Rubber Keypad Switch: Importance in the Medical Industry
Modern rubber keypad switch technology allows consumers for a wide variety of industries to interact with their machines without hassle. In addition, these switches are highly cost-effective, durable, and efficient.
To eliminate malfunctioning and to ensure reliable performance, industries around the globe turn towards membrane switches. They prefer the custom rubber keypad over any other type of keypad. After all, industries like telecommunications, aerospace, health care, and defense, simply cannot afford machine failure.
For them, the failure of a machine can lead to a problem as serious as someone dying. Therefore, they would choose only the best. In this article, we are going to focus on how custom rubber keypads make a difference in the medical industry. What are the advantages that are offered?
Membrane Switch Advantages in the Medical Industry
With so many user interface options available, we often forget why membrane switches are a perfect choice, especially for the medical equipment. Membrane switches offer the same advantage as they did two decades ago.
However, the development in terms of material, machinery, and technique has added to the list of these advantages. Below are the top reasons for using membrane switches in medical equipment.
Cleanliness
Recently, the membrane switch manufacturer came up with an antimicrobial film. They use it in the typical membrane switches. The antimicrobial film is commercially available. It is possible to screen print it using common inks. You can even emboss it.
The reason to use this film is to ensure clear window applications. According to MacDermid Autotype manufacturer, Microban technology is outstanding technology. The Autotex AM texture hard coat incorporates Microban technology during the manufacturing process.
Thus, allowing uniform distribution of antimicrobial agent throughout the film surface and textured hard coat. The result of all this is that the Autotex AM film surface provides constant and dependable protection against bacterial contamination. This is something every medical equipment needs to have. It is the merit especially when it comes to considering a particular medical machine.
Graphics
Graphics overlay is extremely effective for medical equipment. The graphic overlay has the ability to be seen in a 180-degree radius. Thus, ensuring that people are able to see the functional indicator lights or the warning lights from distance at different angles.
Touch screens might be giving a fancy look, but they do not offer the ease of signal identification and detection. Also, graphics overlays act as the direct interface as it is the top layer of the membrane switch.
To enter a command, the user has to interact with the graphics overlay. Not only this, but it also serves the purpose of product enhancement as well as product differentiation. Graphic overlay offers diversity in terms of design and color.
It not only adds to the aesthetic sense of the product but also enhances its functional characteristics. In addition, you can keep the total program cost down mainly because the color adjustment is done on the top layer. The middle and lower layer remains the same.
To ensure resistance against adverse environments, you can use hard-coated overlay materials. Nonetheless, several applications do enjoy texture coating. It helps them achieve a please background while ensuring durability.
Shielding
The unique making of rubber keypad switch provides protection against electrostatic discharge. The switch assembly’s inner layer has the ability to take the discharge to the ground level. The reason being, double-sided polymer circuity.
The circuity provides a safe path to the ground. Thus, you would not need additional tabs or shields to deal with the electrostatic discharge problem. In addition, you can reduce the switch circuit footprint by incorporating D/SPC.
This also helps in eliminating the problems caused to the edge of the membrane panel due to discharges. The shield layer effortlessly provides protection against EMI/RFI.
To ensure optimal shielding effects, it is possible to customize printed shield layers. This will allow you to accommodate the need for every unique device in an efficient manner.
Illumination
There are two main ways to illuminating a membrane switch LED, electroluminescent panels, and LEDs. Among the two, we prefer the LED method. It allows the device to communicate in an effective manner from different angles and distances.
You can add status indicators using one of the two illuminating techniques. These status indicators play a vital role in medical equipment. They help understand the current situation.
Sealability
The risk of chemical or water entering the switch cavity is among the biggest threats that manufacturers have to deal with. You can effortlessly seal a membrane switch in a number of environments. This aspect is highly useful for the medical device industry.
You can either achieve a gasket seal within the circuit tail exit or a full perimeter seal. The type of seal you choose mainly depends upon the application requirement. Choosing the right material and design would ensure that you can seal the switch against the environment.
In addition, it would be possible to seal the enclosures to which the switch is mounted on.
Tactile Feedback
With a rubber keypad switch, you can enjoy tactile feedback. It is possible to add feedback using two different materials. You should use metal dome constructions for high-reliability applications. It is highly effective for environments with extremely hot temperatures and a high number of actions.
Metal domes are available in a number of actuation forces, sizes, and shapes. Formed Polyester dome, is the second option. You can customize the actuation force as per your needs. No matter, the material you chose, you will enjoy good tactile feedback.
The advantages of a membrane switch are not limited only to the medical industry. On the contrary, there are several other industries benefiting from it. Below, we have listed some of these industries.
Telecommunication Industry
Membrane switch manufacturer offer a wide range of the telecommunication industry. For instance, the rack-mount membrane switch assembly. In addition, the manufacturer offers dependable and reliable membrane switches.
After all, they do understand that the telecommunication industry needs to have steady fast switches to ensure the reliability of their connections. Moreover, the membrane switches have the tendency to meet the unique needs of the industry.
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is another industry that heavily depends upon the membrane switches. Every manufacturer has a unique working environment. The custom rubber keypads have the ability to work under every one of these environments in an efficient and effective manner.
The membrane switches are highly useful in the military equipment manufacturing. Also, the military uses these switches for more personal things. For example, the rugged military laptops.
The technology is able to meet the evolving need for military manufacturing as well as other manufacturing companies. It is able to cope with the changing trends of technology effortlessly.
Industrial Controls
It is important to have reliable membrane switches for industrial controls. After all, these switches would be subjected to extreme environments. Thus, the lack of quality on the membrane technology’s end would lead to disasters.
Fortunately, membrane switches are highly durable. They have the ability to meet the need of the industry perfectly.
Fitness Equipment
Membrane switches are extremely popular in the fitness equipment industry. They are the most popular alternative for mechanical switches. It seems that modern fitness equipment use membrane switches instead of mechanical ones.
There are several reasons for choosing a rubber keypad switch instead of any other type of switch. For example, it is possible to actuate a membrane switch a minimum of 1,000,00 times prior to any sort of failure.
In addition, modern custom rubber keypads are chemical resistant. Therefore, you can clean them using mild detergents at home. Another great thing about these switches is that they do not accumulate date as they are flat.
Some of the popular products that include membrane keypads are rowing machines, stair climbers, stationary bikes, treadmills, and elliptical trainers.
Take away
Rubber Keypad switch technology offers reliability, robustness, and efficiency. The low-cost technology is widely popular among the number of industries, medical being on top. It offers endless benefits to the medical world.
It ensures that machines have right and prominent indicators, they last long and are anti-bacterial. Just make sure to choose the right material and design to enjoy the full potential of a membrane switch.
Reach out to our experts today, and they will help you design the perfect switch for your application.
Email: sales@keypad-fd.com
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