DIY Power Bank IP5328P Board 18650 Cells

thingiverse

This is custom designed USB power bank using the extremely useful IP5328P board available cheaply off AliExpress, and 18650 cells. There are a number of parts in this design, including a working reset button, battery level / status indicator, as well the top and bottom halves of the shell. In order to print this, you will need to use your preferred filament of choice for the shell and reset button (I used black PLA for both), but for the battery indicator you need some kind of clear / opaque filament. The lid for the shell is designed to be quite a tight push fit, and I used 4 off M2x8mm self tapping screws to secure the lid. For the battery, you will need 6 x 18650 cells, and the ability to weld them together using thing nickel strip. The case is designed to be as small as possible, so soldering the batteries with wire is unlikely to have enough room, unless you scale the case slightly in the appropriate axis. Please make sure you are comfortable assembling such a battery pack, as an incorrect connection can easily result in fire, or explosion if the batteries are short circuited. For the batteries, I used some faily high spec LG MJ1 Lithium Ion 3500mah 10A 18650 Battery Cell as I wanted quality batteries and a high capacity for the the pack overall. For the IP5328P board, I got mine from here: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000574214602.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.0.0.21ef1802rMEs01. I believe there are some differences in dimensions of the boards available, so please be sure to order a compatible item.