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Overview
Overview
The WS3500 is a rugged remote telemetry unit (RTU) built for tough telecom environments. I worked on the mechanical redesign of its enclosure, making sure parts would fit together properly through tolerance stack-up analysis and a lot of back-and-forth with vendors to keep things manufacturable. To check performance, I ran thermal FEA and then verified it with real thermal chamber tests from –40°C to + 55°C. I also kept NEBS certification requirements in mind throughout the design so the unit would be ready for approval. In the end, I pulled everything together into updated drawings, a clean BOM, and vendor packages to move the design into production.
Skills: SolidWorks, FEA Analysis, Sheet Metal, DFM, 2D Mechanical Drawings, GD&T, Vendor Management, DFMA, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Incoming Quality Control, Outgoing Quality Control, Product Development Lifecycle
Teardown
To begin with, I disassembled the old WS3500 to understand how its parts came together. This included studying the fasteners, PCB mounts, airflow paths, and overall chassis layout. Documenting these details helped me see where the design worked, where it caused issues, and what needed improvement for the redesign.
CAD Designing
I modeled the WS3500 in SolidWorks while following sheet metal DFM guidelines to keep the design manufacturable. I worked closely with electrical and quality teams to align on details, added masking for grounding points, and designed PCB brackets and hardware directly in CAD. These choices made the chassis easier to build, assemble, and service, while ensuring the drawings were vendor-ready.
Exploded Views
The exploded view animation shows the WS3500 separating into its modules, fasteners, and brackets in a clear order. The collapse view then brings everything back together, demonstrating how the chassis assembles quickly and securely for service or production. These views made it easier to explain the design and assembly process to vendors, as well as to cross-functional teams such as electrical engineering and quality.
Final Assembly Collapse Back.mp4Final Assembly Explode.mp4Drawings for Manufacture
Due to NDA restrictions, I can’t share the full manufacturing drawings here. These drawings included complete GD&T callouts, detailed masking notes for grounding points, and hardware patterns so vendors could build the chassis without confusion. I worked closely with suppliers to review these drawings, ensuring everything was clear for both fabrication and quality checks.
Assembly Instructions
The assembly drawings (not shown here due to NDA) outlined how the WS3500 is built step by step. They included hardware choices, fastening order, and clear visuals to keep builds consistent across vendors and in-house production teams. By communicating these instructions directly with suppliers, I helped make sure assembly in production was straightforward and repeatable.
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