My SYS-PCH, or Power Charge Hub

[Trilliwilli]

For some time now I wanted a solution to both charge my batteries and also have the oppertunity to charge phones and other USB devices in one box.
As an added bonus it might be nice to have an extension from the wallsocket because the cords on chargers are usually very short, mostly 1,5 to 2 meter long.

I had an orange T-Loc systainer size 2 left over and made a specific one to house my chargers and a 3 meter powercord. This is the end result:



For many years now I use the Makita LXT system, first 14,4 volt and now 18 volt. When searching a small 10,8(12) volt cordless drill I noticed with Makita it would lead to another charger for the smaller batteries so going with either Makita or another brand made no difference. I decided to go with the machine I liked most in this class and went for a Metabo which also meant an introduction to the CAS (Cordless Alliance System) batteries. Nice thing about this is the charger takes 12, 18 and 36 volt batteries, so only one for all the different voltages. This meant building both the Makita and Metabo chargers in one box for all the batteries I currently have.

I also added a Belkin USB charger that can output 96 Watt on a single USB-C port which meand I can even charge powerstation laptops if needed.

A 3-plug socket box specifically for flat Europlugs is housed underneath a double layer of plywood to connect the chargers. Two additional PCE sockets are mounted in the front of the systainer with a control light that shows if the box is connected.



A 3 meter PU cord is mounted in a 3D printed cover to make sure all the wires are insulated and safely tucked away. A strain relief is used to hold the cable in place.



The inside of the 3D printed cover with all the wiring:



After everything was mounted I decided to change two things. The cover was a bit to low and the cables where to tight so I had to make a second one, and two I decided to add a 15A thermal breaker for safety. In practice this turned out to be great for charging everything and also have the chargers all in one box together.
I always keep the batteries with the machines so there is no problem with storing or forgetting the batteries.

The power cord looks short and could be longer, there is pleny of room, but the PU cord is stiffer then I anticipated and getting it in the box is a little bit harder, I am fine with the 3 meter length it now has.

 

[mino]

A couple comments /I had a similar project in the pipeline but scrapped now the SYS-charger was announced/:

- try add a power switch on the input, using a combined GFCI/breaker works pretty well for this purpose as it disconnects both N and L wires when off, so you do not have to unplug the lead any time you move away from it

- there are fire-retardant filaments now available for electrical stuff like this, this one looks like PET which is something you really, really do not want around power connections.

- ventilation, ventilation, ventilation, if you do not add a temperature control, add a slow USB-powered fan + exhaust combo on other side of the systainer, this works both to prevent overheating AND to ensure you would smell any starting fire before your shop is in flames

- when not used to charge, it would be nice to be able to close the systainer /and thus prevent mess getting into it/ while being ale to use the front sockets, hence having accommodation for the cable to exist while the systainer is closed

- lastly, the power sockets are not supported-enough, the front systainer wall is not strong enough making it likely they it would get ripped-open when a cable is pulled
Electricians use those special mineral-fibre fire-resistant plates to install stuff on wooded backings, get one of those, cut it and glue it using Mammut or other silicon-based glue to the wall so you can give as much as possible a backing to the outlet mounting screws /use big washers too/.

The fan I mention should be of an always-on type. These are sold as computer accessories. I thin Noctua makes one, though any 5V fan with USB plug will do and if one is proficient, soldering a 12V one known to work at 4V is even better as it is then super-quiet and the airflow is enough.


Yeah, a bunch of additional work and inspiration ... just reading from the notes I made when drafting my design.

 

[onocoffee]

Can you tell me more about the potential issues of PETG with electric?

 

[mino]

Can you tell me more about the potential issues of PETG with electric?

Did you try playing with flame and PETG ?

Guess what. It melts, then it burns. BY ITSELF, meaning, it is enough to start a fire and the chemical energy stored in PET will take care of the rest ..

Fire-retardant plastics are made with additives such you can use (thermo-)plastics in places where previously only thermosets or ceramics were safe to use.


There are good reasons any power electrical stuff is legally-mandated to be made from fire-retardant plastics.

The only reason Festool could get away with the SYS-PH being made from /mostly/ ABS is because they have included a heat fuse that will turn off the power before a fire has the chance to break out. And that is with ABS which is able to handle higher temperatures than PETG can.

