E-paper Displays
Timeline: 2023-2025
Overview & Objectives
The project objective was to engineer and manufacture a comprehensive range of compact, durable and aesthetically pleasing frames compatible with e-paper screens for Esquare Innovations, UK. The core challenge was to develop a unified design system adaptable for diverse applications—including tabletop, wall-mounted, combination, and dual-screen displays—while ensuring sturdy construction for indoor and semi-outdoor environments and simplified user assembly, not to mention seamless compatibility across the client’s evolving product categories.
Issues Encountered/Solutions Adopted
Finding a suitable battery for our design; designing for our preferred battery
• Through rigorous testing, we eliminated battery choices that showed bulging during long-term use, or drained too early.
• Eventually switched to 18650 batteries for reliable power.
• Designed a shock-resistant internal holder with a custom PCB for long-distance shipping. This also freed up critical internal volume.
External snap-fit design showed imperfect sealing, affecting durability
• Redesigned the closure to use internal snap-fits with screws for a water/dust-tight seal that remains easy to service.
FDM printing inconsistencies in tolerance and fit
• 3D printing can cause a reasonably high variation in size (0.2-0.5 mm) of the internal cavity where the e-paper screen is housed, so we made adjustments to minimise variation in FDM printing
• Also removed the L-shaped corner slots within the case to allow for greater range of adjustments to fit the e-paper screen, ensuring a consistent and secure fit across all units.
3D printed threading showed wear during testing and assembly
• Upgraded to embedded brass inserts to provide permanent, robust threads for the product lifecycle.
Design Development Process
The project followed an agile, iterative prototyping methodology. This involved approximately 7 major design iterations for the primary tabletop display model to refine form, function, and manufacturability, with fewer cycles required for derivative wall and combination displays
See the printers we use.
Client Response
The collaboration resulted in a fully realized, production-ready line of modular e-paper display frames that successfully met all the technical, functional and market-requisite benchmarks. The client expressed strong appreciation for our hands-on, problem-solving partnership and the tangible value of our iterative design inputs throughout the critical product development and testing stages, which were instrumental in de-risking their path to manufacturing and going to market.
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