Membrane Switches & Keypads

Membranes Switches, also known as Membrane Keypads and Membrane Keyboards, are a hard wearing, cost effective, reliable and flexible solution for switching applications in equipment manufacture. They can be fully customised in size and design to meet your exact application requirements and the graphic layer provides unique branding opportunities.

Features

Technical Information

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MEMBRANE SWITCHES AND KEYPADS

Superior quality, Australian made

Sun Industries designs and manufactures Membrane Switches for multi national and national manufacturers at purpose built facilities in Osborne Park, Western Australia. Our knowledge of design, materials and assembly methods ensures we deliver correctly specified, hard wearing and attractive membrane switches that will continue to function for millions of actuations.

Membrane Switches & Keypads

Features

Low cost, mechanical solution

Efficient assembly time

Graphics fully customizable to suit branding and marketing

Peel, stick and plug solution

Variable data and unlimited colour & design options with limited cost implications

Membrane Switches & Keypads

Technical Information

Materials and Options

Polyester, polycarbonate and polyurethane typically make up the components of a membrane switch panel. Internally, the switching mechanisms are via metal domes or conductive shorting pads. Further enhancements include surface mount LEDs, water clear widows, dead fronts, back-lighting with optic fibre or electroluminescence and solid mounting plates. Terminations to the PCB can be via Berg connectors and Nicomatic connectors or designed to fit Ziff connectors.

Application

Membrane switches and keypads are a fully customisable solutions for Human – Machine Interface (HMI) requirements. Each product we design and manufacture is unique and has its own requirement regarding environmental, mechanical, electrical and physical appearance properties. With our decades of experience, Sun Industries is able to help you through the specification process to make sure your products HMI solution is suited perfectly.

Key Considerations

Environmental

Temperature and humidity ranges
Chemical treatments and physical exposure to abrasives
Outdoor UV exposure, moisture, dust

Electrical

The number of many pins connecting with your PCB
Types and size of the connectors – Typically Berg, Nicomatic and ZIF Connectors • Whether a common bus or X-Y Matrix will be used for the pinout and tracking design • What resistance levels and EMI shield requirements may apply? • Tail lengths and position on switch.

Mechanical

What type of response is preferred – Tactile, visual (LED), audible etc.
Is embossing on the graphic preferred?
What the membrane switch is physically be sticking to
How many times will buttons be pushed?
Will some be used more frequently than others and who will be pushing them?

Graphic Design and Physical Appearance

Where the unit is being mounted – in a recess, covered with a bezel or sitting proud
How does the graphic design compliment and promote your product?
Are there some special features such as varnishes that can be used to enhance your design and lift it against your competitors?
Can you benefit from printing a number of items together as a set, using serial numbers or barcoding?
The number of colours to be used and whether there are clear window sections • Is backlighting something that would benefit your customers?

Variables

The following provide insight into the considerations that need to allowed for at the initial stages of design. As the concept develops and moves towards completion it’s important to talk to experts that have a strong understanding of the variables and what impact they have on the overall product.

These following points are an example of the further considerations that should be considered and talked through with the design and sales team at Sun Industries: •

Graphic overlay material options – textures, types and thickness
Graphic design and preparation – impact of colours, tones, windows, borders, embossing and shapes • Embossing options – shapes, depth and purpose
Layouts and tolerances – LED windows, gaps between LED’s, tracking and buttons. Edge shape, cutout size and hole size requirements.
Overall size of the part – material cost considerations
Tooling methods – laser cutting vs die cutting, embossing tool styles
Backlight options – Lumitex optic fibre, Electroluminescence, FLATLITE EL solutions
Embedding LED’s – types, size and electrical requirements. Change in overall thickness and how to manage
Clarity of any windows and impact on graphic material specifications – gloss stock with matt varnish vs textured stock with gloss varnish over windows
Membrane switch design – tracking layout, crossover requirements, pin out considerations, electrical specifications, tail length and positioning, connector type, electrical parameters, resistance tolerances
Moisture resistance and environmental considerations – gasket seals, adhesive types, environmental limitations (temperature, humidity, air pressure)
Tactile options – Metal domes, poly domes, raised surface printing, embossing.
Metal domes – sizes, shapes, force levels, durability considerations
Connector interface – pitch of tracking, resistance level of conductive silver, pin out assignment • Electrical layout and specifications – common bus vs x-y matrix, switch contact levels (under 50mA), resistance levels between 50 and 200 ohms
Rear adhesive selection – surface energy of the material being mounted to, environmental (heat, humidity, air pressure) effect that can cause separation

It’s important to specify the right materials and adhesives for the right environmental considerations. Our Membrane Switches are designed to last the lifetime of the product for absolute reliability.

Membrane Switches & Keypads

Superior quality, Australian made

Looking for a branding solution?

Looking for compliance?

Features

Low cost, mechanical solution

Efficient assembly time

Graphics fully customizable to suit branding and marketing

Peel, stick and plug solution

Variable data and unlimited colour & design options with limited cost implications

Technical Information

Materials and Options

Application

Key Considerations

Environmental

Electrical

Mechanical

Graphic Design and Physical Appearance

Variables

Downloads

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ISO 9001:2015 Certified

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