Intel NUC Case Design Competition 2014: The Finished Projects

Moderne by Alex Banks

Project Log: Here
A word from Alex:

With Moderne I was trying to see how many elements I could include in the original 3D print. This would allow the internals to be much more compact along with keeping the exterior as clean and simple as possible. I opted to use SLS nylon printing, this was because SLS prints are not only incredibly strong but also very accurate and more receptive to sanding and other finishing.

The first hurdle was with the windows. I wanted them to sit flush with the exterior whilst also being removable, there could also be no visible fixings. I approached Parvum Systems and asked if they could cut some 5mm smoked acrylic with a 3mm step around the outside. This way they just pop into place within the printed chassis.

The next step was sorting out the front touch sensor. I wanted it so that you just stroke the front to turn the device on, no external buttons or switches. I landed on a capacitive touch sensor, naturally that meant I could no longer use metal for the fascia else it would trigger it constantly. After eventually locating a source of stable +5V on the board, the system worked rather smoothly.

The last major hurdle came with the painting. Everything was going smoothly until I prematurely placed it into the accompanying flight case. Turns out the clear coat hadn't cured fully, as a result the foam left a polka dot imprint across the whole case!

Overall the competition was a lot of fun. Working with such a small form factor presents so many unique challenges and opportunities.









To vote for your favourite projects, head over to the forum.

We'd like to say a huge thanks to Intel for sponsoring the hardware for our modders to use and also to our modders, who have worked extremely hard to complete their projects in a fairly short timescale.