What application environment should be considered when designing a perfect Membrane Keypad (human-machine interface)?

Users all hope that the Membrane Keypad they purchase can meet their usage needs or even exceed their usage needs. In order to let users know how to customize a perfect Membrane Keypad, Niceone-Keypad gives customers and users some application environment instructions:

Do you need to consider that Membrane Keypad will be exposed to extreme environments?

No matter indoors or outdoors, there will be extremely high temperatures or extremely cold conditions. If it is extremely high temperature, then Membrane Keypad needs to take into account the melting points of the materials PET, Adhesive, Dome and LEDs. Usually around 80 degrees Celsius is completely resistant. However, there is a limited choice of flame-retardant materials. In extreme cold conditions, if 3M adhesive is selected for the Membrane Keypad material and FPC or PCB is selected for the circuit, the product can fully withstand the low temperature of -20 degrees Celsius.

Have you considered whether you need to withstand the test of the outdoors?

Common outdoor problems of Membrane Keypad are mainly exposed to unusual conditions such as rain and sunlight. The product needs to reach IP65 or even higher. Make sure that the o Overlay material that you select is resist to ultraviolet rays. And the assembly method is also more important. And it needs a shell that can withstand these conditions.

Do you need to consider the light issue?

Would you be using Membrane Keypad in the dark or in low-light environments? If so, you can consider the backlight solution, even if it is dark or insufficient light will not affect your operation. In some cases, consider the blind spot design.

Have you considered the adverse effects of the operating environment on the Membrane Keypad?

The operating environment that Membrane Keypad often needs to consider is mostly static electricity. The accumulation of static electricity often occurs in the metal case, so the product needs to use the plastic case. Membrane Keypad needs to consider electrostatic shielding and silver migration issues more often in this type of operating environment. Choosing ESI/ESD design or FPC circuit is a good solution to this kind of problem.

Do you consider the issue of corrosive environment?

The most common places for such problems are offshore and laboratories. This type of environment is mainly due to the high content of various substances in the seawater and the strong corrosiveness. At the same time, the laboratory also has such problems. Therefore, it is a good choice to choose panel materials with strong resistance to chemical substances, such as Autotype brand polyester, conventional silicone materials and lexan PC materials.

Do you consider hygiene and bacteria issues?？

Does the Membrane Keypad require easy cleaning and antibacterial requirements? If it is only easy to clean, you can choose a regular Membrane Keypad, just wipe with alcohol to solve the problem. The bacteria problem needs to consider antibacterial panel materials such as antibacterial Silicone Rubber, or antibacterial PET materials. The most important thing to consider is medical equipment and food equipment.

Niceone-Keypad has the best knowledge of making Membrane keypad and has a professional engineering team. If you need to customize a Membrane keypad that is most suitable for your company. Please contact info@niceone-keypad.com.