Hi!!
I’m about to launch a crowdfunding campaign for an SDR (Software-defined radio). We are in the process of doing a nice CNC enclosure, that is easy to manufacture in low amount of units, and also that helps with thermal dissipation. Our inspiration is the look and feel of Saleae products:
My question is: If the crowdfunding campaign is super successful and sells many many units (I don’t know… more than 10K for example), is it worthy economically to continue with CNC or is there any other procedure that makes more sense? (the other day I found out about aluminum injection molding. for example)
Thanks 
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If it looks like that box, then you might be able to make it using metal stamping, with a few design changes.
If the material of the housing can be changed, then recently there has been an increase in a technique where they 3D print the part in plastic and then coat it with a thin later layer of metal. The end product is very light but strong.
Everything does depend on the complexity of the design, because sometimes CNC will be cheaper for simple designs for lower quantities. 10K total parts is still low-to-mid volume for manufacturing. Hope that helps!
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Some of our sponsors have direct expertise in this area and we are happy to connect you, I am going to send you a dm!
Depending on the reception you get from your crowdfunding campaign, I’d actually suggest working with a manufacturer directly! Find suppliers that have made similar anodized, aluminum casings for products like this and reach out directly.
For example, here’s what I found from a cursory search:
- Company Overview - Ningbo Uworthy Electronic Technology Co., Ltd.
- Company Overview - Shenzhen Hongfa Shunda Mould Co., Ltd.
If you were to split the body of the case into three distinct components and are okay with sacrificing on cosmetics, it could be: extruded aluminum body, and two stamped pieces of paneling.
Suppliers would know best though.
