Remote
Work location
Sheet Metal CAD Designer – Manufacture-Ready Enclosure + Ongoing Work Anyone
About the job
Sheet Metal Enclosure
CAD Design & Manufacturing Brief
1. Project Overview
I require a relatively simple sheet-metal enclosure to be designed and prepared for prototype and eventual volume manufacture.
The enclosure is essentially a six-sided box consisting of:
Base
Front
Rear
Left side
Right side
Top
The objective is not to create an unnecessarily complicated product. I require an accurate, clean and well-engineered enclosure that can be manufactured economically and repeatedly.
The initial design will be manufactured as a one-off prototype in the UK.
Once the prototype has been physically tested and any necessary dimensional revisions have been completed, the design will be used to obtain quotations for volume manufacture.
2. Overall Construction
The enclosure should be designed primarily for:
Laser cutting
CNC press-brake folding
Simple mechanical assembly
Minimal welding
Low component count
Efficient repeat manufacture
Although the finished enclosure consists of six surfaces, these do not necessarily need to be six individually manufactured panels.
The designer should consider how surfaces can be combined intelligently through folding.
For example, the:
base + left side + right side
may potentially be manufactured as a single folded component if this provides the best combination of:
Rigidity
Manufacturing simplicity
Assembly speed
Appearance
Production cost
The designer is expected to use practical sheet-met... read more
CAD Design & Manufacturing Brief
1. Project Overview
I require a relatively simple sheet-metal enclosure to be designed and prepared for prototype and eventual volume manufacture.
The enclosure is essentially a six-sided box consisting of:
Base
Front
Rear
Left side
Right side
Top
The objective is not to create an unnecessarily complicated product. I require an accurate, clean and well-engineered enclosure that can be manufactured economically and repeatedly.
The initial design will be manufactured as a one-off prototype in the UK.
Once the prototype has been physically tested and any necessary dimensional revisions have been completed, the design will be used to obtain quotations for volume manufacture.
2. Overall Construction
The enclosure should be designed primarily for:
Laser cutting
CNC press-brake folding
Simple mechanical assembly
Minimal welding
Low component count
Efficient repeat manufacture
Although the finished enclosure consists of six surfaces, these do not necessarily need to be six individually manufactured panels.
The designer should consider how surfaces can be combined intelligently through folding.
For example, the:
base + left side + right side
may potentially be manufactured as a single folded component if this provides the best combination of:
Rigidity
Manufacturing simplicity
Assembly speed
Appearance
Production cost
The designer is expected to use practical sheet-met... read more
Sheet Metal Enclosure
CAD Design & Manufacturing Brief
1. Project Overview
I require a relatively simple sheet-metal enclosure to be designed and prepared for prototype and eventual volume manufacture.
The enclosure is essentially a six-sided box consisting of:
Base
Front
Rear
Left side
Right side
Top
The objective is not to create an unnecessarily complicated product. I require an accurate, clean and well-engineered enclosure that can be manufactured economically and repeatedly.
The initial design will be manufactured as a one-off prototype in the UK.
Once the prototype has been physically tested and any necessary dimensional revisions have been completed, the design will be used to obtain quotations for volume manufacture.
2. Overall Construction
The enclosure should be designed primarily for:
Laser cutting
CNC press-brake folding
Simple mechanical assembly
Minimal welding
Low component count
Efficient repeat manufacture
Although the finished enclosure consists of six surfaces, these do not necessarily need to be six individually manufactured panels.
The designer should consider how surfaces can be combined intelligently through folding.
For example, the:
base + left side + right side
may potentially be manufactured as a single folded component if this provides the best combination of:
Rigidity
Manufacturing simplicity
Assembly speed
Appearance
Production cost
The designer is expected to use practical sheet-metal design-for-manufacture principles rather than simply reproducing six individual flat panels.
3. Approximate Dimensions
An existing enclosure used as an initial dimensional reference is approximately:
430 mm long × 270 mm wide × 140 mm high
These dimensions are a starting reference rather than fixed final dimensions.
Final dimensions will be determined according to:
Internal component dimensions
Required clearances
Mounting points
External fittings
Manufacturing requirements
Keeping the enclosure reasonably compact is desirable.
4. Internal Component
One principal component will be mounted within the enclosure and through the base.
I will provide the selected designer with the necessary:
Component dimensions
Mounting footprint
Mounting-hole dimensions
Required base cut-out
Relevant clearances
Photographs
Reference drawings where available
The enclosure must provide suitable clearance around this component without making the overall enclosure unnecessarily large.
Where possible, the final design should be based on physical measurements of the actual component and fittings rather than nominal catalogue dimensions.
5. Base
The base will require accurate provision for:
Main component cut-out
Component mounting holes
Enclosure mounting holes
Other required penetrations
The exact geometry will be supplied during the design process.
Accuracy of these locations is particularly important.
The designer should also consider whether folds, returns or other simple sheet-metal features can improve base rigidity without unnecessarily increasing material thickness.
6. Front Panel
The front panel requires:
2 × evenly spaced outlets for nominal Ø42 mm fittings.
The openings should be:
Identical
Horizontally aligned
Symmetrically/evenly positioned
Visually balanced
Positioned with sufficient surrounding material to retain panel rigidity
Final Hole Diameter
The final laser-cut hole diameter must not automatically be assumed to be exactly Ø42.0 mm.
The selected fittings are nominally Ø42 mm, but the CAD must be based on the actual measured outside diameter of the section of the fitting that passes through or locates within the panel.
Suitable allowance must then be made for:
Powder-coat thickness
Laser-cutting tolerance
Installation clearance
Normal manufacturing variation
Depending upon the selected fitting, the resulting cut-out may potentially be approximately Ø43–44 mm, but this must be confirmed from the actual component before the production drawing is finalised.
The objective is a secure and professional fit without requiring the powder coating to be scraped, drilled or filed during assembly.
7. Rear Panel – Ventilation
The rear panel will act primarily as a high-airflow ventilation panel.
A generous proportion of the usable rear-panel surface should therefore contain laser-cut ventilation openings.
The objective is to:
maximise unrestricted airflow while maintaining sufficient panel rigidity.
The ventilation pattern must not weaken the panel to the point where it:
Flexes excessively
Distorts easily
Resonates unnecessarily
Becomes vulnerable to damage
Contains excessively narrow sections of remaining material
Suitable ventilation arrangements may include:
Horizontal slots
Rounded rectangular slots
Repeating elongated openings
Another simple geometric arrangement
Long rounded horizontal slots are currently preferred, but I am open to the designer recommending a better solution.
The ventilation pattern should extend across as much of the useful rear-panel area as reasonably possible.
