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Design Tips

25 posts in this category

Five Common Sheet Metal Design Challenges

From precision and tolerances to designing complex parts, check out five common sheet metal fabrication design challenges.

2026-03-18

Digital Printing vs. Silkscreening vs. Laser Marking

In this blog, we compare digital printing, silkscreening and laser marking to help you choose the right method for your project goals.

2025-12-16

Bend Reliefs in Sheet Metal Design

Learn how bend reliefs play a crucial role in preventing issues during bending and check out tips for using them effectively.

2025-09-19

Common Challenges of Designing Cutouts

Learn about the challenges you might face when designing cutouts for custom parts, from placement and sizing to structural impact and installation issues.

2025-08-18

Weight Reduction Strategies for Sheet Metal and Machining

Learn about weight reduction strategies in sheet metal fabrication & CNC machining to boost performance, lower costs and improve efficiency.

2025-04-25

Sheet Metal Fabrication vs. CNC Machining: Choosing the Right Process for Your Custom Prototype

Comparing sheet metal fabrication and CNC machining for your prototype. Learn about design, durability, and more to choose the right process.

2025-03-21

Portable Custom Parts and Enclosures: Design Tips

Learn tips for designing portable custom parts: from material selection to ergonomics, achieve functionality without losing portability.

2025-01-28

Extruded Enclosures: Top 4 Design Considerations

This blog goes through some key considerations you need to keep in mind while designing extruded aluminum enclosures.

2025-01-10

Designing For Environmental Conditions

Why considering environmental conditions is crucial in the design of custom enclosures to ensure optimal performance and durability.

2024-12-20

Chamfers and Fillets in CNC Machining

Discover the importance and benefits of adding chamfers and fillets to your machined parts for improved functionality and aesthetics.

2024-08-12

Cable Management Tips

A few tips on how to deal with cable management when you’re prototyping and building enclosures with electrical components inside.

2023-10-03

5 Common Sheet Metal Design Mistakes to Avoid

To ensure that you avoid sheet metal design mistakes, we have listed some common errors you should look to avoid.

2023-08-09

Add Strength to Your Sheet Metal Part

While increasing metal thickness is one way to increase a part’s strength, it is not by any means your only option.

2023-06-22
Featured image of Our Favorite Proto Tech Tips of 2022

Our Favorite 2022 Proto Tech Tip Videos

As we say goodbye to 2022, let’s look at Team Protocase’s top 10 videos of the year.

2022-12-28
Protocase Design Services

Design Services from Protocase: 6 Tips

Outlining the best practices for using our design services.

2021-05-26

Design Tips to Save Costs: Custom Sheet Metal Parts & Enclosures

This blog post outlines some steps and measures you can take to help save budget while ensuring you end up with a design that functions as intended.

2021-04-07

How to Expedite Your Quote

This blog post provides a rundown of all of the important steps and key information you should include when submitting a request for quote.

2018-01-29

Ventilation Options for Your Sheet Metal Enclosure

This blog post reviews ventilation design, as well as explains the options that we offer to create ventilation that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing.

2017-12-08

Q&A with Protocase Designer’s Douglas Ronne

Douglas Ronne is our lead software developer and essentially the mastermind of Protocase Designer as it exists today.

2017-10-20
Protocase Designer Face Editor

6 Ways We Improved Protocase Designer (Release 4.6)

Protocase Designer is an important tool for our customers, and so we’re always striving to make the software as useful as it can possibly be.

2017-09-12

4 Benefits Of E-Drawing Approval For Protocase Orders

To ensure we manufacture exactly what you envision, we have e-drawing approval as part of our standard procedures.

2017-08-22

We’ve Updated the “How to Design Custom Enclosures for Motherboards” Resource

We recently revised our How to Design Custom Enclosures for Motherboard-Based Systems resource to make it more clear, up-to-date and more helpful.

2017-07-31

Bend Notching to Place Cutouts Close to Bend

Going deeper into the subject of minimum bend radii.

2017-05-02

Electronic Enclosure Design 101 – Sheet Metal Design Guide

This blog highlights five key design concepts: metal selection, metal bending, self-clinching fasteners, welding, and finishing.

2017-02-16

How to Design Enclosures that Protect Against Water and Debris

Sharing some knowledge on how to design enclosures that protect against water and debris.

2016-12-09

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