Soil Sensor | 2019
Design, DFM, Prototyping to Injection Moulding
This project involved working from an existing sketch of the external appearance and a client brief to develop an IP rated housing for a commercial soil sensor. The PCB layout work had already been started and the upper and lower housings had to be designed to accommodate the PCB’s. After proving the SolidWorks 3D CAD design with a one off set of printed parts the client ordered multiple sets of 3D printed housings for field tests alongside the existing equipment.
The housings have been designed to be produced by injection moulding for production volumes. The upper housing features a switch membrane over moulded in flexible >TPU< allowing the housing to maintain its IP rating. The housings are injection moulded in >PC+ABS<.
The base moulding was designed around an existing sensor that would be potted with resin during the manufacturing process.
A 3D printed prototype undergoing field trials.
(Image used with permission)
The finished housing has to be IP rated for the environment it is used in.
Two prototype pods being bench marked alongside their predecessor unit.
(Image used with permission)
The upper housing featured an over-moulded switch button in >TPE< (upper right)
Successful first off parts from the injection moulding tool in >PC+ABS<.
(Image used with permission)