From standard enclosure to customized solution: When does the switch make economic sense?
Many serial devices are manufactured in standard plastic housings for years because these represent a quick and pragmatic solution at the start of a project. However, with increasing production volumes and longer product lifecycles, the economic conditions change – and with them, the requirements for the housing design.
Key Facts: Custom plastic housing at a glance
- Over 50% lower unit costs through a custom housing instead of standard solution
- Designed specifically for the application: Housing, Silicone protective case, membrane keypad, Kabelkonftion and Display optimally integrated
- Economically advantageous in the long term due to lower costs over the entire production run
- Flexible and adaptable thanks to a modular housing and protection concept
Initial situation: Use of a standard enclosure in the early project phase
In this project, a manufacturer of measuring instruments planned the series production of a mobile handheld device for service and testing tasks. In an early project phase, a standard, off-the-shelf housing with a circumferential seal was used. With a unit price of approximately €23,40 net, this solution enabled a rapid project start and initial market launches.
Limitations of standard enclosures in mass-produced products
However, as clarity grew regarding the planned production volumes and the multi-year product lifecycle, it became apparent that this solution was costly in the long term and offered only limited possibilities to specifically adapt the design, ergonomics, and functionality to the application.
Against this background, the customer, together with our team, decided to develop a customized solution. The goal was to create a handheld housing combined with a precisely fitting silicone protective case that is designed for multi-year series production, both technically and economically.
The solution: Custom-made plastic housing with silicone protective cover
The enclosure was designed with dimensions of approximately 145 × 80 × 30 mm and meets IP40 protection standards. It consists of a robust PC/ASA blend, offering high impact resistance as well as good heat and aging resistance. The complementary Silicone protective case with a hardness of approximately 55 Shore A It reliably protects against impacts, edge loads and mechanical stresses in daily use.
Design of the plastic housing
The housing was consistently designed to meet the requirements of the device. The case cover features an integrated membrane keypad surface. as well as a defined Cutout for direct display integration, which ensures that operation and display are optimally coordinated.
Furthermore, a Custom cutout for cable entry implemented, which is precisely tailored to the customer's connection and strain relief requirements. The concept is complemented by a integrated battery compartment with separate cover, which allows for easy battery replacement while ensuring a clean, protected integration.
Tool concept for the series production of the Plastic housings
The developed overall concept is based on two separate injection moldsOne tool is used for the plastic housing and a second tool for the silicone protective cover. Using your own tools allows for a high degree of flexibility. Colors, materials, or design variations The molded parts can be produced without having to change the housing tooling. This allows for the efficient production of different product variants, device series, or customer-specific designs – while maintaining the same basic geometry and stable unit costs.
Important notes
What is important in the design of plastic housings and the selection of suitable materials is explained in our Design guide for plastic enclosures In summary. To assist in the material and surface selection, we also provide a Sample map available. The sample cards illustrate the actual optical and tactile effect of different VDI and SPI surface structures on ABS plastic.
Cost and economic efficiency analysis
The customized solution achieves a significant cost advantage over the standard enclosure even for medium production runs. Over the five-year project period, it reduces total costs by approximately €30.000 while simultaneously offering greater planning and variant certainty.
The total tooling costs for both molds amounted to approximately €15.500. The tools are designed for more than 200.000 cycles. designed and thus offer a High planning reliability for series production.
Already at medium production quantities shows up significant cost advantage Compared to the original standard solution, the combined unit price for the plastic housing and silicone protective cover is approximately €9,70 for a production run of 1.000 units and approximately €8,35 for a run of 2.000 units or more. This represents a reduction of more than 50% in the unit price compared to the previously used standard housing.
Development scenario: 3.000 housing sets over 5 years
For the economic analysis, a development scenario with a total quantity of 3.000 housing sets over a period of five years based on this.