Suitable solid sections/webs should remain between groups of openings to maintain rigidity.
The final pattern should balance:
Maximum airflow + structural rigidity + clean appearance + economical laser cutting
Decorative complexity is not required.
8. Side Panels
The left and right sides should remain clean and relatively simple unless additional features become necessary during the design process.
Their primary functions are:
Structural rigidity
Supporting the top
Connecting the base/front/rear structure
Providing a clean external appearance
Where possible, unnecessary holes, fasteners and external features should be avoided.
9. Top Panel
The top surface will support a separate component.
It will therefore require an accurately positioned mounting-hole pattern, which will be supplied during the design process.
The top must have sufficient rigidity to support normal loads without excessive flex.
If additional rigidity is required, preference should be given to intelligently designed:
Folds
Returns
Flanges
Local reinforcement
rather than unnecessarily increasing the material thickness of the complete enclosure.
10. Wiring / Cable Pass-Through
Provision will be required for electrical wiring to enter or exit the enclosure.
The final location will be determined during the CAD process.
Suitable provision may include:
Circular holes
Slots
Rubber-grommet locations
Protected cable pass-throughs
Electrical wiring must not be required to pass directly over an unprotected laser-cut metal edge.
The design should accommodate a suitable commercially available grommet or edge-protection solution where required.
11. Access & Assembly
The enclosure should be straightforward to:
Manufacture
Assemble
Install
Remove
Access if required
The designer should consider the most efficient method of assembling the enclosure while retaining adequate rigidity.
Potential methods include:
Folded tabs
Captive nuts
Rivnuts
Threaded inserts
Conventional fasteners
Limited riveting
Limited welding where genuinely beneficial
I am open to the designer recommending the most appropriate solution.
However, unnecessary fasteners and complicated assembly methods should be avoided.
12. Material
The initial material preference is:
Approximately 2 mm aluminium sheet
However, this is not yet fixed.
The designer may recommend an appropriate:
Aluminium grade
Material thickness
Bend radius
Local reinforcement arrangement
if there is a clear manufacturing or structural advantage.
The finished enclosure should be:
Rigid
Relatively lightweight
Corrosion resistant
Durable
Suitable for repeated manufacture
13. Surface Finish
The anticipated final production finish is:
Black powder coating
The design must therefore account for coating thickness where this affects:
Component fit
Holes
Close-clearance interfaces
Fasteners
Assembly
Removable parts
Parts should not require filing, drilling or removal of powder coating during normal production assembly.
The eventual manufacturing drawings should specify the agreed surface finish.
14. Noise, Vibration & Rigidity
The enclosure should be sufficiently rigid to avoid unnecessary:
Flex
Rattling
Panel resonance
Vibration
Large unsupported sheet surfaces should be avoided where they are likely to cause problems.
Where possible, rigidity should be achieved through intelligent folded geometry rather than simply increasing material thickness.
15. Design for Manufacture
This is an important part of the project.
The finished product is intended for eventual volume production.
The design should therefore favour:
Simple laser cutting + straightforward folds + low part count + minimal welding + minimal hardware + fast assembly.
The designer should actively consider the eventual unit production cost.
Where a feature can economically be produced during laser cutting or folding rather than requiring a separate manufacturing operation, this is generally preferable.
Unnecessary:
Welding
Machining
Custom hardware
Complex folds
Decorative fabrication
Additional parts
should be avoided.
The objective is not simply to minimise material usage.
The objective is to minimise total manufacturing and assembly cost while maintaining a high-quality finished product.
16. Prototype & Revision Process
The initial CAD design will be used to manufacture a one-off prototype in the UK.
The prototype will then be physically tested for:
Overall dimensions
Mounting accuracy
Internal component fit
Component clearance
Front fitting alignment
Rear airflow
Top mounting alignment
Wiring clearance
Structural rigidity
Assembly
General fit and appearance
It is possible that small dimensional changes will be identified during physical testing.
The project should therefore include at least one reasonable revision cycle following prototype testing.
Once the prototype has been confirmed as correct, the CAD and manufacturing drawings will be finalised for production.
17. Required CAD Deliverables
The final project must include a complete manufacture-ready CAD package.
3D CAD
Required:
Complete enclosure assembly
Individual component models
STEP files
Original/native editable CAD files
Sheet-Metal Files
Required:
Proper sheet-metal models
Individual flat patterns
DXF files suitable for laser cutting
Bend lines
Bend directions
Bend angles
Appropriate bend radii
Bend reliefs
Correct bend allowances / K-factor appropriate to the selected material and manufacturing process
Manufacturing Drawings
Dimensioned PDF manufacturing drawings should include, where applicable:
Overall dimensions
Individual panel dimensions
Cut-out dimensions
Hole diameters
Hole positions
Ventilation dimensions
Bend positions
Bend angles
Material specification
Material thickness
Fastener specifications
Rivnut/threaded insert specifications
Relevant tolerances
Surface finish
Assembly Documentation
Where appropriate:
Assembly drawing
Exploded view
Fastener specification
Bill of Materials
Basic assembly notes
The final manufacturing package should be sufficiently complete that it can be sent directly to an independent sheet-metal manufacturer for quotation and manufacture without requiring the original designer to explain how the enclosure should be made.
18. File Ownership & Intellectual Property
This requirement is fundamental to the project.
The design is being commissioned specifically for me.
Following completion and full payment, all project-specific design work and intellectual property created for this project must belong exclusively to me.
I require all:
Native CAD files
3D models
STEP files
DXF files
Flat patterns
Manufacturing drawings
Assembly drawings
Dimensions
Production files
Design revisions
Final project-specific design work
I must have unrestricted rights to:
Manufacture the product
Sell the resulting product commercially
Select or change manufacturers
Manufacture in any country
Modify the design
Develop future versions
Create derivative products
Continue development with another designer or engineer
The designer must not independently:
Manufacture the finished product
Sell the design
License the design to another party
Supply the CAD/manufacturing files to another party
Reuse the project-specific finished design commercially for another client
Claim continuing commercial rights over the completed product
Any generic CAD knowledge, design techniques, software knowledge or genuine pre-existing intellectual property belonging to the designer naturally remains theirs.
However, the project-specific enclosure design commissioned and paid for under this project must belong exclusively to me.
Supplying only PDF, STEP or flattened manufacturing files at completion is not sufficient.
All native/editable source CAD files must also be supplied.
The designer should confirm acceptance of these ownership requirements before beginning the project.
19. Confidentiality
Any information supplied during this project should be treated as confidential.
This includes:
Photographs
Drawings
Dimensions
Reference products
Component information
CAD files
Prototype photographs
Manufacturing information
Product-development information
These should not be shared publicly or supplied to third parties without my written permission.
