Custom Hardware & Precision Metal Design
Where Software Logic Meets Physical Craft
Great software needs hardware that can survive the field. Ateljé Vagabond designs custom PCBs, machines ruggedized metal enclosures, and applies precision engraving—co-engineering the complete hardware stack for industrial IoT deployments, autonomous systems, and premium product brands that demand more than off-the-shelf solutions.
The Problem: Off-the-Shelf Hardware Falls Short
Standard enclosures are designed for controlled environments. They overheat in dense industrial deployments, corrode in humid or chemically aggressive conditions, and provide no protection against vibration or impact. Generic PCBs are sized for mass-market form factors, not constrained edge device housings.
When hardware fails in the field, the software running on it becomes irrelevant. A poorly-fitting enclosure, an inadequate thermal design, or a PCB with no room for the required connectors will kill a deployment faster than any software bug.
What We Build
We blend electronic engineering with traditional metalcraft. By designing custom PCBs and machining tailored metal enclosures in-house, we ensure that every system is physically resilient, thermally optimized, and precision-finished for its specific environment.
Ruggedized Industrial Enclosures
Custom-machined aluminum, titanium, and stainless steel housings engineered for specific temperature ranges, IP ratings, and EMI shielding requirements—designed to protect sensitive Edge AI components in harsh environments.
Custom PCB Layouts
Printed circuit boards designed exactly to the space, power, and connector requirements of your application. We co-design the PCB and enclosure to eliminate the fit problems that arise from designing them separately.
STM32-Based Embedded Designs
STM32 is our primary MCU platform for custom embedded boards. We cover the full schematic: power supply topology (LDO and switching regulators), SWD/JTAG debug interface, clock tree and oscillator selection, high-speed peripherals (USB, Ethernet, SDMMC, CAN), and RF coexistence layout where wireless is required—from ultra-low-power STM32L4/U5 sensor nodes to high-performance STM32H7 Edge AI processors.
Precision Metal Engraving
Permanent serial numbers, brand marks, certification symbols, and control schematics applied via deep engraving and electro-etching—marks that never fade, peel, or wear off under industrial conditions.
Who This Is For
This works well for teams that need...
- Ruggedized enclosures for Edge AI or IoT devices deployed in industrial, outdoor, or chemically aggressive environments
- Custom PCB form factors for constrained housings where standard development boards do not fit
- Premium product brands requiring permanent serialization, certification marking, or tactile branding that labels cannot provide
Might not be the right fit if you are...
- Producing high-volume consumer electronics where injection-molded plastic and standard PCBs fully meet your requirements
- Deploying in controlled environments where standard off-the-shelf enclosures meet all thermal, protection, and form factor requirements
Frequently Asked Questions
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What materials do you work with?
We primarily work with aluminum, titanium, and stainless steel. Material selection depends on the deployment environment, required thermal properties, weight constraints, and desired surface finish. Aluminum is common for most enclosures; titanium for extreme environments; stainless steel for chemical or marine exposure.
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Can you design both the electronics and the enclosure?
Yes. We handle the complete hardware stack—from custom PCB layout and component selection to the machined metal enclosure—so the electronics and housing are always co-designed. This eliminates the fit and thermal issues that arise when PCB design and enclosure design happen in isolation.
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What engraving methods do you use?
We use deep rotary engraving for permanent structural markings and electro-etching for high-detail surface branding on metal. Both methods produce marks that resist abrasion, extreme temperatures, and chemical exposure—unlike adhesive labels or pad printing.
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Do you work with prototypes before production runs?
Yes. We prototype custom enclosures and PCBs before committing to production runs, validating form, fit, thermal behavior, and surface finish in the actual deployment environment. Rushing to production without a validated prototype is a costly mistake we help our clients avoid.
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Which STM32 families do you work with for custom PCB design?
We work across the full STM32 lineup. STM32L4 and STM32U5 for battery-operated sensor nodes that need to run for months on a coin cell; STM32F4 for general-purpose embedded applications with USB, CAN, and SPI peripherals; STM32H7 for compute-intensive edge processing where the Cortex-M7 dual-issue pipeline and tightly coupled memory give the headroom needed to run neural network inference on-device. Every STM32 design includes a validated power supply, correct SWD/JTAG debug interface, oscillator and clock tree configuration, and a reference firmware BSP to reduce bringup time.
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Do you handle firmware and BSP development alongside the PCB design?
Yes. We deliver a reference firmware BSP alongside the hardware—covering clock initialization, peripheral configuration, and a validated linker script for the target STM32 device. This eliminates the most common bringup failures and lets your firmware team start from working, tested bare-metal code rather than a blank HAL project. For Edge AI applications, the BSP includes the STM32CubeAI runtime and a validated inference loop ready to connect to your model output.
Related Services
Hardware design connects directly to our other capabilities. For devices that need onboard AI inference, see our Edge AI & IoT solutions. For precision surface marking as a standalone service, explore our engraving and electro-etching offerings. For the software running inside the hardware, our software engineering practice handles embedded and distributed systems.
Hardware Built to Last
Protect your software investments with hardware that is engineered with purpose and crafted with precision.