How to Design a PCB Enclosure with AI
Measure the board. Model the cavity. Add standoffs. Cut ports. Design a lid. For a board with USB-C, HDMI, and a few headers, that's 2–4 hours in Fusion 360. Here's how to do it in minutes.
What You Need
- ›Top-down photo of your PCB on a contrasting background
- ›One known dimension (board length or width)
- ›Height of the tallest component (for enclosure depth)
- ›Fusion 360 with the Bevell MCP server running
The Workflow
Capture the board outline
Open Bevell's Image to Housing tab and upload your PCB photo. The tool uses precise outline mode — background removal + contour extraction — to trace the exact board boundary.
Set scale
Click an edge in the DXF preview and enter its real length. For a Raspberry Pi, click the long edge and type 85mm. Everything scales proportionally.
Configure the enclosure
Set the housing parameters:
| Parameter | Default | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Clearance | 2mm | Gap between board and inner wall |
| Wall thickness | 2mm | 1.5mm min for FDM, 1.2mm for SLA |
| Depth | 20mm | Tallest component + headroom |
| Shape | rectangular | Or conformal (follows board outline) |
| Lid | snap-fit | None, snap-fit, or screw-down |
| Screw bosses | M3 × 4 | M2, M3, or M4 |
Build
Hit “Build Housing.” Bevell executes the full sequence via MCP: create sketch → offset outline → extrude → shell → fillets → screw bosses → port cutouts → lid. Everything is parametric — change a dimension and it updates.
Port Cutouts
The most tedious part of enclosure design, automated. Bevell knows standard dimensions for 17 connector types:
Tell Bevell “add a USB-C cutout on the left edge, 5mm from the bottom” and it creates the opening with correct dimensions and tolerances. No calipers needed.
Manufacturing Notes
Wall thickness
FDM: 1.5mm minimum, 2mm recommended. SLA: 1.2mm minimum. Thinner walls print but warp.
Screw bosses
M3 for most boards. M2 for boards under 40mm. Boss outer diameter should be 2.5× the screw diameter.
Snap-fit tolerances
Print a test fit first. Adjust by 0.1mm increments — every printer and material combination behaves differently.
Ventilation
If the board generates heat, add vent slots after housing is built using Bevell's create_vent_pattern tool.
Limitations
AI gets you 80–90% of the way. Be aware of where it falls short:
Photo quality matters
Shadows crossing the board edge, angled shots, or low contrast will produce a noisy outline. The tool can't fix bad input — shoot top-down on a solid contrasting surface.
Non-rectangular boards
Conformal mode traces the real board outline, but unusual shapes (cutouts, notches, internal routing slots) may not extract cleanly. You'll need to fix these in Fusion after import.
Component height detection
The tool works from a 2D photo — it can't measure component heights. You need to manually measure the tallest part and set the enclosure depth accordingly. Get this wrong and the lid won't close.
Port positioning
Connector cutout dimensions are standardized, but their exact position on your board isn't. You'll need to specify offsets from the board edge. Measure with calipers for tight-tolerance ports.
What Still Needs Manual Work
- ›Display windows / light pipes — position transparent inserts manually for LEDs or screens
- ›Cable routing — internal channels for ribbon cables need manual modeling
- ›Labels and branding — embossed text on the lid via Fusion's text sketch tool
- ›Draft angles — add 1–2° draft for injection molding (Modify → Draft)
Try it
Start with a photo of your PCB.