please do not send generated AI responses with quotes, these will be ignored!

Looking forward to working with you!