Wednesday, July 17th 2024
Fractal Design Releases 3D Printing Files for Project: North Pi, a Raspberry Pi Case
Fractal Design has released the 3D printing files for their highly sought-after Raspberry Pi case, dubbed Project: North Pi. The tiny case, which caused a sensation at this year's Computex trade show, can now be produced by anyone with access to a 3D printer. The Project: North Pi case first caught the public's eye during Fractal Design's product launch at Computex, where it was used as a playback device alongside a mini computer. Its diminutive size and sleek design, reminiscent of the company's North series, quickly captured the imagination of attendees and media alike. The case's popularity even threatened to overshadow Fractal Design's other new products, including the Mood ITX case, Refine office chair, and Scape headset. Following the overwhelmingly positive response, Fractal Design has decided to share the case's design with the public.
The company has published a dedicated product page containing free downloadable files and comprehensive instructions for 3D printing the case at home. The Project: North Pi case consists of 17 components (11 unique parts) and measures a compact 105 × 50 × 96 mm size. Despite its tiny nature, the case includes space for up to two 40 mm fans behind its front panels, ensuring adequate cooling for the Raspberry Pi. This move by Fractal Design caters to the DIY community and represents a shift in how companies might approach product distribution in the future. By embracing 3D printing technology, Fractal Design has effectively turned its customers into manufacturers, potentially changing the way enthusiasts interact with and customize their tech accessories. As the 3D printing community eagerly begins to produce their own Project: North Pi cases, we wait to see different color combinations and use cases from enthusiasts.
Sources:
Fractal Design, via ComputerBase
The company has published a dedicated product page containing free downloadable files and comprehensive instructions for 3D printing the case at home. The Project: North Pi case consists of 17 components (11 unique parts) and measures a compact 105 × 50 × 96 mm size. Despite its tiny nature, the case includes space for up to two 40 mm fans behind its front panels, ensuring adequate cooling for the Raspberry Pi. This move by Fractal Design caters to the DIY community and represents a shift in how companies might approach product distribution in the future. By embracing 3D printing technology, Fractal Design has effectively turned its customers into manufacturers, potentially changing the way enthusiasts interact with and customize their tech accessories. As the 3D printing community eagerly begins to produce their own Project: North Pi cases, we wait to see different color combinations and use cases from enthusiasts.
15 Comments on Fractal Design Releases 3D Printing Files for Project: North Pi, a Raspberry Pi Case
Although, I do like the design overall, just not the slimy ethics of it...booooo
It's adorable! :love:
What goes on the internet for free stays free. As these are design files, if they ever started charging for them you would 100% find them easily elsewhere.
I don't see the problem here and it's not like its morally worse or better for them to actually sell it.
Now, as the old adage goes, the market will price what the market can bear. You can easily go over to printables.com and get a dozen different raspberry pi cases for free, heck you probably can even find recreations of this one, so the plan couldn't be more than 5$ or 10$ which is itself not too different than the price of any raspberry pi case, but then again, if you like it that much you should be willing to pay for it