"; _cf_contextpath=""; _cf_ajaxscriptsrc="/cfthorscripts/ajax"; _cf_jsonprefix='//'; _cf_websocket_port=8578; _cf_flash_policy_port=1244; _cf_clientid='8504EC3E55247F939F171E328B1B6FA2';/* ]]> */
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Custom Benchtop Enclosures Manufacturing![]() ![]() Please Wait
This video provides an overview of our manufacturing processes for custom-designed benchtop enclosures.
Thorlabs' Manufacturing Technology and ServicesThorlabs offers fully customizable benchtop enclosures for electronic devices. Our services include laser cutting, riveting, UV printing, and overlay custom molding. Customization options are available for the front panel, rear panel, mounting board (the Assembly Details tab identifies each of these components), and an optional overlay. Read below or watch the video to the right to learn more about each service, all of which are performed in-house at our Shanghai, China facility. To begin ordering a custom benchtop enclosure, please refer to the configurator on the Custom Enclosures tab to fill out a request form. Shown below are examples of customized enclosure front plates. Laser Cutting Riveting UV-LED Printing Overlays
The faceplates above are examples of the services we offer, which include laser cutting, riveting, and UV-LED printing.
Assembly Details for Blank EnclosuresThe blank enclosures are shipped completely assembled with the exception of the two foldable feet and two fixed feet. The feet can be easily attached using the included M3 cap screws and 3/32" hex key. The mounting boards are sold separately, and four M3 button head screws (5/64" hex) are included with the enclosure for installing a mounting board. The enclosure can be disassembled for ease of machining. The included 5/64" and 3/32" hex keys can be used for all screws in the assembly.
Custom Enclosures Request Form![]() Click to Enlarge Customized Enclosure with Lid Removed Use the configurator below to customize your own benchtop electronics enclosure. Customization options are available for the front panel, rear panel, mounting board, and overlay (not included with standard enclosures). The drawing in the Assembly Details tab identifies each of these parts, with the exception of the overlay. Click on the After selecting one of our standard enclosure sizes, check the boxes corresponding to the service you would like for each section of the enclosure. For each service selected, download the .pdf or .dxf template(s) for that section of the enclosure, edit the template with your desired design, and then upload the file (.pdf only) by clicking on the Upload button. You can view a design file that you have uploaded by clicking the icon in the Preview column. ![]() Click to Enlarge Example of a Customized Enclosure You can add multiple enclosures of the same kind by increasing the Quantity, shown below the table in the configurator. You can customize multiple enclosures with different sizes and different designs by clicking the Add Another Enclosure button at the bottom. Once all customization requests have been entered, click Add to Cart. Click on the yellow boxes below to learn more about the customization services we offer. The price estimate generated upon submitting your drawings is subject to change. Your designs will be sent to our Technical Support team for review. You will then receive a finalized price, which may increase based on Technical Support's evaluation of your design and our manufacturing capabilities. You will have a chance to confirm your order after receiving this finalized price.
Laser Cutting![]() Click to Enlarge Example of Cutting on the Front Panel ![]() Click to Enlarge Laser Cutting in Progress Custom cutouts can be made on the front and back panels of the enclosure as well as on the mounting board. All the cutouts are performed by solid state fiber lasers, which offer both higher precision and higher speed compared to traditional CO2 laser cutting technology. Drawings can be submitted as a .pdf document. All drawings will be processed at a 1:1 scale.
Riveting![]() Click to Enlarge Example of Riveting on the Mounting Board
Riveting involves attaching a self-clinching standoff, stud, or nut onto the panels or mounting board of the enclosure. These can be used as additional mounting locations for components inside the enclosure. Please specify the position and type of all riveting locations on your drawing. The riveting requests should be made on the same drawing file as the cutting requests. Drawings can be submitted as a .pdf document. All drawings will be processed at a 1:1 scale. Click here to view the riveting components available for these enclosures. For parts that are not on this list, please contact Tech Support for availability and lead time. UV PrintingWe use 4-color digital printing with UV-cured ink to add markings to the front and back panel, as well as the mounting board. As an alternative to traditional silk screening and engraving, UV printing is versatile and has the ability to produce high resolution, high quality, full color marking on both metal and plastic surfaces. The hard UV-cured ink also provides excellent chemical resistance to solvents such as ethanol. ![]() Click to Enlarge UV Printing in Progress Drawings can be submitted as a .pdf document. Pictures are recommended to be in vector format for best results. All drawings will be processed on a 1:1 scale. All colors will be printed as they are in the drawings; we do not accept black and white drawings with color codes. ![]() Click to Enlarge Example of UV Printing on the Back Panel
Overlay![]() Click to Enlarge Example of a Customized Overlay
For customized enclosures, we provide a plastic overlay to be attached to the front panel. The overlay is 1 mm thick transparent polycarbonate with an adhesive back side. The overlay can be customized with high-precision CNC cutting and UV printing. Two drawings are required for each overlay: one for cutting and the other for UV printing. The drawing requirements are the same as those for the laser cutting and UV printing outlined above. Due to tolerancing, we suggest that the cutouts in the overlay be 0.5 mm smaller than the cutouts on the front panel. Riveting is not available on the overlay.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|