Construction of a new chassis for external control

Sammanfattning

This master’s thesis investigated the development of a new enclosure for an external module used to extend the functionality of heat pumps manufactured by NIBE. The current enclosure is a purchased standard enclosure that fulfils its function but is not optimized for NIBE’s specified requirements. It requires additional completion in term of steel mounting plate which increases the cost, weight, assembly time and complexity. The objective of the project was to analyze the current solution and develop an optimized enclosure design that meets aesthetic, technical and mechanical requirements. The work followed a product development process based on the Ulrich & Eppinger methodology that included requirement definition, benchmarking, concept generation, systematic evaluation and selection of a final concept. The chosen design was further developed in a detailed design using CAD tool and validated through FEM simulations and prototyping, ensuring compliance with the set requirements. The proposed enclosure integrated component mounting directly into the plastic structure resulting in the elimination of the need for a separate metal base plate. This resulted in reduced material usage, lower weight and simplified assembly. Prototypes were manufactured using 3D printing to verify components fit and assembly. The final design proposal demonstrated that a new enclosure design could align with NIBE’s brand profile and significantly improve cost efficiency, assembly and product integration while maintaining functional and regulatory performance.