Silicone keypads play in important role in the manufacturing industry especially in the modern business world where businesses are looking to outwit competitors in terms of quality and cost. A high-quality silicone keypad will help a company save on replacement and maintenance costs as well as offer better tactile response that allows employees to work better. Luckily, silicone is highly versatile and it can be easily manipulated and molded into an assortment of keypads that add personality and efficiency to the company. The custom silicone keypads have allowed designers to come up with conventional designs help to differentiate your products in the market as well as make them more functional.
Today, the silicone keypad design options are limitless. You no longer need to limit yourself to the traditional square keypads or the common color tones of white, black and silver. With the latest keypad technologies, the goal has shifted from designing conventional keypads to keypads that make more sense depending on your device dimensions and requirements. You can also choose to play with color to make your device stand out among completion. It is also important to note that you can also decide the feel of your keypads.
By modifying the silicone formula, the designer can make your keypads feel differently. Whether your device requires soft, hard or a mixture of both keypads, you only need to communicate your requirements and the manufacturer will create keypads with different hardness variations. Custom silicone keypads allow companies to be creative. Depending on your needs, a keypad manufacturer can utilize three common construction methods that include using non-tactile elastomer over a sealed membrane, conductive carbon pill elastomer over a printed circuit board and a tactile elastomer over a sealed non-tactile membrane.
The use of conductive carbon pill over a printed board allows the keypad to offer tactile feedback from the elastomer with the carbon pill acting as the shorting element. The use of non-tactile elastomer over a sealed tactile allows the keypad to provide tactile from the membrane with the printed shorting pads acting as the shorting element. On the other hand, the use of tactile elastomer over a non-tactile membrane that is sealed allows the keypad to offer tactile feedback while keeping contacts clean. Some of the options you can have with custom keypads include multi-colored keypads, screen printing, a wide range of durometers, laser etching, plastic key caps, chroming capabilities, LED windows, robust coating and a variety of shorting pads.
Conclusion
To get the best from your customized keypads, you must select the best manufacturer that guarantees reliability, functionality, and durability.