What are membrane switches?
What is a membrane switch?
Made from a flexible substrate, a membrane switch is an electrical control that turns an electrical circuit on and off. This application combines a graphic overlay and an electrical switch into one integrated unit.
Membrane switches can be found in countless products in a variety of industry applications. They can be used in any design that requires a compact, functional interface.
Improve the appearance of remote controls, washing machines, air conditioners and virtually any other consumer electronics.
Ensuring simple and reliable operation of medical equipment used in hospitals and homes.
From design to test to manufacturing, UTC provides insights and adds value to your projects. Our talented designers and engineers work together to understand your requirements thoroughly, then use CAD and other advanced software to develop intelligently designed solutions.
An important consideration when designing and manufacturing membrane switches is to create a keyboard that provides a comfortable, consistent experience for the user. At UTC, we manufacture both tactile keyboards that click when pressed, as well as non-tactile keyboards that provide additional feedback. We also offer textured coatings to achieve a specific feel.
Membrane switches have been around for about five decades. The first membrane keypads were introduced in the early 1970s. They were made of polycarbonate plastic films printed with copper or silver-infused ink to create the electronic circuit. These were composed of two conductive layers with one spacer in between. The products were inexpensive, but they were threatened by problems such as degradation and cracking of the polycarbonate film and missing tactile feedback.
The next iteration solved the durability and quality-of-life issues by changing the plastic film into polyester and adding metal domes into the design. However, membrane switches had not been readily adopted since mechanical keyboards dominated the huge personal computer market during that time. Mechanical keyboards were preferred due to their more tactile feedback.
