Modular Lab Controller Enclosure
Budget: €30 – €250 EUR
I need an industrial designer who can translate a set of functional requirements into a robust, production-ready enclosure for a modular biotech-lab controller that will live in a research laboratory. The housing must look clean on a bench full of analytical equipment yet stand up to the daily punishment of spills, solvent fumes, and constant cable changes.
Durability is the top priority, so every decision—from wall thickness to joint selection—has to favour impact resistance and chemical tolerance. I have already chosen reinforced plastic as the material because it gives the balance of toughness, weight, and cost we need, but I am open to your suggestions on the exact resin or additive mix if you can justify superior performance.
The controller is built around stackable PCBs and hot-swappable sensor modules; your enclosure should mirror that modularity. Think slide-in trays or keyed docking ribs that let a technician replace one section without dismantling the whole unit. Cable routing, gasketed openings for fluidic and electrical connectors, and passive airflow for heat management all need to be integrated into the design from day one.
Deliverables I expect:
• 3D CAD files (STEP or SolidWorks) that show the full assembly and each individual part
• Exploded views and annotated drawings suitable for injection-mould toolmakers
• A short DFM report noting draft angles, gate locations, suggested surface finishes, and any risk areas
I will prototype quickly on an in-house FDM printer, so please consider wall thicknesses and tolerances that print cleanly before we move to mould-ready revisions. Once the design passes the fit & stress checks, we will lock dimensions for final tooling.
If you’ve taken lab equipment from concept to production before—or just love tackling rugged modular housings—tell me how you’d approach this project and share a couple of relevant examples.
Durability is the top priority, so every decision—from wall thickness to joint selection—has to favour impact resistance and chemical tolerance. I have already chosen reinforced plastic as the material because it gives the balance of toughness, weight, and cost we need, but I am open to your suggestions on the exact resin or additive mix if you can justify superior performance.
The controller is built around stackable PCBs and hot-swappable sensor modules; your enclosure should mirror that modularity. Think slide-in trays or keyed docking ribs that let a technician replace one section without dismantling the whole unit. Cable routing, gasketed openings for fluidic and electrical connectors, and passive airflow for heat management all need to be integrated into the design from day one.
Deliverables I expect:
• 3D CAD files (STEP or SolidWorks) that show the full assembly and each individual part
• Exploded views and annotated drawings suitable for injection-mould toolmakers
• A short DFM report noting draft angles, gate locations, suggested surface finishes, and any risk areas
I will prototype quickly on an in-house FDM printer, so please consider wall thicknesses and tolerances that print cleanly before we move to mould-ready revisions. Once the design passes the fit & stress checks, we will lock dimensions for final tooling.
If you’ve taken lab equipment from concept to production before—or just love tackling rugged modular housings—tell me how you’d approach this project and share a couple of relevant examples.