The completed project should not be published in a portfolio, on social media or elsewhere without my prior written approval.
20. Designer Experience
I am specifically looking for a mechanical/product CAD designer with practical sheet-metal manufacturing experience.
This is not primarily a rendering or visualisation project.
Experience producing designs that have subsequently been physically manufactured is important.
Relevant experience includes:
Sheet-metal enclosures
Laser-cut components
CNC press-brake design
Product engineering
Design for manufacture
Small-volume and volume manufacturing
Suitable CAD packages may include:
SolidWorks
Autodesk Fusion
Inventor
Solid Edge
Rhino
AutoCAD
Equivalent professional mechanical CAD software
The particular software used is less important than the designer's understanding of practical sheet-metal design and manufacture.
When applying, please provide examples of similar sheet-metal products you have designed.
Where possible, I would particularly like to see:
CAD model → finished manufactured component
rather than renders alone.
21. Potential for Ongoing Work
This project is intended to be the first of a number of CAD and product-development projects.
I currently have several additional products that will require CAD design and manufacture-ready drawings, ranging from relatively simple sheet-metal components to more involved product assemblies.
I am therefore interested in establishing a relationship with a reliable designer rather than simply obtaining a single drawing.
If this initial project goes well, particularly in terms of:
Accuracy
Communication
Practical design for manufacture
Quality of manufacturing files
Response to prototype feedback
Reliability
Turnaround time
repeat work will be offered for additional projects.
I would particularly welcome applications from designers interested in developing an ongoing working relationship. read less
CAD Design & Manufacturing Brief
1. Project Overview
I require a relatively simple sheet-metal enclosure to be designed and prepared for prototype and eventual volume manufacture.
The enclosure is essentially a six-sided box consisting of:
Base
Front
Rear
Left side
Right side
Top
The objective is not to create an unnecessarily complicated product. I require an accurate, clean and well-engineered enclosure that can be manufactured economically and repeatedly.
The initial design will be manufactured as a one-off prototype in the UK.
Once the prototype has been physically tested and any necessary dimensional revisions have been completed, the design will be used to obtain quotations for volume manufacture.
2. Overall Construction
The enclosure should be designed primarily for:
Laser cutting
CNC press-brake folding
Simple mechanical assembly
Minimal welding
Low component count
Efficient repeat manufacture
Although the finished enclosure consists of six surfaces, these do not necessarily need to be six individually manufactured panels.
The designer should consider how surfaces can be combined intelligently through folding.
For example, the:
base + left side + right side
may potentially be manufactured as a single folded component if this provides the best combination of:
Rigidity
Manufacturing simplicity
Assembly speed
Appearance
Production cost
The designer is expected to use practical sheet-metal design-for-manufacture principles rather than simply reproducing six individual flat panels.
3. Approximate Dimensions
An existing enclosure used as an initial dimensional reference is approximately:
430 mm long × 270 mm wide × 140 mm high
These dimensions are a starting reference rather than fixed final dimensions.
Final dimensions will be determined according to:
Internal component dimensions
Required clearances
Mounting points
External fittings
Manufacturing requirements
Keeping the enclosure reasonably compact is desirable.
4. Internal Component
One principal component will be mounted within the enclosure and through the base.
I will provide the selected designer with the necessary:
Component dimensions
Mounting footprint
Mounting-hole dimensions
Required base cut-out
Relevant clearances
Photographs
Reference drawings where available
The enclosure must provide suitable clearance around this component without making the overall enclosure unnecessarily large.
Where possible, the final design should be based on physical measurements of the actual component and fittings rather than nominal catalogue dimensions.
5. Base
The base will require accurate provision for:
Main component cut-out
Component mounting holes
Enclosure mounting holes
Other required penetrations
The exact geometry will be supplied during the design process.
Accuracy of these locations is particularly important.
The designer should also consider whether folds, returns or other simple sheet-metal features can improve base rigidity without unnecessarily increasing material thickness.
6. Front Panel
The front panel requires:
2 × evenly spaced outlets for nominal Ø42 mm fittings.
The openings should be:
Identical
Horizontally aligned
Symmetrically/evenly positioned
Visually balanced
Positioned with sufficient surrounding material to retain panel rigidity
Final Hole Diameter
The final laser-cut hole diameter must not automatically be assumed to be exactly Ø42.0 mm.
The selected fittings are nominally Ø42 mm, but the CAD must be based on the actual measured outside diameter of the section of the fitting that passes through or locates within the panel.
Suitable allowance must then be made for:
Powder-coat thickness
Laser-cutting tolerance
Installation clearance
Normal manufacturing variation
Depending upon the selected fitting, the resulting cut-out may potentially be approximately Ø43–44 mm, but this must be confirmed from the actual component before the production drawing is finalised.
The objective is a secure and professional fit without requiring the powder coating to be scraped, drilled or filed during assembly.
7. Rear Panel – Ventilation
The rear panel will act primarily as a high-airflow ventilation panel.
A generous proportion of the usable rear-panel surface should therefore contain laser-cut ventilation openings.
The objective is to:
maximise unrestricted airflow while maintaining sufficient panel rigidity.
The ventilation pattern must not weaken the panel to the point where it:
Flexes excessively
Distorts easily
Resonates unnecessarily
Becomes vulnerable to damage
Contains excessively narrow sections of remaining material
Suitable ventilation arrangements may include:
Horizontal slots
Rounded rectangular slots
Repeating elongated openings
Another simple geometric arrangement
Long rounded horizontal slots are currently preferred, but I am open to the designer recommending a better solution.
The ventilation pattern should extend across as much of the useful rear-panel area as reasonably possible.
Suitable solid sections/webs should remain between groups of openings to maintain rigidity.
The final pattern should balance:
Maximum airflow + structural rigidity + clean appearance + economical laser cutting
Decorative complexity is not required.
8. Side Panels
The left and right sides should remain clean and relatively simple unless additional features become necessary during the design process.
Their primary functions are:
Structural rigidity
Supporting the top
Connecting the base/front/rear structure
Providing a clean external appearance
Where possible, unnecessary holes, fasteners and external features should be avoided.
9. Top Panel
The top surface will support a separate component.
It will therefore require an accurately positioned mounting-hole pattern, which will be supplied during the design process.
The top must have sufficient rigidity to support normal loads without excessive flex.
If additional rigidity is required, preference should be given to intelligently designed:
Folds
Returns
Flanges
Local reinforcement
rather than unnecessarily increasing the material thickness of the complete enclosure.
10. Wiring / Cable Pass-Through
Provision will be required for electrical wiring to enter or exit the enclosure.
