Every week, Team Protocase is bringing you a Proto Tech Tip video, where we’ll give an informative look at a particular aspect of sheet metal fabrication and CNC Machining. This week, Cody from our Engineering & Design Services breaks down the key differences between standard masking an

As an engineer, scientist or designer, you know that you need ventilation in your enclosures. Components generate heat, and that heat needs to get out – it cannot pass through solid metal, after all.  I’ve written this blog post to review ventilation design, as well as explain the options that w

We consistently make your custom enclosures, parts and panels in 2-3 days. And the very first step in making your designs a reality is the quoting stage – you have a design, and you want to know how much it will cost to build it. Protocase Designer, our free 3D CAD software, is ideal for this –

Protocase is proud to be a major sponsor of the University Rover Challenge (also known as URC). Since 2015, we have provided all teams with a $2,000 manufacturing credit for custom parts, enclosures, and components, all built in our signature 2-3 day turnaround. Throughout the years, w

Of all of the custom enclosure styles we can manufacture at Protocase, the U-Shape is the one of the simplest to both design and build. Also known as a “clamshell” design, U-Shape enclosures are an excellent choice for printed circuit boards when a component protrudes from adjacent sides, such a

If you haven’t used our free CAD software – Protocase Designer, there’s no better time to give it a try. While there are several different ways to work with us to have enclosures, panels or parts custom-manufactured, many of our customers rely on this software. With P

One of the first steps in designing an enclosure is choosing what metal you will use. In this blog post, I will first examine some factors to consider when deciding which metal is the best choice for your project. Following that, I will review each of our metal options in detail so that you can

Here at Protocase, we make your design ideas come to life by manufacturing custom, fully finished parts and enclosures. A huge part of that “fully finished” look is having graphics applied to your part or enclosure. These graphics can be for labeling connectors and switches, displaying your log

For custom enclosures or parts, self-clinching fasteners can be a designer’s best friend. They solve a whole host of challenges when it comes to mounting components, and because of their compact design and low profile, they are a win aesthetically, too. Self-Clinching fasteners are threaded

Every week, Team Protocase is bringing you a Proto Tech Tip video, where we’ll give an informative look at a particular aspect of sheet metal fabrication and CNC Machining. This week, Moataz from our Engineering & Design Services team talks about minimum bend dimensions and how far cut

Every week, Team Protocase is bringing you a Proto Tech Tip video, where we’ll give an informative look at a particular aspect of sheet metal fabrication and CNC Machining. This week, Chris from our Marketing team talks about type 2 and type 3 anodizing for your custom enclosures or pa

At Protocase we are in the business of turning the design visions of engineers and scientists into real functional professional grade enclosures and parts as quickly as possible. We are always trying to expand our capabilities in a way that aligns with what our customers want to achieve. In rec

I wanted to share some of my experience and knowledge of how to design enclosures that protect against water and debris. This inevitably brings up the issue of NEMA or IP standards, but sometimes there is confusion as to how these work. I’m writing this to give some direction to designers who

Many Protocase users are specialists in their field of engineering or science but don’t necessarily have specific training in metal fabrication or design. Creating optimal enclosure designs that reflect your requirements and intent can be challenging at the best of times, let alone when it’s un

I touched on the topic of metal bending and bend radii in my last blog post, Design 101. However, I thought it was imperative that I go deeper into the subject of minimum bend radii – focusing specifically on issues of cutouts close to a bend, and how to work around bending constraints. Rule of

For more than a decade, our How to Design Custom Enclosures for Motherboards guide has been vital for designers looking for guidance on how to properly integrate standard form factor motherboards into their custom enclosure design. For many of our customers, this resource has become a stapl

Here at Protocase, we turn your design ideas into functional custom electronic enclosures, parts and components as quickly as possible. To ensure we manufacture exactly what you envisioned, we have carved out certain steps in our procedures, the most important of which is the drawing approval pr

While there are several different ways to work with us to have enclosures, panels or parts custom-manufactured, many of our customers rely on our free CAD software – Protocase Designer. Because Protocase Designer offers dozens of templates for enclosures, panels and brackets, each customizable b

When Steve Lilley and I founded Protocase back in 2001, we had a vision of creating an on-demand manufacturing system that would give engineers and scientists the means to quickly and affordably build ‘things’ that they were designing for their projects. We knew what we were proposing was diffe

Last month, we launched the newest version of Protocase Designer (4.6) – exciting, right? Since I’ve been with Protocase since the very early days, I’ve seen the company grow and expand in so many ways. One of the major ways we’ve grown has been our development and launch of Protocase Desi