Tips To Specify Custom-Made Enclosures For Handheld Electronic Devices

Handheld enclosures have to meet considerably higher expectation levels than their desktop or wall-mounted peers. If a user would be holding an enclosure, then it has to feel perfectly right. It has to look and seem like it has been designed precisely for that venture and no other.

The perfect handheld custom design enclosure is one that doesn’t look or feel basic at all. The user must have no idea that the housing is basic; it should sound bespoke, custom-molded for that device.

Hence, the large (and at times bewildering) array of shapes and sizes of handheld enclosures is on offer. And usually, their performances overlap; there is possibly several housing capable of meeting your needs, doesn’t matter how specialist they may be.

Here’s how to specify the finest handheld enclosure or enclosures for your electronic items.

Get the Basics Right

You might be tempted to start with a specific size of PCB, and now you’re endeavoring to get an enclosure that is large enough to house it, but small enough to be comfortable to hold. That ‘PCB first’ approach may seem logical but it’s in fact a mistake. Ideally, you must specify the enclosure first.

Taking the ‘enclosure first’ route is always best as it encourages you to configure your circuit board layout with the highest level of efficiency. You will save space in this way. That’s important for an electronic gadget, but more so for handheld electronics.

Keypad And Buttons

Ideally, your handheld plasticelectronic enclosures should feature a lavishly recessed top section to house a membrane keypad; also, as other flat surfaces that provide space for buttons or connectors. And that can be challenging since flat surfaces and hard edges are never going to be as comfortable and as ergonomic as, soft contours.

Keep in mind that your device’s natural habitat is a complicated piece of bio-engineering known as the human hand; and that Mother Nature hates straight lines. Curves are more so her fancy.

Look at any latest,custom-designed handheld electronics enclosure and you’ll realize that they all feature a recess for display and a membrane keypad. Plus, they have gently rounded edges for comfort.

Indoor and Outdoor Use

It seems unbelievable how much damage the Sun’s rays can do to plastic, until you see it literally (or feel a piece of UV-faded plastic split as you pick it up); this is the flipside to those stories, you hear of plastics lasting thousands of years.

A lot of handheld devices are intended for life outdoors; that’s the real purpose of making them small and portable. And that counts out ABS for certain applications. ABS is a nice all-around plastic, hence its undying popularity through the years. However, it struggles to handle prolonged exposure to UV rays. So, specify a custom design enclosure molded from UV-stable ASA. ASA is today popularly specified as the plastic of choice for newer models like ergonomic handheld enclosures.

The Summary

With the right approach, it’s very easy to specify the ideal enclosure for your PCBs and other handheld electronic devices.