The final location will be determined during the CAD process.
Suitable provision may include:
Circular holes
Slots
Rubber-grommet locations
Protected cable pass-throughs
Electrical wiring must not be required to pass directly over an unprotected laser-cut metal edge.
The design should accommodate a suitable commercially available grommet or edge-protection solution where required.
11. Access & Assembly
The enclosure should be straightforward to:
Manufacture
Assemble
Install
Remove
Access if required
The designer should consider the most efficient method of assembling the enclosure while retaining adequate rigidity.
Potential methods include:
Folded tabs
Captive nuts
Rivnuts
Threaded inserts
Conventional fasteners
Limited riveting
Limited welding where genuinely beneficial
I am open to the designer recommending the most appropriate solution.
However, unnecessary fasteners and complicated assembly methods should be avoided.
12. Material
The initial material preference is:
Approximately 2 mm aluminium sheet
However, this is not yet fixed.
The designer may recommend an appropriate:
Aluminium grade
Material thickness
Bend radius
Local reinforcement arrangement
if there is a clear manufacturing or structural advantage.
The finished enclosure should be:
Rigid
Relatively lightweight
Corrosion resistant
Durable
Suitable for repeated manufacture
13. Surface Finish
The anticipated final production finish is:
Black powder coating
The design must therefore account for coating thickness where this affects:
Component fit
Holes
Close-clearance interfaces
Fasteners
Assembly
Removable parts
Parts should not require filing, drilling or removal of powder coating during normal production assembly.
The eventual manufacturing drawings should specify the agreed surface finish.
14. Noise, Vibration & Rigidity
The enclosure should be sufficiently rigid to avoid unnecessary:
Flex
Rattling
Panel resonance
Vibration
Large unsupported sheet surfaces should be avoided where they are likely to cause problems.
Where possible, rigidity should be achieved through intelligent folded geometry rather than simply increasing material thickness.
15. Design for Manufacture
This is an important part of the project.
The finished product is intended for eventual volume production.
The design should therefore favour:
Simple laser cutting + straightforward folds + low part count + minimal welding + minimal hardware + fast assembly.
The designer should actively consider the eventual unit production cost.
Where a feature can economically be produced during laser cutting or folding rather than requiring a separate manufacturing operation, this is generally preferable.
Unnecessary:
Welding
Machining
Custom hardware
Complex folds
Decorative fabrication
Additional parts
should be avoided.
The objective is not simply to minimise material usage.
The objective is to minimise total manufacturing and assembly cost while maintaining a high-quality finished product.
16. Prototype & Revision Process
The initial CAD design will be used to manufacture a one-off prototype in the UK.
The prototype will then be physically tested for:
Overall dimensions
Mounting accuracy
Internal component fit
Component clearance
Front fitting alignment
Rear airflow
Top mounting alignment
Wiring clearance
Structural rigidity
Assembly
General fit and appearance
It is possible that small dimensional changes will be identified during physical testing.
The project should therefore include at least one reasonable revision cycle following prototype testing.
Once the prototype has been confirmed as correct, the CAD and manufacturing drawings will be finalised for production.
17. Required CAD Deliverables
The final project must include a complete manufacture-ready CAD package.
3D CAD
Required:
Complete enclosure assembly
Individual component models
STEP files
Original/native editable CAD files
Sheet-Metal Files
Required:
Proper sheet-metal models
Individual flat patterns
DXF files suitable for laser cutting
Bend lines
Bend directions
Bend angles
Appropriate bend radii
Bend reliefs
Correct bend allowances / K-factor appropriate to the selected material and manufacturing process
Manufacturing Drawings
Dimensioned PDF manufacturing drawings should include, where applicable:
Overall dimensions
Individual panel dimensions
Cut-out dimensions
Hole diameters
Hole positions
Ventilation dimensions
Bend positions
Bend angles
Material specification
Material thickness
Fastener specifications
Rivnut/threaded insert specifications
Relevant tolerances
Surface finish
Assembly Documentation
Where appropriate:
Assembly drawing
Exploded view
Fastener specification
Bill of Materials
Basic assembly notes
The final manufacturing package should be sufficiently complete that it can be sent directly to an independent sheet-metal manufacturer for quotation and manufacture without requiring the original designer to explain how the enclosure should be made.
18. File Ownership & Intellectual Property
This requirement is fundamental to the project.
The design is being commissioned specifically for me.
Following completion and full payment, all project-specific design work and intellectual property created for this project must belong exclusively to me.
I require all:
Native CAD files
3D models
STEP files
DXF files
Flat patterns
Manufacturing drawings
Assembly drawings
Dimensions
Production files
Design revisions
Final project-specific design work
I must have unrestricted rights to:
Manufacture the product
Sell the resulting product commercially
Select or change manufacturers
Manufacture in any country
Modify the design
Develop future versions
Create derivative products
Continue development with another designer or engineer
The designer must not independently:
Manufacture the finished product
Sell the design
License the design to another party
Supply the CAD/manufacturing files to another party
Reuse the project-specific finished design commercially for another client
Claim continuing commercial rights over the completed product
Any generic CAD knowledge, design techniques, software knowledge or genuine pre-existing intellectual property belonging to the designer naturally remains theirs.
However, the project-specific enclosure design commissioned and paid for under this project must belong exclusively to me.
Supplying only PDF, STEP or flattened manufacturing files at completion is not sufficient.
All native/editable source CAD files must also be supplied.
The designer should confirm acceptance of these ownership requirements before beginning the project.
19. Confidentiality
Any information supplied during this project should be treated as confidential.
This includes:
Photographs
Drawings
Dimensions
Reference products
Component information
CAD files
Prototype photographs
Manufacturing information
Product-development information
These should not be shared publicly or supplied to third parties without my written permission.
The completed project should not be published in a portfolio, on social media or elsewhere without my prior written approval.
20. Designer Experience
I am specifically looking for a mechanical/product CAD designer with practical sheet-metal manufacturing experience.
This is not primarily a rendering or visualisation project.
Experience producing designs that have subsequently been physically manufactured is important.
Relevant experience includes:
Sheet-metal enclosures
Laser-cut components
CNC press-brake design
Product engineering
Design for manufacture
Small-volume and volume manufacturing
Suitable CAD packages may include:
SolidWorks
Autodesk Fusion
Inventor
Solid Edge
Rhino
AutoCAD
Equivalent professional mechanical CAD software
The particular software used is less important than the designer's understanding of practical sheet-metal design and manufacture.
When applying, please provide examples of similar sheet-metal products you have designed.
Where possible, I would particularly like to see:
CAD model → finished manufactured component
rather than renders alone.
