Plastic And Rubber Keypads
Also known as P+R Keypads, Rubber and Plastic Keypad technology is the preferred choice for small handheld devices due to combining switching layers during construction to produce a strong tactile response from plastic keys which can be laid out with the minimum of spacing between their key centres.
The most common construction of Plastic and Rubber Keypads involves creating a compression moulded switch mat which is designed to provide the preferred travel for each key. Plastic Keycaps are moulded and legends added to the customer’s specification. The Keycaps are then adhered to the rubber mat to create the switch mechanism.
An additional Mylar or Membrane layer is added under the rubber mat to enhance the tactile response. Usually the Mylar layer is adhered to the customer PCB during manufacture of the product and the switch assembly is located to the products case by suitable means. Once the product is assembled the P+R Keypads component parts produce a great key response ideal for fast data entry.
You can get further details about keypad design in our Keypad Design Guide. To learn more about designing Plastic and Rubber Keypad for your application, please call our Product design team on 01477 505206
