The case for the Master Control Panel could have been a cardboard box and duct tape, but that wouldn’t be robust enough to handle an on-set environment.
So, I 3D printed a case out of nylon and aluminum, from Shapeways. It is light, and flexible, and strong. I was able to download digital models of all of the components that I used from their manufacturer’s sites. In Blender I molded the case to wrap around the MCP like a shell.
The case fits the components perfectly, keeping the electronics protected, and keeping all of the ports firmly connected. It worked with just a few adjustments – shortening a few circuit board alignment pins, and some minor grinding on the aluminum core. The only mis-alignment is a mmm off on the OLED, cutting off a few pixels on the left of the screen.
Overall, I am amazed at the tight tolerances of the printing, and how exactly it matches the digital model.
The vinyl front and back of the case, and the aluminum core. The grommets were melted in with a soldering iron. The back screws securely to the front. The tolerances in the printing are very tight. Just a little grinding… The aluminum core snapped into the plastic front. A space for the LoRa radio expansion card. The air vent pattern is an homage to the Master Control Panel in Tron.
