PCB Standoffs 101: How to Use Mounting Bosses for Your PC Board

Polycase’s plastic enclosure boxes are popular choices for housing the printed circuit board (PCB) of an electronic device. Our customers know we provide the high performance protection PCBs require to maintain their integrity.

One important part of mounting PCBs correctly is using the right mounting bosses to secure them inside the enclosure. In the following guide, we’ll give you a quick explanation of what mounting bosses are, how to use them and how to customize the position of the mounting bosses on a Polycase enclosure.

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Mounting Bosses and PCBs

Mounting bosses allow PCBs to be attached securely to the body of an enclosure via a screw. You can find them in both outdoor and indoor electrical enclosures.

To attach the PCB, all you need to do is place it atop the bosses with its screw holes aligned. Then, insert and thread the screw through the hole. The screw will hold the PCB safely in place against the top of the boss. This elegantly simple solution is common in a huge variety of electronic devices because it’s an easy and cost-effective way to keep the PCB in place.

Many of Polycase’s enclosures include built-in mounting bosses in a standard pattern. We offer these as a convenience to our customers, many of whom need to install PCBs securely into their enclosures. However, we understand some customers may also need mounting bosses in a different location on their enclosures.

Can I Change the Mounting Bosses on Polycase Enclosures?

Polycase enclosures have mounting bosses built directly into the mold. That means we don’t have the ability to change where the bosses are molded on a stock enclosure. 

However, since we cannot change the mold, we can instead modify the enclosure to accommodate independent standoffs. Accomplishing this is relatively simple. You’ll use three easy steps through our enclosure customization process:

Polycase machines off the mounting bosses and drills the required countersunk holes in the specific locations requested. Once the standard bosses have been removed, we machine countersunk holes into the new location so new standoffs can be attached.

Assemble your standoffs into the enclosure. We send you your plastic enclosure with custom cutouts and countersunk holes. You procure mounting bosses from a source of your choice and attach them to the enclosure in whatever positions you need. 

Very quickly and easily, your PCB fits perfectly. Your PCB is now secure and protected inside your enclosure.

PCB Screws and Standoffs from Polycase

We now offer PCB mounting standoffs with built-in adhesive bases as part of our selection of electrical enclosure accessories. These standoffs are compatible with most Polycase enclosures and are sized to accommodate a standard PCB. These make an excellent one-stop solution that allow flexible positioning of standoffs without requiring countersunk holes.

Looking for durable screws for mounting your PCB into its enclosure? Polycase also offers PCB mounting boss screws designed for compatibility with our enclosure models. Every screw is made from high quality steel and finished with clear zinc plating that gives them outstanding durability. We offer a variety of screw sizes designed to fit specific enclosure models. Just browse any of our PCB screws to see their size and design.

Polycase MB-01-20 Adhesive PCB Mounting Standoffs

Contact Polycase for more information about our mounting bosses and how to use our enclosures to protect your PCBs. Our professionals will be glad to assist you, whether online or on the phone at 1-800-248-1233.