21. Potential for Ongoing Work
This project is intended to be the first of a number of CAD and product-development projects.
I currently have several additional products that will require CAD design and manufacture-ready drawings, ranging from relatively simple sheet-metal components to more involved product assemblies.
I am therefore interested in establishing a relationship with a reliable designer rather than simply obtaining a single drawing.
If this initial project goes well, particularly in terms of:
Accuracy
Communication
Practical design for manufacture
Quality of manufacturing files
Response to prototype feedback
Reliability
Turnaround time
repeat work will be offered for additional projects.
I would particularly welcome applications from designers interested in developing an ongoing working relationship. read less
Sheet Metal Enclosure
CAD Design & Manufacturing Brief
1. Project Overview
I require a relatively simple sheet-metal enclosure to be designed and prepared for prototype and eventual volume manufacture.
The enclosure is essentially a six-sided box consisting of:
Base
Front
Rear
Left side
Right side
Top
The objective is not to create an unnecessarily complicated product. I require... read more
CAD Design & Manufacturing Brief
1. Project Overview
I require a relatively simple sheet-metal enclosure to be designed and prepared for prototype and eventual volume manufacture.
The enclosure is essentially a six-sided box consisting of:
Base
Front
Rear
Left side
Right side
Top
The objective is not to create an unnecessarily complicated product. I require... read more
Sheet Metal Enclosure
CAD Design & Manufacturing Brief
1. Project Overview
I require a relatively simple sheet-metal enclosure to be designed and prepared for prototype and eventual volume manufacture.
The enclosure is essentially a six-sided box consisting of:
Base
Front
Rear
Left side
Right side
Top
The objective is not to create an unnecessarily complicated product. I require an accurate, clean and well-engineered enclosure that can be manufactured economically and repeatedly.
The initial design will be manufactured as a one-off prototype in the UK.
Once the prototype has been physically tested and any necessary dimensional revisions have been completed, the design will be used to obtain quotations for volume manufacture.
2. Overall Construction
The enclosure should be designed primarily for:
Laser cutting
CNC press-brake folding
Simple mechanical assembly
Minimal welding
Low component count
Efficient repeat manufacture
Although the finished enclosure consists of six surfaces, these do not necessarily need to be six individually manufactured panels.
The designer should consider how surfaces can be combined intelligently through folding.
For example, the:
base + left side + right side
may potentially be manufactured as a single folded component if this provides the best combination of:
Rigidity
Manufacturing simplicity
Assembly speed
Appearance
Production cost
The designer is expected to use practical sheet-metal design-for-manufacture principles rather than simply reproducing six individual flat panels.
3. Approximate Dimensions
An existing enclosure used as an initial dimensional reference is approximately:
430 mm long × 270 mm wide × 140 mm high
These dimensions are a starting reference rather than fixed final dimensions.
Final dimensions will be determined according to:
Internal component dimensions
Required clearances
Mounting points
External fittings
Manufacturing requirements
Keeping the enclosure reasonably compact is desirable.
4. Internal Component
One principal component will be mounted within the enclosure and through the base.
I will provide the selected designer with the necessary:
Component dimensions
Mounting footprint
Mounting-hole dimensions
Required base cut-out
Relevant clearances
Photographs
Reference drawings where available
The enclosure must provide suitable clearance around this component without making the overall enclosure unnecessarily large.
Where possible, the final design should be based on physical measurements of the actual component and fittings rather than nominal catalogue dimensions.
5. Base
The base will require accurate provision for:
Main component cut-out
Component mounting holes
Enclosure mounting holes
Other required penetrations
The exact geometry will be supplied during the design process.
Accuracy of these locations is particularly important.
The designer should also consider whether folds, returns or other simple sheet-metal features can improve base rigidity without unnecessarily increasing material thickness.
6. Front Panel
The front panel requires:
2 × evenly spaced outlets for nominal Ø42 mm fittings.
The openings should be:
Identical
Horizontally aligned
Symmetrically/evenly positioned
Visually balanced
Positioned with sufficient surrounding material to retain panel rigidity
Final Hole Diameter
The final laser-cut hole diameter must not automatically be assumed to be exactly Ø42.0 mm.
The selected fittings are nominally Ø42 mm, but the CAD must be based on the actual measured outside diameter of the section of the fitting that passes through or locates within the panel.
Suitable allowance must then be made for:
Powder-coat thickness
Laser-cutting tolerance
Installation clearance
Normal manufacturing variation
Depending upon the selected fitting, the resulting cut-out may potentially be approximately Ø43–44 mm, but this must be confirmed from the actual component before the production drawing is finalised.
The objective is a secure and professional fit without requiring the powder coating to be scraped, drilled or filed during assembly.
7. Rear Panel – Ventilation
The rear panel will act primarily as a high-airflow ventilation panel.
A generous proportion of the usable rear-panel surface should therefore contain laser-cut ventilation openings.
The objective is to:
maximise unrestricted airflow while maintaining sufficient panel rigidity.
The ventilation pattern must not weaken the panel to the point where it:
Flexes excessively
Distorts easily
Resonates unnecessarily
Becomes vulnerable to damage
Contains excessively narrow sections of remaining material
Suitable ventilation arrangements may include:
Horizontal slots
Rounded rectangular slots
Repeating elongated openings
Another simple geometric arrangement
Long rounded horizontal slots are currently preferred, but I am open to the designer recommending a better solution.
The ventilation pattern should extend across as much of the useful rear-panel area as reasonably possible.
Suitable solid sections/webs should remain between groups of openings to maintain rigidity.
The final pattern should balance:
Maximum airflow + structural rigidity + clean appearance + economical laser cutting
Decorative complexity is not required.
8. Side Panels
The left and right sides should remain clean and relatively simple unless additional features become necessary during the design process.
Their primary functions are:
Structural rigidity
Supporting the top
Connecting the base/front/rear structure
Providing a clean external appearance
Where possible, unnecessary holes, fasteners and external features should be avoided.
9. Top Panel
The top surface will support a separate component.
It will therefore require an accurately positioned mounting-hole pattern, which will be supplied during the design process.
The top must have sufficient rigidity to support normal loads without excessive flex.
If additional rigidity is required, preference should be given to intelligently designed:
Folds
Returns
Flanges
Local reinforcement
rather than unnecessarily increasing the material thickness of the complete enclosure.
10. Wiring / Cable Pass-Through
Provision will be required for electrical wiring to enter or exit the enclosure.
The final location will be determined during the CAD process.
Suitable provision may include:
Circular holes
Slots
Rubber-grommet locations
Protected cable pass-throughs
Electrical wiring must not be required to pass directly over an unprotected laser-cut metal edge.
