From landline phones, cell phones, computer keypads, household appliances and more you will find silicone rubber keypads. Silicone rubber is versatile which makes it easy to use in so many gadgets and devices. Silicone Rubber Keypads are so common that many people don't even notice how many times they are coming into contact with one.
There are many ways to mold silicone rubber keypads which makes it easy for manufacturers to incorporate them into an end product. Today's consumers, like you, are used to having choices and one choice is how the product feels.
Standard silicone rubber keypads are almost never used because the design engineers usually design a silicone rubber keypad to fit into their product and standard keypad rarely have the correct shape, size or feel. With the advancement of technology the price to have a custom silicone rubber keypad made is lower than it has been in the past.
Design engineers don't like being stuck with just square or rectangular buttons when designing their custom silicone rubber keypads. As designers experiment with different shapes and colors they will try to find the most attractive look for their end customers for maximum sales.
Aside from customer appeal there are other reasons for using odd shaped silicone rubber buttons. Sometimes a designer will find that a rectangle shape will not fit in the area given for a rubber button but by using a triangle shape they can fit the button into the space.
Custom silicone rubber keypads can be made in a wide variety of colors. Instead of just having a black silicone keypad you can pick not only the base color of the keypad but colors of each button. Once you have picked the color or colors of each of the buttons you can also pick different colors for the graphics and symbols to be printed onto each of the silicone buttons.
If differentiation between buttons is important in your custom silicone rubber keypad then try using different colors for buttons on your keypad. A good example is using a red button for an emergency function and gray for the rest of the silicone buttons. The button that sticks out the most is the red emergency button, using the same color on all of the buttons would not allow a single button to stand out from the rest.
For symbols, lettering or other markings on silicone rubber keypads the two common methods are screen printing (silk screening) or laser etching. Screen printing is less expensive but the printing tends to wear off faster over time when compared to laser etching. Screen printing is the process of creating a custom screen and then applying ink to the screen when then is pressed against the silicone keypad leaving a layer of ink in the shape of the desired symbol.
Even though laser etching has a slightly more expensive setup charge it is the preferred method for creating artwork, symbols and lettering on silicone rubber keypads. The two major reasons for this are: laser etching allows you to create printing that can be lit up at night time and the laser etching lasts longer than screen printing.
With either laser etching or silk screening a coating is usually applied to help the printing last longer. Spray polyurethane (also known as PU Spray) is the less expensive option and is most commonly used. The polyurethane is sprayed onto the keypad and adds a resistive layer on top of the printing, customers can specify a glossy or matte finish. Polyurethane spray coating is cost effective and it works. The more hearty option is to epoxy coat the silicone rubber keypad. Epoxy coating is thick, lasts a long time and is the best protectant for silicone rubber keypads, the only potential negative is that using an epoxy coating will change the final look of the silicone rubber keypad.
Custom silicone rubber keypads have so many options to consider during the design phase. Designers can find help by contacting silicone rubber keypad manufacturers for assistance. Most silicone rubber manufacturers are not only happy to help but often times will offer engineering sample silicone rubber keypads to help you with your design. The samples can help you select the right feel and look for your custom silicone rubber keypad design.
There are many ways to mold silicone rubber keypads which makes it easy for manufacturers to incorporate them into an end product. Today's consumers, like you, are used to having choices and one choice is how the product feels.
Standard silicone rubber keypads are almost never used because the design engineers usually design a silicone rubber keypad to fit into their product and standard keypad rarely have the correct shape, size or feel. With the advancement of technology the price to have a custom silicone rubber keypad made is lower than it has been in the past.
Design engineers don't like being stuck with just square or rectangular buttons when designing their custom silicone rubber keypads. As designers experiment with different shapes and colors they will try to find the most attractive look for their end customers for maximum sales.
Aside from customer appeal there are other reasons for using odd shaped silicone rubber buttons. Sometimes a designer will find that a rectangle shape will not fit in the area given for a rubber button but by using a triangle shape they can fit the button into the space.
Custom silicone rubber keypads can be made in a wide variety of colors. Instead of just having a black silicone keypad you can pick not only the base color of the keypad but colors of each button. Once you have picked the color or colors of each of the buttons you can also pick different colors for the graphics and symbols to be printed onto each of the silicone buttons.
If differentiation between buttons is important in your custom silicone rubber keypad then try using different colors for buttons on your keypad. A good example is using a red button for an emergency function and gray for the rest of the silicone buttons. The button that sticks out the most is the red emergency button, using the same color on all of the buttons would not allow a single button to stand out from the rest.
For symbols, lettering or other markings on silicone rubber keypads the two common methods are screen printing (silk screening) or laser etching. Screen printing is less expensive but the printing tends to wear off faster over time when compared to laser etching. Screen printing is the process of creating a custom screen and then applying ink to the screen when then is pressed against the silicone keypad leaving a layer of ink in the shape of the desired symbol.
Even though laser etching has a slightly more expensive setup charge it is the preferred method for creating artwork, symbols and lettering on silicone rubber keypads. The two major reasons for this are: laser etching allows you to create printing that can be lit up at night time and the laser etching lasts longer than screen printing.
With either laser etching or silk screening a coating is usually applied to help the printing last longer. Spray polyurethane (also known as PU Spray) is the less expensive option and is most commonly used. The polyurethane is sprayed onto the keypad and adds a resistive layer on top of the printing, customers can specify a glossy or matte finish. Polyurethane spray coating is cost effective and it works. The more hearty option is to epoxy coat the silicone rubber keypad. Epoxy coating is thick, lasts a long time and is the best protectant for silicone rubber keypads, the only potential negative is that using an epoxy coating will change the final look of the silicone rubber keypad.
Custom silicone rubber keypads have so many options to consider during the design phase. Designers can find help by contacting silicone rubber keypad manufacturers for assistance. Most silicone rubber manufacturers are not only happy to help but often times will offer engineering sample silicone rubber keypads to help you with your design. The samples can help you select the right feel and look for your custom silicone rubber keypad design.
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Want to find out more about Silicone Rubber Keypads, then visit Silicone Dynamics, Inc.'s website on how to choose the best Silicone Rubber Manufacturer for your needs.
Thanks for sharing the link..Rubber Keypads are used as the mobile keypads and these are also much sensitive to the environment.So your post gives so many good ideas to for the perfect use of Rubber Keypads..
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