Back to Projects

Universal Kydex Enclosure for Electric Skateboards

Designed and manufactured a highly durable, universal Kydex enclosure to house DIY electric skateboard electronics.

Product Design Manufacturing Thermoforming Electronics Packaging Entrepreneurship Product Designer & Founder Jul 2020 – Dec 2021
Universal Kydex Enclosure for Electric Skateboards

The Challenge

The DIY electric skateboard community lacked reliable, domestic enclosure options. Existing fiberglass models had extensive lead times, while ABS alternatives were too brittle and failed to adapt to varying deck shapes.

The Approach

Developed a universal, impact-resistant Kydex enclosure capable of housing standard 18650 10s2p batteries and dual 4.20+ FESC/Unity controllers. Scaled the design into small, medium, and large variants to accommodate different deck geometries and battery capacities.

The Results

Successfully scaled production and sold out the entire inventory — priced between $80–$160 per unit — before concluding the project to pursue a mechanical engineering degree.

Overview

The Universal Kydex Enclosure project was born out of a direct need within the DIY electric skateboard community. Builders needed a rugged, well-fitting enclosure that could protect sensitive electronics — batteries, ESCs, and wiring — from road debris, impacts, and the elements, without resorting to fragile ABS shells or waiting months for imported fiberglass options.

Engineering Highlights

  • Material Selection: After extensive testing, Kydex was chosen for its outstanding impact resistance, ease of thermoforming, and professional surface finish — qualities that ABS and PETG couldn’t match.
  • Universal Fitment: Each size variant was designed around the most common deck widths and concave profiles in the community, ensuring a snug fit without custom modifications.
  • Scalable Production: The tooling and process were designed for repeatability, enabling consistent output quality across the full production run.

Product Line

VariantCapacityPrice
Small10s2p battery$80
Medium10s3p battery$120
Large10s4p battery$160

Lessons Learned

This project was a crash course in end-to-end product development — from material science and tooling design to manufacturing logistics and direct-to-consumer sales. It reinforced the importance of designing for manufacturability and validated the market demand for quality components in the DIY space.