Membrane Switches & Keypads
Develop a custom membrane switch solution for your products from experienced US-based manufacturers.
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Our Services
Customization
We deliver customized membrane switches and keypads to ensure that the final product meets all your specifications and requirements. Every customer receives a personalized experience that matches their applications perfectly.
Expert prototyping through mass production
The key to creating a high-quality membrane switch starts with a high-quality prototype. At the onset of our collaboration, we will design a prototype that matches the product specifications. Later on, after the batch production, the product will be ready for mass production.
About Membrane Switches
A membrane switch is a common component of applications used across many sectors, from consumer electronics and industrial environments to medical and military applications.
Membrane switches are made of flexible graphic and internal layers (also called membranes) on top of a circuit. Thanks to their layered nature, membrane switches offer engineers a lot of freedom in designing and implementing solutions that deliver the desired customer experience.
Key Components
When designing a membrane switch, our experts consider many different parameters, including the intended use cases, graphic overlays, adhesives,and more. Find out more about the components a membrane switch needs to have.
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Mechanical Design & Printing
We can design membrane switches to be tactile and non-tactile, thereby defining their value.
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Backlighting
Improve vision and deliver a better user experience by adding a backlight to your membrane switch.
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Graphic overlay
This top layer serves as the interface between the user and the machine. Choose a suitable material selection.
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Display module
Provide a finishing touch to your application from multiple display options.
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Circuit design elements
Add more elements such as adhesives, venting, pinouts, connector tail, and dome arrays.
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Touch customization
Give users a new experience by integrating high-quality PCAP touch screens.
Membrane Switch Constructions
When it comes to membrane switch constructions, you can choose between ones that are simpler and more advanced. Here’s a short guide to each of these types with examples and key considerations you need to make when designing them.
A simple membrane switch comprises three layers: a screen-printed circuit, a circuit spacer, and a graphic overlay. This option is usually more cost-effective, so its implementation is often dictated by cost-saving measures in the overall product design.
Considerations :
Tactile or non-tactile feedback
Tactile feedback is the feeling users experience when they push a button. You can choose from different materials and sizes for your buttons, and these choices will require different actuation forces for activating the switch.
Tactile switches
A tactile switch comes with a metal dome or polydome to result in the desired tactile response (and sometimes audible). These domes can be made of different materials and in different sizes to achieve the desired effect.
Non-tactile switches
When these circuits are actuated, there’s no tactile feel. However, you can add a sound or light component to indicate their activation. Depending on your design, you might need to add an electronic shielding technique.
Considerations :
Copper flex switches
Contrary to screen-printed silver, copper flex circuits are made by laminating copper to an underlying substrate. Then experts etch the substrate to leave specific conductive traces. This delivers a more flexible and precise circuit with extended durability.
Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs)
You might need components of higher-density and smaller size for some user interfaces. This is where printed circuit boards (PCBs) and printed circuit board assemblies (PCBas) come in handy.
Application environment
A membrane switch needs to serve your users for years. It might be used on a daily or even hourly basis. This requires a purposeful design for lifetime actuation, considering the types of durability, materials, and the need for weather sealing.
Take The First Step In Designing Your Membrane Switch
How to design a membrane switch and make sure that it has all the right components? Use our free design guide to get started. Once you go through it, you’ll be able to design your own membrane switch.
Our guide will walk you through the following points:
- Types of tactile feedback
- Visual feedback
- Environmental and durability factor you should consider
- Basic recommendations and tolerances
How To Install A Membrane Switch Correctly?
Correct installation is critical to achieving the right effect with the membrane switch and getting the most value from your investment. Here is a brief overview about how to install a membrane switch correctly. You can also download the pdf file for step-to-step installation guidance.
Carefully cut & remove 1/8 of the adhesive layers.
Pass the flex cable through the tail exit slot & adhere the switch to the unit's surface.
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Position the membrane switch at 30° & peel the rest of the adhesive liner.
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Laminate the switch from the side, where you've removed the adhesive layer.
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Start using a soft roller by gradually lowering the angle of the membrane switch.
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Lamination is over and time to bend the circuit carefully without damaging the switch.
Read this step-by-step guide to install the membrane switch correctly in pdf format.
The Melrose World:
Sharing our expertise about membrane switches and keypads is our passion. Discover more engineering insights and learn from our experts.
Product vault | Membrane switches & keypads
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