PCB mounting in an enclosure

Frequent question about boxes and accessories: painting, etching, clearcoating, lettering, glueing, and so on.
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bruin2k3
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Post by bruin2k3 »

Hi,
What is the preferred method to mount a PCB within an enclosure. I'm currently using plastic standoffs. Is it even necessary to mount them? I seem to have seen many pictures of pcb's not even mounted to the enclosure.

Thanks!
2k3

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Hides-His-Eyes
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Post by Hides-His-Eyes »

It's excellent practise. Floating boards are a bad idea.

Some people use board-mounted pots as a kind of standoff. That works too.
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Greg
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Post by Greg »

You definitely want to mount it.. don't want it floating around in there (although if you use a decent gauge of solid core wire it will probably hold it where you want).

The only thing I don't like about plastic standoffs is the longevity of the adhesive.. it's not that great, especially if it has a slight amount of pressure pulling against it from wires or whatever.

Metal standoffs are a solid method if you can put up with the screws through the box.
The pot mount solution mentioned is another.
Hot Glue is another option.. you can either mount with it or reinforce the mounting of the plastic standoffs with it.
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D-Day
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Post by D-Day »

I've left 'em float, used sticky standoffs and used #2 screws as standoffs. I prefer to use the screws because of what Greg G said. I haven't had the adhesive wear out on the sticky standoff ones but I sure wouldn't trust glue more than I trust steel.

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amptramp
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Post by amptramp »

Some people put standoffs on a board then put a puddle of JB Weld or some other epoxy on the bottom of the standoffs so that it attaches to the aluminum. This allows standoffs to be used without having screws go theough the enclosure.

Another way is to have a sheet of aluminum inside the box that the standoffs are attached to via countersunk screws. This can be held to the box by potentiometer shafts and this also gives you standoffs without holes in the enclosure. The stomp switch can also be used to hold the bottom of this aluminum sheet, so even a design with one pot can be accommodated. You have to be sure you have enough threads on the potentiometer shaft to go through the enclosure and the sheet aluminum.

I do not recommend leaving a board floating on wires unless you are building the unit for yourself and it never leaves your bedroom. Stompboxes get dropped, thrown around and generally abused, so if you sell them or tour with them, the board mount should be rigid.

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Supercolio
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Post by Supercolio »

I have never mounted my PCBs, because they have been larger than breadboard designs, and the backplate has kept it nicely in place. For a bigger builds mount the boards.
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Nucleus
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Post by Nucleus »

Adhesive velcro =)

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