ÿþ <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" width="765" bgcolor="#daeaf1"> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="9"><img height="160" border="0" width="765" src="http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/fileadmin/email/23_April_2011/header_newsletter_April.png" alt="Front Panel Express Newsletter" title="" /></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="9">&nbsp;</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="15">&nbsp;</td> <td width="30" bgcolor="#ffffff">&nbsp;</td> <td width="400" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffff">&nbsp;</td> <td width="30" bgcolor="#ffffff">&nbsp;</td> <td width="15">&nbsp;</td> <td width="30" bgcolor="#ffffff">&nbsp;</td> <td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffff">&nbsp;</td> <td width="30" bgcolor="#ffffff">&nbsp;</td> <td width="15">&nbsp;</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="15">&nbsp;</td> <td width="30" bgcolor="#ffffff">&nbsp;</td> <td width="400" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffff"> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" width="400"> <tbody> <tr> <td colspan="2" style="font-size: 20px; color: rgb(50, 51, 120); font-family: arial;"><b>Front Panel Express&nbsp;&nbsp;<font size="3" face="arial" color="#323378"><br><i>Designing an Enclosure using Side Profile 1</i></b></td> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> <tr> <td width="125" valign="top"><img height="114" border="0" width="125" align="left" src="http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/fileadmin/email/23_April_2011/FrontPanelDesigner4_0.jpg" alt="Front Panel Designer" title="Front Panel Designer" /></td> <td width="280" valign="top"><font size="2" face="arial" color=black><P ALIGN="justify">Despite our name, at Front Panel Express we do more than just front panels -we also do custom enclosures. We offer a variety of options to meet your enclosure specifications, with four different side and housing profiles. Side profiles 1 and 2 are fixed heights, 42mm and 56mm respectively, while the different housing profiles allow for flexibility in height and removable panels. </td> </tr> </tbody></table></P> <font size="2" face="arial"><P ALIGN="justify">In April's newsletter, we will walk you through the steps to designing a simple custom enclosure using Side Profile 1 in <i>Front Panel Designer</i>. </P> </font> <font size="2" face="arial"color="#27a2d0"><P ALIGN="justify"><b>Determining the Size</b><br/></font><font size="2" face="arial"> The first step in designing a custom enclosure is to determine the desired size of your enclosure. The simplest way to do this is to determine the exterior dimensions, which is the method we will use. Side Profile 1 is a fixed height of 42 millimeters, so only the width and depth of the enclosure remains. </P> </font> <font size="2" face="arial"><P ALIGN="justify"> For the purpose of this newsletter, we will use a width of 100mm and a depth of 150mm. This is approximately 4" wide by 6" inches deep, but we will use millimeters for consistency. *Note  for enclosures more than 4 inches or 101.6 millimeters wide, please see page 12 of our <a style="color: rgb(50, 51, 120); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/fileadmin/pdf/tips_tricks/Enclosure-Manual-2008.pdf""target="_blank"><b>Enclosure Manual</b></a></b> to learn more about inserting "L" brackets. * </P> </font> <font size="2" face="arial"color="#27a2d0"><P ALIGN="justify"><b>Designing the Front and Back Panels</b><br/></font><font size="2" face="arial"> We will start by creating a new panel according to the dimensions determined in the last step. For our example, we will create a panel that is 100mm width by 42mm height, and a panel thickness of 2.5mm. We will apply a 2mm corner radius to match the corner radius of the extrusions. </P> </font> <center><a href="http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/fileadmin/email/23_April_2011/Create_Front_Back.png"target="_blank"><img height="481" border="0" width="400" src="http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/fileadmin/email/23_April_2011/Create_Front_Back.png" alt="Front and Back Panels" title="Creating the Front and Back Panels"/></a></center> </br> <font size="2" face="arial"><P ALIGN="justify"> Next, we will add a hole in each corner that is 4mm from each edge of the panel. This is done by placing a countersunk hole (countersink tapping screw M2.9) 4mm from the origin using the Absolute X