 

[Trilliwilli]

- try add a power switch on the input, using a combined GFCI/breaker works pretty well for this purpose as it disconnects both N and L wires when off, so you do not have to unplug the lead any time you move away from it

There is no need nor a requirement for a switch or a GFCI in this application. I am not a contractor and the box is mainly used at home or at friends and family places. It is also a requirement by law in the Netherlands for electrical installations to have GFCI protection in the home installation. I left it out on purpose, there is a 15A thermal protection that is not shown on the pictures, just in case.

- there are fire-retardant filaments now available for electrical stuff like this, this one looks like PET which is something you really, really do not want around power connections.

I am not to concerned this is a risk at the moment. The UL rated filaments are interesting, but I don’t have them yet. This is not a commercial product with compliance, nor will it be used commercially.

- ventilation, ventilation, ventilation, if you do not add a temperature control, add a slow USB-powered fan + exhaust combo on other side of the systainer, this works both to prevent overheating AND to ensure you would smell any starting fire before your shop is in flames

You are overthinking this, both chargers have forced ventilation and enough space for air to ventilate. The lid will not be closed, as a matter of fact, when the batteries are on the charger the lid cannot close.

- when not used to charge, it would be nice to be able to close the systainer /and thus prevent mess getting into it/ while being ale to use the front sockets, hence having accommodation for the cable to exist while the systainer is closed

It gets the cutout, its not done yet

- lastly, the power sockets are not supported-enough, the front systainer wall is not strong enough making it likely they it would get ripped-open when a cable is pulled
Electricians use those special mineral-fibre fire-resistant plates to install stuff on wooded backings, get one of those, cut it and glue it using Mammut or other silicon-based glue to the wall so you can give as much as possible a backing to the outlet mounting screws /use big washers too/.

I am sorry but this is nonsense. The ABS is 3mm thick and the sockets are mounted with nuts and rings at the back, it is plenty strong enough.

 

[mino]

Sorry you took the comments as confrontational. They were not intended so.
You implemented something I was putting off for like two years. So happy for you on that.

- try add a power switch on the input, using a combined GFCI/breaker works pretty well for this purpose as it disconnects both N and L wires when off, so you do not have to unplug the lead any time you move away from it

There is no need nor a requirement for a switch or a GFCI in this application. I am not a contractor and the box is mainly used at home or at friends and family places. It is also a requirement by law in the Netherlands for electrical installations to have GFCI protection in the home installation. I left it out on purpose, there is a 15A thermal protection that is not shown on the pictures, just in case.

- there are fire-retardant filaments now available for electrical stuff like this, this one looks like PET which is something you really, really do not want around power connections.

I am not to concerned this is a risk at the moment. The UL rated filaments are interesting, but I don’t have them yet. This is not a commercial product with compliance, nor will it be used commercially.

- ventilation, ventilation, ventilation, if you do not add a temperature control, add a slow USB-powered fan + exhaust combo on other side of the systainer, this works both to prevent overheating AND to ensure you would smell any starting fire before your shop is in flames

You ate overthinking this, both chargers have forced ventilation and enough space for air to ventilate. The lid will not be closed, as a matter of fact, when the batteries are on the charger the lid cannot close.

- when not used to charge, it would be nice to be able to close the systainer /and thus prevent mess getting into it/ while being ale to use the front sockets, hence having accommodation for the cable to exist while the systainer is closed

I gets the cutout, its not done yet

- lastly, the power sockets are not supported-enough, the front systainer wall is not strong enough making it likely they it would get ripped-open when a cable is pulled
Electricians use those special mineral-fibre fire-resistant plates to install stuff on wooded backings, get one of those, cut it and glue it using Mammut or other silicon-based glue to the wall so you can give as much as possible a backing to the outlet mounting screws /use big washers too/.

I am sorry but this is nonsense. The ABS is 3mm thick and the sockets are mounted with nuts and rings at the back, it is plenty strong enough.

Fire safety with power electrics is not to "be complaint". It is to not to burn one's house down.

Electrical safety /in having a way to conveniently turn off a potentially dangerous device/ is not "to be complaint" either. Two-wire 15A+ switches are relatively bulky, not much smaller than a breaker is. GFCI/CI combos are thus a practical way to introduce a high-amperage-rated power switch. I mentioned this because employing one was at the end of several iterations of figuring out how to put a compact-yet-powerful power switch on my design. I am absolutely fine with you thinking it is funny or stupid.