Injection Molded Case off to the Races
Portatree is a US-based company that sells drag racing practice trees and timing equipment. They were looking to create a new case for some delicate timing electronics and approached Polyfoam for its engineering and plastics molding expertise. Previous versions of the case had assembly and fit issues, and Portatree wanted to create a new case that met a number of goals. It started with a sketch.
Portatree came to Polyfoam with an idea and a list of challenges for the case design:
- The case should fit all the electrical components in a neat, organized fashion;
- It should be ergonomic, and quick and easy to assemble;
- It should have the look and feel of the Portatree concept and branding;
- It should be adaptable to allow for certain customizable features;
- Finally, it had to be durable enough to stand up to some rough handling.
Polyfoam’s engineering team designed an injection-molded part, and with 3D prototyping capabilities could physically check all the pieces for form, fit, ergonomics, and ease of use. To ensure durability they chose a specific material for molding that would withstand that rough handling in the field. Today, the product is in use and Portatree could not be happier.