and Y fields. We will then mirror horizontally, then mirror both holes vertically. </P> </font> <center><a href="http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/fileadmin/email/23_April_2011/Place_Hole.png"target="_blank"><img height="220" border="0" width="375" src="http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/fileadmin/email/23_April_2011/Place_Hole.png" alt="Placing Holes" title="Placing Holes"/></a></center> </br> <font size="2" face="arial"><P ALIGN="justify"> You will need two panels of this size, one for the front and one for the back. If the panels are to remain identical, simply change the quantity to "2" in the order program. If the panels will be different, use the above as a template for both files.</P> </font> <font size="2" face="arial"><P ALIGN="justify"> **Note  for aesthetic reasons, some choose to oversize the front and/or back panels so that they overhang the enclosure. If doing this, make sure the spacing between the four M2.9 holes is not altered in the process. We recommend grouping these holes before altering the panel.**</P> </font> <font size="2" face="arial"><P ALIGN="justify"> Now add any additional objects required for your specific enclosure. </P> </font> <font size="2" face="arial"color="#27a2d0"><P ALIGN="justify"><b>Designing the Top and Bottom Panels</b><br/></font><font size="2" face="arial"> For the top and bottom panels, we will create a new panel that is as tall as the determined depth, minus the the thickness of the front and back panels. For example, our planned depth is 150mm, and the front and back panels are 2.5mm each. Therefore, 150mm  2.5mm  2.5mm = 145mm. </P> </font> <font size="2" face="arial"><P ALIGN="justify"> The width of the panel will be the width of the front and back panels, minus 14.2mm. For example, 100mm  14.2mm = 85.8mm. If you chose to oversize your your front and/or back panel, use the original dimensions determined in the first step to determine the width of the top and bottom panels.</P> </font> <font size="2" face="arial"><P ALIGN="justify"> Again, we will use 2.5mm panel thickness, however no corner radius is needed. </P> </font> <center><a href=" http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/fileadmin/email/23_April_2011/Create_Top_Bottom.png"target="_blank"><img height="479" border="0" width="400" src="http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/fileadmin/email/23_April_2011/Create_Top_Bottom.png" alt="Creating the Top and Bottom Panels" title="Creating the Top and Bottom Panels"/></a></center> </br> <font size="2" face="arial"><P ALIGN="justify">We now need to create a cavity on each side of these two panels so that they will slip into the slots on Side Profile 1. To do this, we will create a cavity on the vertical edge of the panel that is 3.5mm wide, and the height will be the length of the panel + 3mm (148mm for our example). This cavity should be centered vertically and 1.25mm from the edge of the panel. The remaining panel thickness should be 1.5mm, so our cavity will need to be 1mm in depth.</P> </font> <center><a href="http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/fileadmin/email/23_April_2011/Cavity.png"target="_blank"><img height="282" border="0" width="400" src="http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/fileadmin/email/23_April_2011/Cavity.png" alt="Cavity" title="Cavity"/></a></center> </br> <font size="2" face="arial"><P ALIGN="justify"> Once the cavity is in place on one side, simply mirror it across the panel to place a duplicate on the opposite side of the panel. </P> </font> <center><a href="http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/fileadmin/email/23_April_2011/Cavities.png"target="_blank"><img height="275" border="0" width="170" src="http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/fileadmin/email/23_April_2011/Cavities.png" alt="Cavities" title="Cavities"/></a></center> </br> <font size="2" face="arial"><P ALIGN="justify"> At this point, add any additional objects needed. Again, you will need two panels of this size, with cavities on each side. If the panels are to remain identical, simply change the quantity to "2" in the order program. If the panels will be different, use the above as a template for both files.</P> </font> <font size="2" face="arial"color="#27a2d0"><P ALIGN="justify"><b>Hardware</b><br/></font><font size="2" face="arial"> For this example, we will use Assembly Kit CG MS 1112. To learn more about selecting the correct Assembly Kit for your project, see our <a style="color: rgb(50, 51, 120); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/fileadmin/email/6_March/Newsletter_March.html""target="_blank"><b>March 2010 Newsletter</b></a></b>.