Case Study

Waterproof Housing Product Design for Paxton smart point access systems

How we used smart solutions to this technically challenging plastics waterproof housing product design

summary

Our simple housing is easy to fit and waterproof to IP65 to protect the PCB inside.

Production times were kept low – with sonic welding used to ensure no gaskets, no screws and less labour.

Aesthetically designed to suit a wide range of environments.

Look stylish but adaptable to different settings.

Be small, compact, durable and reliable.

Be fast to fit and require only two parts to be installed.

the brief

Paxton had worked with us on access control solutions in the past and were confident that we could help them meet their objectives. They needed to create a stylish housing for a PCB smart entry system. The user touches their phone on the clear window which can then grant them access to the building. The following requirements had to be met by this waterproof housing product design: Look stylish but adaptable to different settings, be small and compact, be Waterproof to IP65, have a low cost of production, be fast to fit and require only two parts to be installed, be durable and reliable.

solution

The main challenges here was to develop a sealed unit that could be screwed to the wall and to allow sufficient light in to the PCB. Using 3D printing and silicone tooling for intricate prototypes we settled on the solution of a co-moulded front housing which is sonic welded to the back housing to create a seal for the PCB. The co-moulded part allowed us to have a clear window whilst maintaining a sealed unit. We meticulously developed this altering window size, opacity and material mix to ensure that the amount of light reaching the sensor was perfectly balanced.

the result

In order to produce a compact and waterproof unit – that is suited to high volume production we employed a sonic welded joint to ensure the number of components required was kept to a minimum. The slightly thicker wall sections required to accommodate this were more than compensated for by the simplicity of production.

It has been very beneficial working with design+product. We always enjoy working with Martyn and the team. We can now offer installers a product combining the powerful technology of Net2 with the advantages of a single door handle solution. Would I work with them again? Absolutely.

Adam Stroud, CEO- Paxton Group