Silicone rubber keypad

Advantages of the rubber keypads:

·  comfort of use

·  greater possibility of differentiation of pressure force and keys travel in comparison with membrane keypads

·  easy to keep clean

·  resistance to mechanical damage

·   durability

·   backlighting

·   larger packing of keys on the surface compared to a membrane keypad

·   relatively low production costs.

How silicone keypads are made?

The rubber keypad is manufactured in the process of high-temperature vulcanization of silicone.

Types of rubber keypads construction

In the construction of silicone keypads we can make a division (get the contact) due to the conductive element.

We distinguish three types of construction:

·    A printed conductive paste containing contact areas on the conductive circuit. It is possible to make any shape of the plane that contains the contact.

·     A vulcanized conductive element containing contact areas on the conducting circumference. Only standard shapes available.

·     A metal plate or switch mounted on a conductive circuit, where the rubber keypad is a pusher.

Additional silicone rubber keypad features include:

Resistance to both high and low temperatures (-55° C to 250° C)

Minimal noise generation due to soft and elastic contact structure

Minimal abrasion and high resistance to sulfur dioxide and oxidation even in heavy humidity

Designed for snap ratio and tactile feedback

Translucent color which is excellent for backlighting

Multi-color designs easily accommodated

Water and contamination resistant

Coating options for increased durability chemical and environmental resistant

Silicone rubber keyboards are high quality washable keyboard that are fully sealed, waterproof and flexible. Silicon material is extremely inert and is not affected by harsh climatic conditions or by any external materials like solvents, acids, etc. Thus it is easy to clean using liquids or disinfectants and is perfect to be used in areas where risk of cross contamination is high.

Moulded silicone rubber keypads can be used in a variety of applications to enhance tactile feedback, sealing and aesthetics. Rubber keypads can be supplied as a separate part or designed into a keypad assembly utilizing a broad range of switch panel capabilities. Rubber can also be screen printed or laser-etched to provide key information to the user. Various coatings are also available. Silicon can be moulded into any shape and size as per the user requirement. This type of keyboard can also be offered in a variety of colours to add to its aesthetics. As silicon is translucent in its basic form, it has an advantage to be used to make illuminated keyboards.