The Using a standard enclosure This results in total costs of approximately €70.200 over the period under consideration. These costs are based on a constant unit price assumed for the catalog enclosure. Potential price increases over the project period – for example, due to supplier adjustments, material price fluctuations, or changes in availability – are not included in this calculation. In comparison, the Series costs of the customer-specific solution For the same quantity, the cost is approximately €24.900. In addition, there are one-time tooling costs of approximately €15.500, resulting in total costs of approximately €40.400.
That's it customized solution despite initial tool investment over the entire project period approximately €30.000 cheaper as the standard solution. At the same time, it offers additional advantages in terms of integration, variant capability and long-term planning security.
Break-even and scaling in the series
The economic analysis paints a clear picture: Even from a cumulative quantity of ~1.200 units The customized solution is more cost-effective than the standard enclosure used. With each additional unit, the overall costs decrease significantly, while the price of the standard solution remains largely constant.
Another significant advantage of this project lay in the System delivery from a single sourceIn addition to the enclosure, N&H Technology also handled the supply of the custom membrane keypad, of the magnetic plug system as well as the suitable displaysCable management, keyboard and display were considered together from the outset and precisely coordinated.
This significantly reduced development and integration efforts, while simultaneously generating additional cost advantages through consolidated procurement. For the customer, this meant fewer interfaces, less coordination effort, and an overall more stable and predictable supply chain. In practice, this resulted in the break-even point being reached even sooner.
Advantage of the customer-specific housing solution
- Long-term stable cost structure through own tools and predictable unit prices
- Independence from catalog products and their price or delivery changes
- Perfectly fitting design of housing, operation and interfaces for the application
- High variability without fundamental redesign
- Reduced coordination and procurement effort through a one-stop system solution
Beyond its cost advantages, the customized housing solution is particularly compelling in daily use. The housing design is precisely tailored to the application, taking into account ergonomic requirements as well as functional and service-related aspects. Operating elements, display, cable entry, and battery compartment are neatly integrated, ensuring intuitive operation and reliable performance in everyday work.
The Perfectly fitting silicone protective case The housing is specifically protected against impacts, edge stress, and mechanical wear. At the same time, it improves the feel and grip – a crucial advantage for mobile applications, changing environmental conditions, or when operating with gloves. This not only reduces the risk of damage but also the susceptibility to errors in daily use.
Strategic added value of the customer-specific enclosure solution
Last but not least, the housing concept also offers strategic added value that goes beyond mere functionality. The customer-specific design creates a unique product platform that can be further developed and scaled in the long term. Adaptations or variants Changes – for example through colors, materials or additional components – can be implemented without having to redevelop the basic concept.
Independence from catalog products increases planning reliability throughout the entire product lifecycle. Risks from product discontinuations, short-term price changes, or supply bottlenecks are significantly reduced. At the same time, this enables proprietary tooling concept, stable unit prices and a reliable basis for calculations for several years.
Furthermore, the customized solution simplifies the Product and variant managementUniform geometries, defined interfaces, and coordinated components reduce complexity in development, purchasing, and production. This has a positive impact on internal processes, documentation, and quality assurance.
The housing concept also offers advantages from a market perspective. A distinctive appearance, consistent feel, and a high-quality impression strengthen the [applicability/appearance/etc.]. Product recognizability and support positioning in the competitive landscape. The housing thus becomes not just a functional component, but a visible element of the brand identity.
In summary, the customer-specific housing solution creates a long-term stable, economically scalable and strategically resilient basis for series products – with clear advantages across development, manufacturing, service and market presence.
Conclusion: Customized plastic housings as an economical basis for series production
This case study demonstrates that customized enclosure solutions no cost risk, but a economically and technically sound investment They represent an effective lever for reducing unit costs, creating product variety, and successfully positioning products in the market in the long term.
Those who think about the entire product life cycle early on benefit not only economically, but also technically and strategically.
We support you as your development partner from the concept phase to series production. Together, we create customized plastic enclosure solutions that are technically impressive and economically viable. Contact us if you would like to explore whether a customized solution makes sense for your project.