> I use Serpac stuff a bit. There's also Hammond.
>
>> anyone have a compiled list of plastic box vendors.  I know pactec and
>> bud, but others?
>>
>
> --
>
> ---
> Chris Smolinski
> Black Cat Systems
> http://www.blackcatsystems.com

> The price is a killer.
> If my memory wasn't wrong, I am curious how far-east factory can make it
> so fast, so cheap but with a decent quality.
>
> Here is what I have learned from one of my clients in CT:
> A custom made mold and sample in own factory at CT USA: time: 7 weeks
> after CAD drawing is done. All in-house. Internal cost/quote: US$7K-15K;
>>From a Factory in Guangdong China: time: quoted 7 days after CAD drawing
>>send out via email, samples were actually delivered in the 5th business
>>day to CT USA. cost: <US$3K; Quality are good. volume is about 1K/first
>>year, 3~5K/2nd year, 30K maximum. Unit price (including shipping) after
>>model cost is about 1/10 of in-house made price. And that quantity doesn't
>>sounds a lot to me.
>
> I met the gentleman from New York city, who cooperates my clients and the
> factory in China. He visited the factory who made the mold and enclosures.
> and I was told all he saw were modern equipment, nice building,
> well-trained staff.
>
> Is outsource the only way to get custom designed enclosure/box done in a
> reasonable price?
> Can Mexico be a good alternative instead of sending orders out of this
> continent?

>Quoting "M.L." <KILLspammspamBeGonelkeng.net>:
>
> > I've been through the process of getting a plastic enclosure made. We
> > wanted to do an injection molded part but the tooling was going to be
> > expensive, even with a cheaper aluminum mold. It depends on the size
> > of the object, but it was going to be many thousand. Maybe you can get
> > tooling made by a third party but I doubt most plastics places would
> > be willing to use third-party tools. They don't make much money off of
> > the impressions.
> >
> >
> > --
> > Martin K.
> > --
>
>
>Mold prices will depend heavily on the shape of the part you want to
>make.  The lowest cost will be a part that can be made with no
>machining on one half of the mold.  Complex parts will need to have
>both sides machined and other inserts (from the sides, etc).
>Sometimes the parts may need to be made in a few molds and joined
>afterwards.  Allowable draft angles make a big difference too.

> From: PICdude <.....picdude3spam_OUTnarwani.org>
> Subject: Re: [OT] plastic box mfgs
> To: TakeThisOuTpiclist.....TakeThisOuTmit.edu
> Date: Monday, January 18, 2010, 6:14 AM
> Quoting alan smith <TakeThisOuTmicro_eng2KILLspamspamyahoo.com>:
>
> > Wow..I was traveling for a few days and didnt see the
> responses but   
> > the list came thru again!  I found one from OKW
> that appears to be   
> > workable, for now.
> >
> > Again, thanks for all the replies!
> >
>
> I missed some of this thread, but it seems that it went
> from searching 
> for a COTS box to having something custom-made.  I
> should add (for 
> anyone else) that there are solutions between those two
> options, as 
> (a) many of the enclosure manufacturers will custom-machine
> features 
> for you, and (b) you can always have some small pieces
> molded/machined 
> to add onto existing boxes as necessary.
>
> Cheers,
> -Neil.
>
>

> I ended up with a COTS for now, with some holes drilled in it.  Its hard
> when the board is done and then you have to fit in an enclosure...it
> should be the other way around
>
> --- On Mon, 1/18/10, PICdude <.....picdude3RemoveMEnarwani.org> wrote:
>
>> From: PICdude <RemoveMEpicdude3spamBeGonenarwani.org>
>> Subject: Re: [OT] plastic box mfgs
>> To: spamBeGonepiclist@spam@spam_OUTmit.edu
>> Date: Monday, January 18, 2010, 6:14 AM
>> Quoting alan smith <TakeThisOuTmicro_eng2spamyahoo.com>:
>>
>>> Wow..I was traveling for a few days and didnt see the
>>>
>> responses but  
>>> the list came thru again!  I found one from OKW
>>>
>> that appears to be  
>>> workable, for now.
>>>
>>> Again, thanks for all the replies!
>>>
>>
>> I missed some of this thread, but it seems that it went from searching
>> for a COTS box to having something custom-made.  I should add (for
>> anyone else) that there are solutions between those two options, as
>> (a) many of the enclosure manufacturers will custom-machine features
>> for you, and (b) you can always have some small pieces molded/machined
>> to add onto existing boxes as necessary.
>>
>> Cheers,
>> -Neil.