Conductive Silicone Rubber Keypad button Customizing manufacturing

A conductive rubber keypad is a type of keypad that uses a special adhesive made of conductive rubber. When you press the button, which is connected to the PCB (Printed Circuit Board), it allows electricity to flow through, but when you release the button, the flow of electricity stops. Conductive silicone rubber keypads and buttons are commonly found in remote controls and various types of switches.

Conductive rubber keypads are available in four options:

1. Conductive Ink
2. Carbon Pills
3. Metal Domes
4. Metal Pills(Copper & Golden Pills & Nickel Pills)

Conductors in Silicone rubber keypads:

• Ink Printing: Conductive ink mixed with materials such as graphite is used for electrical conduction. It’s an inexpensive method, but has some limitations.
• Carbon Pills: These small carbon-filled pills are embedded in key buttons. When pressed, they complete circuits commonly used in printed circuit boards or flexible circuit traces.
• Metal Dome Switches: These provide tactile feedback. When pressed, they complete circuits. They are attached with tape and allow electrical conduction based on pressure.
• Metal Pills: Gold, copper, and nickel pills provide high conductivity. Gold pills are inserted manually, while nickel pills are added quickly using molds. They have lower resistance and last longer.

Important Considerations for Silicone Keyboard Design:

When designing silicone keyboards, it’s important to think about more than just how much force is needed to press a key. The structure of the silicone rubber keypads is also important. This includes factors such as how far the keys travel when pressed, what materials conduct electricity, the webbing between the keys, and what the surface of the keypad needs to be. Other things to think about are the symbols and icons on the keys, whether you need a protective cover for the keyboard, what materials to use, whether the silicone should be see-through, how hard it should be, what color it should be, and much more.

Compression Molding for Keypad