Bowed/misshapen hard plastic case - Any advice?

[BuckoA51]

I have an AES that I'm trying to restore after an unfortunate accident involving DHL and a dropped box saw the top half of the consoles shell destroyed.

Someone very kindly sorted a replacement shell for me, but unfortunately it seems due to how the shell has been stored it's bowed in the middle, perhaps it got too hot where it was or perhaps there was some weight on it for some time.

The damage is enough that cartridges don't fit as easily as they should, and the bottom dust cover flap on the cartridge cover catches on the bottom part of the cartridge slot inside the machine.

Has anyone come across this before and found a way to remove the bowing/denting in the shell? The case is in good condition otherwise and it's unlikely I'll find another one any time soon.

[Dreamcazman]

Has anyone come across this before and found a way to remove the bowing/denting in the shell?

I haven't needed to work on this particular case but with the majority of plastic, the only way you'll get it back into shape is to use heat.

You can try a hairdryer or if that doesn't get hot enough, you could use a hotair rework station if you have access to one. I would avoid using a heatgun as it'll most likely destroy the case even more.

Whatever you use, heat the sagged plastic just enough & bend it back into its original position & then hold it there until it cools.