Silicone rubber keypads are trendy causing an upsurge in demand. Silicone rubber keypads are a base mat that relies upon a circuit that acts as a link between the keytops and base mat. While the electronics industry has been familiar with this category for over three decades, it becomes tricky to decide between the type of silicon keypad to be used, especially in the case of choosing which medical device manufacturers to choose from. Luckily, this article explains the two types of silicone keypad models and guides you on how to choose one or the other.

Conductive Silicon Keypads:

A semi-conductive material is used in the case of this type of keypad that contains silicone rubber and particles made out of carbon. The presence of the latter enables the keypad to be of conductive nature which allows it to compound with both materials. A pill is attached at the lower corner of the keytop as in that of electrical connectors. PRINTEC’s team has professionally-trained experts who manufacture these types of keypads. It is also a company that has been reputed as a custom medical touch screen manufacturer.

Non-Conductive Silicon Keypads:

It is very hard for a novice to differentiate between the two types as both appear similar visually. However, this type of keypad relies on a switch mechanism to push against in order to perform the same function as a mechanical actuator. The pill is less flexible as they are made up of the metal snap dome, at the same time making it durable enough. Printec also produces these types of keypads.

The Difference Between Conductive and Nonconductive Silicone Keypads:

In terms of switch sealing, in conductive keypads, the switch cavities should have a free volume of ‘air to work’ when the keytops are pressed. Hence the cavities can’t be closed but can design themselves to prevent any additional contamination. Non-conductive keypads, on the other hand, can be sealed while also minimizing the additional contaminations affecting the keypads. This could complement the touchscreen designs that are most frequently used by manufacturers.

In terms of switch bounce, conductive keypads have a higher switch bounce due to the increased contact resistance. But in the case of nonconductive keypads, the switch bounce is low due to low switch resistance.

In terms of operation force, conductive keypads rely upon a forcing cone located at the keytop’s edge. The average operating force is between 60 to 200 grams. But in the case of nonconductive keypads, there is a passive operational force as a result of linear displacement theory coming into action. The average operating force of a nonconductive keypad varies from 240 grams up to 2000 grams.

If you compare the wobble of the keytops then it can be observed that the conductive keypads cant be pressed apart from off-center frequently without avoiding wobble in the keytops due to the forcing cone being used. In the case of nonconductive keypads, the force cones are absent making the motion off-center minimal. However, in the nonconductive type, pressing off-center will lead to the closing of the switch.

In the case of keytop travel, conductive rubber keypads come with a long time making the users psychologically feel good about the performance of the function. On the other hand, the keytop travel of a nonconductive keypad is only up to 0.022 inches.

If you are looking for a reputed silicone keypad manufacturer, then Printec is the best choice in the segment. They are also reputed manufacturers of touchscreen designs that can act as complimentary when it comes to using these keypads in a device.