Print-flat-and-fold case for Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W

A quick printing case for the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W

The Zero 2 W is a great little workhorse but who wants a bare board sitting around? Cover it up with this minimal case. This case is primarily printed flat with fold lines designed in allowing it to fold around the Pi. There are two end caps that fit snugly over the ends to secure the whole thing in place.

Printing flat means the finished product's surface is the bed texture, not the characteristic layer line 3D printing texture. On a PEI sheet or smooth glass bed it has an impressive, manufactured feel. 

Note: This was tested for fit with the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W but it's likely to fit other Zero models. If you have a different Zero model, it might not line up exactly.

Filament

Print it in your favourite PLA. The yellow case is Filaments.ca Low Sheen Tough PLA Yellow with Filaments.ca Low Sheen Tough PLA Black end caps. The red case is Filaments.ca Low Sheen Tough PLA Red with Fillamentum PLA Extrafill Iron Grey end caps.

I haven't tried it with other materials, but I imagine PETG would work.

Special printing instructions - folding case

This model is designed for a 0.3 layer height. You can print at a smaller layer height, but you'll need to experiment with some settings to make sure it will fold properly.

As designed, only the initial layer will form the living hinge. The initial layer's lines must be perpendicular to the fold (i.e. they will run parallel to the longest dimension).  You can achieve this a few ways.

1. In Cura, set the “Top/Bottom Line Directions” to [ 180, 90 ]
2. If you can't find that setting or use a different slicer, you can rotate the model in your slicer to make sure those lines are running in the correct direction.

It will end up looking something like this:

Special printing instructions - end caps

You will need two of these end caps. They are designed to be printed with a 0.6 mm nozzle or line width and in spiral or vase mode. The prints will just print as a solid block if you don't use spiral or vase mode.