I am attempting to create a tablet with a Mainboard/Battery mounted onto the back of a touchscreen monitor. I have found this post alongside this repository that both include exactly what I need. The plan is to modify the files to create screw holes to fit into a 75x75mm Vesa mount and completely cover the battery.
I have little to no experience with 3d printing so I’m a bit lost with where to start (past modifying the files, I think I can figure that part out). My lack of understanding more falls within:
What materials I should use when 3d printing something like this? My understanding is some materials are too brittle for heat, but something metal would be too heavy.
Is this something that is going to require a bit of “prototyping” where I’ll need multiple prints done, meaning its more worth it to just invest in my own printer? Or is this straight forward enough that I’d be fine getting somebody to print it for me?
EDIT: My mainboard is currently mounted on the back with the ability to take it off easily since the board is just plugged in via one of the ports.
Just to weigh in a bit more on 3d printing filament choice.
This might be a little overkill based on what was said in the other post linked (PLA Pro), but I prefer going for something that can cope with the high temperatures that CPUs can reach (~100’c) without deforming. There are loads of other factors to consider too (shrinkage during/after print, material strength, brittleness and flexibility), but my main worry was the temperature so I focused on that.
ABS is a good choice, with a glass transition temperature of 105’c (the point where the material begins to become ‘rubbery’ and flexible - see https://all3dp.com/2/pla-petg-glass-transition-temperature-3d-printing/).
However, printing ABS releases fumes that are considered really bad for you, so you’d need a 3d printer with an external housing and a good ventilation system, or to print from a widely ventilated garage.
Polycarbonate (PC) is also a good choice (really high glass transition temps, >140’c). It’s considered difficult to work with for a beginner though, reportedly takes some time to dial it in, but I’ve not tried PC myself.
I ended up going for PETG HT (a high-temperature variant of PETG), which sits right on 100’c.
If you’re only modifying an existing file to fit screw holes and cover the battery, then you’re probably going to hit on a print you’re happy with in under 10 attempts. So provided you can send off to a 3d printer company, wait for it to come back, and iterate a few times, you’re probably better off not buying a 3d printer provided you’ve got the patience to wait and iterate like that, and assuming you aren’t planning to make a lot of these or start making other 3d printed projects. If you catch the 3d printing bug though, throw this advice out the window and embrace the filament chaos.
