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MEMBRANE KEYPADS

Customer-specific input systems

No matter what size, colour or design — our membrane keypads are manufacturedto our customers’ exact specifications. Matt, satin-frosted or lustrous front membrane? With or without a clear screen? With or without tactile action point? You choose and, depending on the model, it comes with a safety chamber for each individual snap dome. This prevents the metal domes from slipping, so improving quality considerably. By the way: we also develop and produce input units with short-stroke keys and corresponding front membranes.

Keypads with integrated electronics ProfiLine technology

The input unit (the membrane keypad or the short-stroke keys) and the matching electronics are on the same carrier — without any fault-prone and expensive plug-in connectors. Here, too, the customer decides whether the carrier is to consist of a single PCB (FR4 etc.) of different thicknesses or of a flexible membra- ne. One important advantage is that electronic modules can be SMD-inserted, soldered and plated-through without risk to the process as a whole. This means that they do not have to be glued in, as is usually the case with conductive silver applications. Even with maximum packing density, the modules easily adapt to the enclosure geometry. With ProfiLine, our latest membrane keypad, the user gets much more than just an input element. Made of deep-drawn acrylic glass, the keys ensure enhanced tactile contact. Plus, there are no limits to individual key design.

Keypads for use in the dark

In the past, if you also wanted to use keypads in the dark, then you often had to accept a compromise. For example, LEDs only produce a point of light, and the well-known problems of using an integrated EL membrane (short operating life, low level of mechanical stability, high cost, EMC problems) mean that they are too complicated and unreliable in use. Our new back-lit Profiline technology offers an effective solution to this problem. The light passes through a hole in a special snap dome into the integrated acrylic inlay, where it is distributed as required. The optimised pressure point functions exactly as before, and the keys can even light up individually. 3