FAQ

The Basics

What is Protocase Designer®?

Protocase Designer is free downloadable 3-D CAD enclosure design software, that can be learned in minutes, and allows you to design complete custom metal electronics enclosures in less than 20 minutes. You can obtain instant pricing, and order online from Protocase Inc. who will then manufacture your custom enclosure in 2-3 days. Protocase Designer has built-in intelligence that only allows you to design what can be manufactured, so the traditional cycle of design submission and revision is reduced or eliminated.

Who uses Protocase Designer®?

Protocase Designer is used by:

• Electronics engineers and designers who use enclosures, but have limited experience in custom enclosure design. With Protocase Designer , they can learn enclosure design in minutes, avoid expensive investments in complex generalized CAD software, and benefit from real-time quoting and super-fast delivery time.
• Experienced electronics packaging engineers who find they can save valuable design time, eliminate the quoting cycle and the need to correspond regarding details of manufacturing capabilities.

How does it work?

Protocase Designer is based on the concept of 'enclosure templates' which can be thought of as generalized enclosure designs, that lack details such as size, cutouts, mounting hardware, finish, and silkscreen. Protocase Designer allows a user to select a template, specify the size, and immediately begin working with a 3-D blank enclosure that exactly matches with his/her requirements. The user can view and rotate the enclosure in 3-D, select faces, and add cutouts, mounting hardware, and silkscreen artwork until his/her design is complete. At any time, Protocase Designer can calculate pricing, or submit an online order, and it will not create designs that cannot be manufactured.

How do I get started and where do I get support?

To get started, simply click the Download link to download and install. The software is now ready to design enclosures. When you first run Protocase Designer, you will be prompted to complete an optional registration. This is only necessary if you wish to enable price estimation and ordering. Support for the software is provided via our online forum. Should you choose to order the enclosure that you design, Protocase Inc. provides quick-turn 2-3 day manufacturing, and provides support related to pricing and ordering.

What if I have design requirements that go beyond the capabilities of Protocase Designer?

Sometimes Protocase Designer users will design a basic custom enclosure, but find that they have special features or requirements that go beyond the capability of the software, such as design of internal mounting hardware or more extensive customization of the enclosure structure itself. Protocase can easily accommodate this situation. Simply take your design as far as you can, save it to your hard drive, and email the file (the extension is .cas) and your enquiry to sales@protocase.com for North America or sales@protocase.co.uk for customers in the UK. Usually, Protocase's experienced designers can make the required modifications. Minor modifications can often be accommodated free of charge, and larger design enhancements can be done for a reasonable hourly fee. If you can provide sufficient detail before design time, they can provide a full quotation for supplement design costs and manufacturing costs before you engage supplemental design services.