The design should accommodate a suitable commercially available grommet or edge-protection solution where required.
11. Access & Assembly
The enclosure should be straightforward to:
Manufacture
Assemble
Install
Remove
Access if required
The designer should consider the most efficient method of assembling the enclosure while retaining adequate rigidity.
Potential methods include:
Folded tabs
Captive nuts
Rivnuts
Threaded inserts
Conventional fasteners
Limited riveting
Limited welding where genuinely beneficial
I am open to the designer recommending the most appropriate solution.
However, unnecessary fasteners and complicated assembly methods should be avoided.
12. Material
The initial material preference is:
Approximately 2 mm aluminium sheet
However, this is not yet fixed.
The designer may recommend an appropriate:
Aluminium grade
Material thickness
Bend radius
Local reinforcement arrangement
if there is a clear manufacturing or structural advantage.
The finished enclosure should be:
Rigid
Relatively lightweight
Corrosion resistant
Durable
Suitable for repeated manufacture
13. Surface Finish
The anticipated final production finish is:
Black powder coating
The design must therefore account for coating thickness where this affects:
Component fit
Holes
Close-clearance interfaces
Fasteners
Assembly
Removable parts
Parts should not require filing, drilling or removal of powder coating during normal production assembly.
The eventual manufacturing drawings should specify the agreed surface finish.
14. Noise, Vibration & Rigidity
The enclosure should be sufficiently rigid to avoid unnecessary:
Flex
Rattling
Panel resonance
Vibration
Large unsupported sheet surfaces should be avoided where they are likely to cause problems.
Where possible, rigidity should be achieved through intelligent folded geometry rather than simply increasing material thickness.
15. Design for Manufacture
This is an important part of the project.
The finished product is intended for eventual volume production.
The design should therefore favour:
Simple laser cutting + straightforward folds + low part count + minimal welding + minimal hardware + fast assembly.
The designer should actively consider the eventual unit production cost.
Where a feature can economically be produced during laser cutting or folding rather than requiring a separate manufacturing operation, this is generally preferable.
Unnecessary:
Welding
Machining
Custom hardware
Complex folds
Decorative fabrication
Additional parts
should be avoided.
The objective is not simply to minimise material usage.
The objective is to minimise total manufacturing and assembly cost while maintaining a high-quality finished product.
16. Prototype & Revision Process
The initial CAD design will be used to manufacture a one-off prototype in the UK.
The prototype will then be physically tested for:
Overall dimensions
Mounting accuracy
Internal component fit
Component clearance
Front fitting alignment
Rear airflow
Top mounting alignment
Wiring clearance
Structural rigidity
Assembly
General fit and appearance
It is possible that small dimensional changes will be identified during physical testing.
The project should therefore include at least one reasonable revision cycle following prototype testing.
Once the prototype has been confirmed as correct, the CAD and manufacturing drawings will be finalised for production.
17. Required CAD Deliverables
The final project must include a complete manufacture-ready CAD package.
3D CAD
Required:
Complete enclosure assembly
Individual component models
STEP files
Original/native editable CAD files
Sheet-Metal Files
Required:
Proper sheet-metal models
Individual flat patterns
DXF files suitable for laser cutting
Bend lines
Bend directions
Bend angles
Appropriate bend radii
Bend reliefs
Correct bend allowances / K-factor appropriate to the selected material and manufacturing process
Manufacturing Drawings
Dimensioned PDF manufacturing drawings should include, where applicable:
Overall dimensions
Individual panel dimensions
Cut-out dimensions
Hole diameters
Hole positions
Ventilation dimensions
Bend positions
Bend angles
Material specification
Material thickness
Fastener specifications
Rivnut/threaded insert specifications
Relevant tolerances
Surface finish
Assembly Documentation
Where appropriate:
Assembly drawing
Exploded view
Fastener specification
Bill of Materials
Basic assembly notes
The final manufacturing package should be sufficiently complete that it can be sent directly to an independent sheet-metal manufacturer for quotation and manufacture without requiring the original designer to explain how the enclosure should be made.
18. File Ownership & Intellectual Property
This requirement is fundamental to the project.
The design is being commissioned specifically for me.
Following completion and full payment, all project-specific design work and intellectual property created for this project must belong exclusively to me.
I require all:
Native CAD files
3D models
STEP files
DXF files
Flat patterns
Manufacturing drawings
Assembly drawings
Dimensions
Production files
Design revisions
Final project-specific design work
I must have unrestricted rights to:
Manufacture the product
Sell the resulting product commercially
Select or change manufacturers
Manufacture in any country
Modify the design
Develop future versions
Create derivative products
Continue development with another designer or engineer
The designer must not independently:
Manufacture the finished product
Sell the design
License the design to another party
Supply the CAD/manufacturing files to another party
Reuse the project-specific finished design commercially for another client
Claim continuing commercial rights over the completed product
Any generic CAD knowledge, design techniques, software knowledge or genuine pre-existing intellectual property belonging to the designer naturally remains theirs.
However, the project-specific enclosure design commissioned and paid for under this project must belong exclusively to me.
Supplying only PDF, STEP or flattened manufacturing files at completion is not sufficient.
All native/editable source CAD files must also be supplied.
The designer should confirm acceptance of these ownership requirements before beginning the project.
19. Confidentiality
Any information supplied during this project should be treated as confidential.
This includes:
Photographs
Drawings
Dimensions
Reference products
Component information
CAD files
Prototype photographs
Manufacturing information
Product-development information
These should not be shared publicly or supplied to third parties without my written permission.
The completed project should not be published in a portfolio, on social media or elsewhere without my prior written approval.
20. Designer Experience
I am specifically looking for a mechanical/product CAD designer with practical sheet-metal manufacturing experience.
This is not primarily a rendering or visualisation project.
Experience producing designs that have subsequently been physically manufactured is important.
Relevant experience includes:
Sheet-metal enclosures
Laser-cut components
CNC press-brake design
Product engineering
Design for manufacture
Small-volume and volume manufacturing
Suitable CAD packages may include:
SolidWorks
Autodesk Fusion
Inventor
Solid Edge
Rhino
AutoCAD
Equivalent professional mechanical CAD software
The particular software used is less important than the designer's understanding of practical sheet-metal design and manufacture.
When applying, please provide examples of similar sheet-metal products you have designed.
Where possible, I would particularly like to see:
CAD model → finished manufactured component
rather than renders alone.
21. Potential for Ongoing Work
This project is intended to be the first of a number of CAD and product-development projects.
I currently have several additional products that will require CAD design and manufacture-ready drawings, ranging from relatively simple sheet-metal components to more involved product assemblies.
