Silicone Keypad Design Guide

00 Guide Contents

01
Silicone Material
This page discusses some of Silicone Rubber's amazing properties, including hardness, color and tinting capabilities.
02
Silicone Molding
This page discusses compression molding processes used to make silicone keypads. Topics include vulcanization, flash and post-curing. The bottom section discusses alternative molding techniques.
03
Tactile Feel
This page discusses the tactile feedback of silicone keys. After a brief introduction, the page covers topics such as web life, typical force specs and how to specify force in your drawing. The bottom sections cover key rocking and non-standard key actuations.
04
Electrical Switching
This page discusses the electrical switching characteristics of silicone keypads with pills. After a brief introduction explaining how pills act as switches, the page covers the types of pills and how to use them in your design.
05
Design Rules
This page discusses several rules to help design and specify for silicone keypads.
06
Keypad Assemblies
This page discusses how to incorporate Abatek's silicone keypad into your assembly. The page begins with a general discussion on shrink and tolerances. The subsequent sections cover various keypad designs that help to position and seal the keypad within the assembly.
07
Secondary Processes
This page discusses how Abatek can add artwork to the top surfaces of the keypads. Silkscreen and laser-etching is covered. The bottom section includes coatings and abrasion testing.