</P> </font> <font size="2" face="arial"><P ALIGN="justify"> If you have any further questions or need assistance designing your enclosures, call us at (206)768-0602 or email <a style="color: rgb(50, 51, 120); text-decoration: none;"href="mailto:info@frontpanelexpress.com"><b>info@frontpanelexpress.com</b></a></P> </font> <br/> <br/> <font size="3" face="arial" color="#323378"><br><b><i>April Announcements</i></font></b></br> <font size="2" face="arial"color="#27a2d0"><P ALIGN="justify"><b>Tutorials</b><br/></font><font size="2" face="arial"> Our <a style="color: rgb(50, 51, 120); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/support/tutorials/index.html""target="_blank"><b>new tutorials</b></a></b> are now available on our website. These are short videos that explain how to use each of the tools in <i>Front Panel Designer</i>, and also provide tips and tricks to using the software. </P></font> <font size="2" face="arial"color="#27a2d0"><P ALIGN="justify"><b>Customer Referral Program</b><br/></font><font size="2" face="arial"> We have found that many of our customers come to us by way of referral, and would like to thank those customers who share their Front Panel Express experience with others. Now, when you place an order with Front Panel Express, you will receive a Customer Referral Card with a custom discount code to share with your friends and colleagues. When your referral completes their first order, we will then email you a discount code good for 20% off your next order. </P></font> <font size="2" face="arial"color="#27a2d0"><P ALIGN="justify"><b>Facebook</b><br/></font><font size="2" face="arial"> You can now find <a style="color: rgb(50, 51, 120); text-decoration: none;" href="http://www.facebook.com/frontpanelexpress""target="_blank"><b>Front Panel Express</b></a></b> on Facebook, where you will find the latest news, tips and product releases. Become a fan now to find Facebook exclusive discount codes. </P></font> <font size="2" face="arial"color="#27a2d0"><P ALIGN="justify"><b>Requests and Suggestions</b><br/></font><font size="2" face="arial" color=black> Do you have a suggestion for a future newsletter topic, a project you'd like us to consider for Project of the Month, or want to share about your experience with Front Panel Express? Email it to us at <a style="color: rgb(50, 51, 120); text-decoration: none;"href="mailto:support@frontpanelexpress.com"><b>support@frontpanelexpress.com</b></a>. </P> </font><br /><br /><br /> <br /> </td> <td width="30" bgcolor="#ffffff">&nbsp;</td> <td width="15">&nbsp;</td> <td width="30" bgcolor="#ffffff">&nbsp;</td> <td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffff"> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <P ALIGN="right"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/frontpanelexpress"target="_blank"><img height="30" border="0" width="95" src="http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/fileadmin/email/14_July/FacebookBadge.gif" alt="Front Panel Express" title="Front Panel Express"/></a></P><br/> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" width="200" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="200" align="left"><img height="3" border="0" width="200" align="left" alt="" src="http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/fileadmin/email/2/ruler.jpg" style="float: left;" /></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="200" align="left" style="margin: 0pt; font-size: 18px; color: rgb(50, 51, 120); font-family: arial; text-align: right; padding-top: 5px;"><b>Project of the month:</b></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="200" align="right" style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt; font-size: 15px; color: rgb(50, 51, 120); font-family: arial; text-align: right;"><b>Electrical Panel</b></td> </tr> <tr> <td width="200" align="right" style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt; font-size: 13px; color: rgb(50, 51, 120); font-family: arial; text-align: right;"><b><i>SV Amilia<br/> courtesy of Kris Larson<br/><font color="#323378" face="arial" size="2"></i></b></td> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <center><a href="http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/fileadmin/email/23_April_2011/SV_Amilia.png"target="_blank"><img