I am therefore interested in establishing a relationship with a reliable designer rather than simply obtaining a single drawing.
If this initial project goes well, particularly in terms of:
Accuracy
Communication
Practical design for manufacture
Quality of manufacturing files
Response to prototype feedback
Reliability
Turnaround time
repeat work will be offered for additional projects.
I would particularly welcome applications from designers interested in developing an ongoing working relationship. read less
CAD Design & Manufacturing Brief
1. Project Overview
I require a relatively simple sheet-metal enclosure to be designed and prepared for prototype and eventual volume manufacture.
The enclosure is essentially a six-sided box consisting of:
Base
Front
Rear
Left side
Right side
Top
The objective is not to create an unnecessarily complicated product. I require an accurate, clean and well-engineered enclosure that can be manufactured economically and repeatedly.
The initial design will be manufactured as a one-off prototype in the UK.
Once the prototype has been physically tested and any necessary dimensional revisions have been completed, the design will be used to obtain quotations for volume manufacture.
2. Overall Construction
The enclosure should be designed primarily for:
Laser cutting
CNC press-brake folding
Simple mechanical assembly
Minimal welding
Low component count
Efficient repeat manufacture
Although the finished enclosure consists of six surfaces, these do not necessarily need to be six individually manufactured panels.
The designer should consider how surfaces can be combined intelligently through folding.
For example, the:
base + left side + right side
may potentially be manufactured as a single folded component if this provides the best combination of:
Rigidity
Manufacturing simplicity
Assembly speed
Appearance
Production cost
The designer is expected to use practical sheet-metal design-for-manufacture principles rather than simply reproducing six individual flat panels.
3. Approximate Dimensions
An existing enclosure used as an initial dimensional reference is approximately:
430 mm long × 270 mm wide × 140 mm high
These dimensions are a starting reference rather than fixed final dimensions.
Final dimensions will be determined according to:
Internal component dimensions
Required clearances
Mounting points
External fittings
Manufacturing requirements
Keeping the enclosure reasonably compact is desirable.
4. Internal Component
One principal component will be mounted within the enclosure and through the base.
I will provide the selected designer with the necessary:
Component dimensions
Mounting footprint
Mounting-hole dimensions
Required base cut-out
Relevant clearances
Photographs
Reference drawings where available
The enclosure must provide suitable clearance around this component without making the overall enclosure unnecessarily large.
Where possible, the final design should be based on physical measurements of the actual component and fittings rather than nominal catalogue dimensions.
5. Base
The base will require accurate provision for:
Main component cut-out
Component mounting holes
Enclosure mounting holes
Other required penetrations
The exact geometry will be supplied during the design process.
Accuracy of these locations is particularly important.
The designer should also consider whether folds, returns or other simple sheet-metal features can improve base rigidity without unnecessarily increasing material thickness.
6. Front Panel
The front panel requires:
2 × evenly spaced outlets for nominal Ø42 mm fittings.
The openings should be:
Identical
Horizontally aligned
Symmetrically/evenly positioned
Visually balanced
Positioned with sufficient surrounding material to retain panel rigidity
Final Hole Diameter
The final laser-cut hole diameter must not automatically be assumed to be exactly Ø42.0 mm.
The selected fittings are nominally Ø42 mm, but the CAD must be based on the actual measured outside diameter of the section of the fitting that passes through or locates within the panel.
Suitable allowance must then be made for:
Powder-coat thickness
Laser-cutting tolerance
Installation clearance
Normal manufacturing variation
Depending upon the selected fitting, the resulting cut-out may potentially be approximately Ø43–44 mm, but this must be confirmed from the actual component before the production drawing is finalised.
The objective is a secure and professional fit without requiring the powder coating to be scraped, drilled or filed during assembly.
7. Rear Panel – Ventilation
The rear panel will act primarily as a high-airflow ventilation panel.
A generous proportion of the usable rear-panel surface should therefore contain laser-cut ventilation openings.
The objective is to:
maximise unrestricted airflow while maintaining sufficient panel rigidity.
The ventilation pattern must not weaken the panel to the point where it:
Flexes excessively
Distorts easily
Resonates unnecessarily
Becomes vulnerable to damage
Contains excessively narrow sections of remaining material
Suitable ventilation arrangements may include:
Horizontal slots
Rounded rectangular slots
Repeating elongated openings
Another simple geometric arrangement
Long rounded horizontal slots are currently preferred, but I am open to the designer recommending a better solution.
The ventilation pattern should extend across as much of the useful rear-panel area as reasonably possible.
Suitable solid sections/webs should remain between groups of openings to maintain rigidity.
The final pattern should balance:
Maximum airflow + structural rigidity + clean appearance + economical laser cutting
Decorative complexity is not required.
8. Side Panels
The left and right sides should remain clean and relatively simple unless additional features become necessary during the design process.
Their primary functions are:
Structural rigidity
Supporting the top
Connecting the base/front/rear structure
Providing a clean external appearance
Where possible, unnecessary holes, fasteners and external features should be avoided.
9. Top Panel
The top surface will support a separate component.
It will therefore require an accurately positioned mounting-hole pattern, which will be supplied during the design process.
The top must have sufficient rigidity to support normal loads without excessive flex.
If additional rigidity is required, preference should be given to intelligently designed:
Folds
Returns
Flanges
Local reinforcement
rather than unnecessarily increasing the material thickness of the complete enclosure.
10. Wiring / Cable Pass-Through
Provision will be required for electrical wiring to enter or exit the enclosure.
The final location will be determined during the CAD process.
Suitable provision may include:
Circular holes
Slots
Rubber-grommet locations
Protected cable pass-throughs
Electrical wiring must not be required to pass directly over an unprotected laser-cut metal edge.
The design should accommodate a suitable commercially available grommet or edge-protection solution where required.
11. Access & Assembly
The enclosure should be straightforward to:
Manufacture
Assemble
Install
Remove
Access if required
The designer should consider the most efficient method of assembling the enclosure while retaining adequate rigidity.
Potential methods include:
Folded tabs
Captive nuts
Rivnuts
Threaded inserts
Conventional fasteners
Limited riveting
Limited welding where genuinely beneficial
I am open to the designer recommending the most appropriate solution.
However, unnecessary fasteners and complicated assembly methods should be avoided.
12. Material
The initial material preference is:
Approximately 2 mm aluminium sheet
However, this is not yet fixed.
The designer may recommend an appropriate:
Aluminium grade
Material thickness
Bend radius
Local reinforcement arrangement
if there is a clear manufacturing or structural advantage.
