Slim case for iPhone 12 & iPhone 12 Pro by estrato

Last crawled date: 2 years, 10 months ago

This two-part soft/hard hybrid case is designed to be ergonomic and protective during everyday use by a person who moves alot indoors with the phone in hand. The outer shell has ridges sides and patterned bottom for improved grip. The inner shell has open slots for the USB cable and the mode switch. Generous extrusions protect the buttons and make button presses reliable.
The case fits snugly around the phone, no risk of falling out. Screen and cameras are protected just enough to keep them from coming in contact with a flat surface. An optional gasket can be printed and fitted inside the hole for the camera for extra protection of the lenses.
This case is not designed for use in the great outdoors. It won't protect from a fall on gravel or even on rough asphalt.
The model has tight tolerances and requires a precise printer and the use of plastics with low warp and shrinkage. Everything is printable and has been tested with a real phone.
I recommend a hard plastic like PETG or PLA for the outer shell, and a flexible or soft plastic like TPU A95-A100 for the inner shell and the lense gasket. Other combinations are possible. I tried with both shells in TPU, it works, but the outer shell won't snap as snugly around the inner shell, which might be solved with a few drops of superglue.
The assembly is a bit tricky the first time and the parts look like they don't fit together, but it gets easier. Suggest you start by slotting in one corner first to get the feel for it. Then slide the phone in and work around the remaining corners and sides.
Printing:
No supports needed if parts oriented correctly.
Layer height: 0.2 or less.
Top and bottom layers: at least 2-3 of each with 0.2 layers.
Perimiters: 2-4, you'll want the sides solid.
Do not use single-extrusion perimeters, you will get weird artefacts and holes. The model is designed to work with regular perimeters.
Inner shell - print with flat top-side down on the bed. There are two slots that require bridging over. It worked for me without supports.
Outer shell - print with the ridged bottom-side on the bed. Use a plastic with at least a little flex, or it could break during assembly.
You can print on some coarse material like painter's tape for a "gripper" texture.