height="253" border="0" width="200" src="http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/fileadmin/email/23_April_2011/SV_Amilia_small.png" alt="SV Amilia" title="SV Amilia"/></a></center> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" width="200" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"> <tbody> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> <tr> <td><font size="2" face="arial" color=black>Our Project of the Month for April features a design by Kris Larson. Kris recently designed an electrical panel for his boat, <i>SV Amilia</i>. He recently completely overhauled the electrical wiring in the boat, leaving not a single inch of old wire behind. The rewiring is just one of the many projects <i>SV Amilia</i> has undergone during her major re-fit. </font></td> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> <tr> <td><font size="2" face="arial" color=black>Among <i>Amilia's</i> improvements are a newly rebuilt motor, new sails and a new stove. Kris has also re-rigged <i>Amilia</i>, changing her from a masthead to a cutter sailboat. Several structural changes have been made to strengthen the hull and stiffen the boat, in preparation for future travel into Mexico and other Southern Territories. </font></td> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> <tr> <td><font size="2" face="arial" color=black>For this project, Kris used black anodized aluminum and the DXF import function to create a panel that fit snugly into an existing cutout on the boat. We're also quite impressed with his logo. From this panel, Kris can control the all of the electrical devices on the boat, both AC and DC, as well as monitor the state of the battery charge at any given time. <i>SV Amilia</i> is fully equipped for blue water cruising, with her GPS and AIS systems. </font></td> </tr> <tr> <td><br><center><a href="http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/fileadmin/email/23_April_2011/Electrical_Panel.png"target="_blank"><img height="150" border="0" width="200" src="http://www.frontpanelexpress.com/fileadmin/email/23_April_2011/Electrical_Panel_small.png" alt="SV Amilia" title="SV Amilia Electrical Panel"/></a></center> </td></tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> <tr> <td><font size="2" face="arial" color=black>When designing the electrical panel, Kris found Front Panel Designer very simple to use, and was pleased that it did exactly what he wanted without hassle. </font></td> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> <tr> <td><font size="2" face="arial" color=black><i>I want to express my appreciation for what you guys do. I searched for months for someone to make this panel for me without having to buy a CNC machine. I was so glad to find someone that could do exactly what I wanted. My panel turned out just right, and your execution of the plan was flawless. </i> </font></td> </tr> <tr><td>&nbsp;</td></tr> <tr> <td><font size="2" face="arial" color=black><i> - Kris Larson</i> </font></td> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> <tr> <td><font size="2" face="arial" color=black>We enjoyed being a part of this project as well, and are looking forward to hearing about Amilia's adventures! </font></td> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" width="200" style="text-align: justify; font-family: arial;"> <tbody> <tr> </tr> <tr> <td>&nbsp;</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <td width="30" bgcolor="#ffffff">&nbsp;</td> <td width="15">&nbsp;</td> <tr> <td width="15">&nbsp;</td> <td width="30" bgcolor="#ffffff">&nbsp;</td> <td width="400" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffff">&nbsp;</td> <td width="30" bgcolor="#ffffff">&nbsp;</td> <td width="15">&nbsp;</td> <td width="30" bgcolor="#ffffff">&nbsp;</td> <td width="200" valign="top" bgcolor="#ffffff">&nbsp;</td> <td width="30" bgcolor="#ffffff">&nbsp;</td> <td width="15">&nbsp;</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center" colspan="9"><br /> <font size="2" face="arial color=black, helvetica">Front Panel Express - 5959 Corson Avenue South, Suite I - Seattle, WA 98108<br /> Phone (206) 768-0602 - Fax (206) 768-0679 - <a href="http://www.frontpanelexpress.com?&amp;utm_source=FrontPanelExpressNewsletter&amp;utm_medium=Email&amp;utm_content=Link&amp;utm_campaign=Newsletter_April_2011">www.frontpanelexpress.com</a> - info@frontpanelexpress.com</font></td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="9">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>