A Guide On Choosing the Right Custom Membrane Keyboard Manufacturer
When it comes to outsourcing your custom membrane keyboard, there are several factors that require consideration. After all, one wrong decision can lead to numerous problems. Therefore, ensure that the manufacturer doesn’t face problems like poor material choices, unexpected costs, plain custom service, and manufacturing inexperience.
Moreover, the manufacturer needs to meet your expectations and requirements. After all, you would be investing a great deal of time and money, so making the right decision the first time is important. Below, we have listed down some of the important things that you need to consider when choosing the vendor.
Effective Tips for Choosing for Custom Membrane Keyboard
Pick a Partner with Experience in your Respective Application
There are different reasons that can lead to the failure of the membrane keyboard switch. The most common one is mis-match between the operating environment and the materials that the manufacturer uses.
Therefore, it is important for the respective vendor to understand the end-use application. They should focus on factors like would the switch be exposed to cleaning solutions, chemicals, heat, or moisture. Also, they should switch the backlit and similar other features.
When you list all the requirements, you will be able to make the choice between silver or copper printed circuit board, silicone keypad vs embossed button. In addition, you can also decide between light guide films or individual LEDs. Choosing among these options would become easy when you and your supplier has a clear understanding of the application requirement.
Switch Installation onto the Product Matters
Yes, you can easily have a pressure-sensitive adhesive present at the back of your switch. But, what matters here is that is your respective vendor using the right quality of the adhesive. There are majorly two, main types of adhesive, the Low-Surface Energy Adhesive and the High-Service Energy Adhesive.
The type that you choose greatly depends upon the surface of the application. The higher energy surfaces generally include acrylic, fiberglass, polycarbonate, epoxy, and some plastic materials. On the other hand, the low plastic surfaces incorporate certain plastic types such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, and some certain coating like the Teflon.
Since these items tend to display a weak attraction, therefore, they need to have specialized adhesives. Therefore, communicate well with your custom membrane keyboard switch supplier regarding the application surface.
Metal Fabrication Capabilities
Sometimes for the mounting purchase, you require the structural rigidity of the metal back that comes with studs. So to ensure the quality of all this, we recommend that your vendor provides in-house metal fabrication services.
This would ensure that the design is in accord with your part. Thus, there are no delays due to outsourcing.
Pick an ISO Certified Partner for you Membrane Keyboard switch
Even though a membrane switch looks simple, but it is an extremely complex part especially when you are aiming for custom membrane keyboard switches. Every layer of the switch – overlay, spacers, printed circuit, or the back panel—should mate and register accurately to the adjacent layers.
The vendor needs to ensure that that specified material, mounting method, colors, and the adhesives need to be according to the application. They should design them to ensure the survival of the application.
Therefore, it is important that you choose an ISO certified supplier as their designers and other staff members would be able to work with you. Even in your local language and time zone to ensure smooth customer relationships.
After all, it is their main objective to understand your requirement and ensure that the product meets those requirements.
Membrane Keyboard Switch Partner Should be Responsive
Even though the good design and customer service should be the norm, but the hard reality is the opposite. Only a handful of companies actually focus on their customer services and their designs. So, the shopping secret here is to ensure that your supplier is highly responsive.
If you feel that the supplier is taking the time to respond, we recommend looking for a new vendor. With so much competition out there, you will be able to find another vendor on time. However, it is imperative that you look out for expected costs such as the high-unit cost/low volumes or the Non-Reoccurring Expenses.
Other Product Identifications
In addition to a custom membrane keyboard, you also need to think about other identification requirements. Therefore, it is important for you to choose a vendor that can provide you with identification for other products such as safety placards, barcode labels, nameplates, and a few more.
- This would not only reduce the paperwork but also decrease the overall cost.
- Importance of Using a Keypad-FD for Custom Membrane Keyboard Switch
- There are several benefits, and we have listed some of them below.
- The custom keyboard switches are of the finest quality. They come with the guarantee of pressing up to one million.
- Ensures robustness and longevity even in the most aggressive operating conditions. After all, the manufacturer up to IP65.
- They offer prototyping at low cost along with full high-volume production.
Services
In order to meet the needs of the clients, the industry-leading suppliers offer a range of technical solutions. To make their custom membrane keyboard switches to be waterproof and meet the outdoor conditions, they would offer different finish options and button features.
Below are some of the solutions that they offer.
- Circuit Design
- Embossing Options such as Pillow, Rim, Dome, or Decorative
- Non-tactile Response Keys
- Tactile Response Keys
- EMC/ESD/RFI Shielding
- Materials that are Anti-Microbial, Chemical Resistant, and UV resistant
- IP65 as well as IP54 Rated
- LED integration can be an option
- Filters
- Backlighting
- Mounted to Aluminum or steel panels
- Secret Til-LIT
- Interchangeable inserts – Legend
- Membrane Switches Approved by the UL
For more information check out their Custom Membrane Switch Specification page.
What’s Next?
Looking into some of these factors would help you choose a vendor that is not only professional, but it also has extensive experience in your respective application. For expert designing and development of your upcoming custom membrane keyboard switch product, you should reach out to us.
Their highly responsive staff would get back to you regarding all your queries in no time.