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joshr120 / PD-Stepper

GNU General Public License v3.0
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Beautiful cover! Where did you get injection molded polycarbonate cover #9

Closed wasauce closed 6 days ago

wasauce commented 3 weeks ago

@joshr120 - wonderful project here and really compelling.

I am working on a cover for a totally different project (no stepper motor) and I am inspired by your injection molded polycarbonate cover. Could you share more about where you get these covers made? I am new to this and looking to learn.

I don't have a good sense of the cost as compared to some 3d printed solutions and I'd love a pointer in the right direction.

Thank you!

joshr120 commented 3 weeks ago

Thanks for the kind words

I get them injection molded in China, there is a large upfront cost for the molds but after that the unit cost is lower than 3D printing. If you are happy with the looks/properties of 3D printing then it is generally only worth going to injection molding if the quantities are in the thousands.

In this case I wanted a very clear finish and good temperature properties so 3D printing wasn't really an option. I was originally planning on machining them which would be more cost effective for smaller quantities but as the number of pre-orders increased I decided to go with injection molding as it gives a much better surface finish.

Let me know if you have any more questions