The finished enclosure should be:
Rigid
Relatively lightweight
Corrosion resistant
Durable
Suitable for repeated manufacture
13. Surface Finish
The anticipated final production finish is:
Black powder coating
The design must therefore account for coating thickness where this affects:
Component fit
Holes
Close-clearance interfaces
Fasteners
Assembly
Removable parts
Parts should not require filing, drilling or removal of powder coating during normal production assembly.
The eventual manufacturing drawings should specify the agreed surface finish.
14. Noise, Vibration & Rigidity
The enclosure should be sufficiently rigid to avoid unnecessary:
Flex
Rattling
Panel resonance
Vibration
Large unsupported sheet surfaces should be avoided where they are likely to cause problems.
Where possible, rigidity should be achieved through intelligent folded geometry rather than simply increasing material thickness.
15. Design for Manufacture
This is an important part of the project.
The finished product is intended for eventual volume production.
The design should therefore favour:
Simple laser cutting + straightforward folds + low part count + minimal welding + minimal hardware + fast assembly.
The designer should actively consider the eventual unit production cost.
Where a feature can economically be produced during laser cutting or folding rather than requiring a separate manufacturing operation, this is generally preferable.
Unnecessary:
Welding
Machining
Custom hardware
Complex folds
Decorative fabrication
Additional parts
should be avoided.
The objective is not simply to minimise material usage.
The objective is to minimise total manufacturing and assembly cost while maintaining a high-quality finished product.
16. Prototype & Revision Process
The initial CAD design will be used to manufacture a one-off prototype in the UK.
The prototype will then be physically tested for:
Overall dimensions
Mounting accuracy
Internal component fit
Component clearance
Front fitting alignment
Rear airflow
Top mounting alignment
Wiring clearance
Structural rigidity
Assembly
General fit and appearance
It is possible that small dimensional changes will be identified during physical testing.
The project should therefore include at least one reasonable revision cycle following prototype testing.
Once the prototype has been confirmed as correct, the CAD and manufacturing drawings will be finalised for production.
17. Required CAD Deliverables
The final project must include a complete manufacture-ready CAD package.
3D CAD
Required:
Complete enclosure assembly
Individual component models
STEP files
Original/native editable CAD files
Sheet-Metal Files
Required:
Proper sheet-metal models
Individual flat patterns
DXF files suitable for laser cutting
Bend lines
Bend directions
Bend angles
Appropriate bend radii
Bend reliefs
Correct bend allowances / K-factor appropriate to the selected material and manufacturing process
Manufacturing Drawings
Dimensioned PDF manufacturing drawings should include, where applicable:
Overall dimensions
Individual panel dimensions
Cut-out dimensions
Hole diameters
Hole positions
Ventilation dimensions
Bend positions
Bend angles
Material specification
Material thickness
Fastener specifications
Rivnut/threaded insert specifications
Relevant tolerances
Surface finish
Assembly Documentation
Where appropriate:
Assembly drawing
Exploded view
Fastener specification
Bill of Materials
Basic assembly notes
The final manufacturing package should be sufficiently complete that it can be sent directly to an independent sheet-metal manufacturer for quotation and manufacture without requiring the original designer to explain how the enclosure should be made.
18. File Ownership & Intellectual Property
This requirement is fundamental to the project.
The design is being commissioned specifically for me.
Following completion and full payment, all project-specific design work and intellectual property created for this project must belong exclusively to me.
I require all:
Native CAD files
3D models
STEP files
DXF files
Flat patterns
Manufacturing drawings
Assembly drawings
Dimensions
Production files
Design revisions
Final project-specific design work
I must have unrestricted rights to:
Manufacture the product
Sell the resulting product commercially
Select or change manufacturers
Manufacture in any country
Modify the design
Develop future versions
Create derivative products
Continue development with another designer or engineer
The designer must not independently:
Manufacture the finished product
Sell the design
License the design to another party
Supply the CAD/manufacturing files to another party
Reuse the project-specific finished design commercially for another client
Claim continuing commercial rights over the completed product
Any generic CAD knowledge, design techniques, software knowledge or genuine pre-existing intellectual property belonging to the designer naturally remains theirs.
However, the project-specific enclosure design commissioned and paid for under this project must belong exclusively to me.
Supplying only PDF, STEP or flattened manufacturing files at completion is not sufficient.
All native/editable source CAD files must also be supplied.
The designer should confirm acceptance of these ownership requirements before beginning the project.
19. Confidentiality
Any information supplied during this project should be treated as confidential.
This includes:
Photographs
Drawings
Dimensions
Reference products
Component information
CAD files
Prototype photographs
Manufacturing information
Product-development information
These should not be shared publicly or supplied to third parties without my written permission.
The completed project should not be published in a portfolio, on social media or elsewhere without my prior written approval.
20. Designer Experience
I am specifically looking for a mechanical/product CAD designer with practical sheet-metal manufacturing experience.
This is not primarily a rendering or visualisation project.
Experience producing designs that have subsequently been physically manufactured is important.
Relevant experience includes:
Sheet-metal enclosures
Laser-cut components
CNC press-brake design
Product engineering
Design for manufacture
Small-volume and volume manufacturing
Suitable CAD packages may include:
SolidWorks
Autodesk Fusion
Inventor
Solid Edge
Rhino
AutoCAD
Equivalent professional mechanical CAD software
The particular software used is less important than the designer's understanding of practical sheet-metal design and manufacture.
When applying, please provide examples of similar sheet-metal products you have designed.
Where possible, I would particularly like to see:
CAD model → finished manufactured component
rather than renders alone.
21. Potential for Ongoing Work
This project is intended to be the first of a number of CAD and product-development projects.
I currently have several additional products that will require CAD design and manufacture-ready drawings, ranging from relatively simple sheet-metal components to more involved product assemblies.
I am therefore interested in establishing a relationship with a reliable designer rather than simply obtaining a single drawing.
If this initial project goes well, particularly in terms of:
Accuracy
Communication
Practical design for manufacture
Quality of manufacturing files
Response to prototype feedback
Reliability
Turnaround time
repeat work will be offered for additional projects.
I would particularly welcome applications from designers interested in developing an ongoing working relationship. read less
Things to know
Intermediate
Skill Level
Open budget
Fixed-rate
Part-time
Job type
Under 1-month
Job duration
Areas of expertise
3D Modeling
Autodesk Fusion 360
Autodesk Inventor
CAD Design
Design for Manufacturing
Mechanical Design
Product Design
Sheet Metal
Solidwork
+6 more
Job categories
Product Engineering Services
Mechanical Design Services
Mechanical CAD Design
Sheet Metal Design
Design for Manufacturing and Assembly
+2 more
About the client
Payment not ready
United Kingdom (12:02 am)
Posted
Active
Job activity
35 Applicants
0 interviews in progress
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