Nobody Does It Better
Xymox is a recognized membrane switch manufacturer. We have been a leader in the design and manufacturing of membrane switches since the technology was born in the late 1970’s. So, when our customers demand excellence for their application – whether it’s a custom build or a stock membrane switch design – they know Xymox will deliver every time.
Membrane Switch Solutions
For harsh environment applications where a membrane switch may be exposed to water, dust, extreme temperatures, and harsh cleaners, the XyWeld® sealed switch is the best solution! The Xymox XyWeld® spacer involves a specialty adhesive bonded with a proprietary heat-activated process to yield a spacer that is much more robust than a standard PSA.
For some applications, a hybrid design offers the best of both worlds. When a simple switch or sensor just won’t do, you can count on our advanced XyTouch technology to provide the flexibility of a touch screen and the accessibility and durability of fixed function keys.
Developed to address the high-use and vulnerability markets like Medical, Food Processing, CNC Machining, and Mobile Data collection, XyTouch offers a complete sealed continuous surface for water resistance, chemical resistance, and wash down. By combining the touch screen and membrane in one assembly, you can now use the membrane to interface the repetitive high-volume input of specific keys and the software interface of the screen without the typical wear and break down associated with touch screens.
Benefits
- eliminates bulky rims or frames around your touch screen
- better aesthetic design
- more flexibility for front panel configurations
- sealing and cavity-free front panels
- more robust touch screen assembly with longer term performance
- greater reliability in a wider range of applications
One of the best ways to enhance customer experiences with your products is to add simple backlighting solutions to your designs. Bulky, problematic systems with hundreds of fiber optics are now a thing of the past. Xymox backlighting kits help you save space with the LEDs and conductive screen printing all on one sheet of polyester.
There are two main backlighting options:
Distributed LED Backlighting – These newer constructions use side fire LEDs to light entire keycap text and various icons on a panel. The end result is a more intuitive lighting experience.
Single Point LED Backlighting – Xymox membrane switches can be built with surface mount LEDs embedded into the switch package to provide a cost-effective way for backlighting. This construction uses top-fire, single-point LEDs which typically light a small window next to a key or in the corner of a key.
Sometimes a flat touch just won’t do. For those instances when the physical human-machine interface (HMI) needs to be more interactive, trust our design team to create a dome solution that inspires user confidence in your products. Our exclusive Xymox manufacturing process produces the industry’s highest-quality polyester tactile domes in the graphic layer. And we have the advanced capability to machine place four-leg contact metal domes when the application calls for it.
Contact Metal Dome Tactile Switches
For feedback you can really feel, consider using metal dome switches. Metal domes provide a crisp snap when pushed and help your customers confidently know the button was pushed. Xymox currently offers a wide variety of domes with the typical sizes being the 12.2 mm, 8.4 mm and 6 mm domes, and our friends at Snaptron and Nicomatic offer additional diameters and features in their dome products. So no matter the required specification, rest assured Xymox will collaborate with you to determine the best dome choice for your application.
Features & Benefits
- Tactile switch constructions that eliminate the top layer of the membrane switch
- Stable forces
- Excellent tactile feel
- Very long lifecycles; in excess of one million actuations
Polyester Dome Tactile Switches
Polyester dome systems match performance with affordability. Provide switch users with a keypad that has a strong, uniform tactile feel and a choice of standard or high temperature performance at an affordable price. The combination of in-house design & manufacturing also makes for shorter lead times.
Features & Benefits
- Dual Purpose – when the dome is formed in the overlay itself, the dome switch helps the user identify the key location and provides tactile feedback.
- Consistency – thanks to our in-house designed and manufactured equipment, Xymox produces a consistent dome switch from keypad to keypad and order to order.
- Withstands High Temperature – Xymox uses a proprietary forming process developed in-house molecularly reshapes the polyester into the geometry of the dome, thus the “memory” of the plastic sheet is in the geometry of the dome.
- Crisp Tactile Feel – due to the process and the dome geometries developed, Xymox ensures a firm “snap” throughout the specified life of the switch.
- Reliability – tested beyond 2 million actuations.
- Design Flexibility – Xymox will custom design our dome switches to meet any of our customers’ requirements. And additional domes on a given part can be added with little or no increase to the piece price.
How did Xymox become an industry leader in membrane switch development? For starters, we have the best inks in the business – a family of proprietary conductive inks that sets us apart from anyone else in the world of printed electronics. Found in millions of keypads around the world today, our conductive inks show superior performance on printed circuits and bonded components in applications such as dishwashers, gas pumps, and industrial controls. And when needed, Xymox will custom formulate an ink to fit your requirements.
Conductive Silver Ink – HF Conductive Silver Ink was developed for use as a screen-printed silver ink for printed electronic applications such as membrane switch circuits.
Conductive Epoxy – Conductive Epoxy 501 was developed for use as a conductive structural attachment for surface mounted devices on polyester circuitry, thermoplastic circuitry, and paper phenolic rigid laminates. This material forms a strong bond with these substrates and silver inked circuits. The material is available in a range of viscosities and is stencilable, screenable, and dispensable depending on the process used by the customer.
Clear Encapsulant – UVD-11 Clear Encapsulate was developed to provide additional mechanical strength in attaching a component to a substrate. It is a UV cured dispensable coating compatible with thermally cured epoxies and is suitable for both flexible and rigid substrates.
In some applications it is preferred to use rubber keypad user interface rather than a membrane switch graphic. Additionally, many factors contribute to the life expectancy of a rubber keypad, from the material used to the tactile feedback. And the material can also affect the ultimate printing options. At Xymox, we believe true customer collaboration is needed to find the right solution that best fits the intended application.
For example, our non-conductive, non-tactile elastomer construction over a sealed membrane switch can provide tactile feedback from metal or polyester domes. All of the switching is part of the sealed membrane switch with circuitry exiting via a circuit tail. Having tactile in the membrane switch allows for a thinner construction when compared to a tactile elastomer. It’s just another option Xymox offers in rubber keypad design, and it’s another way we help your customers feel your products.
Stock Membrane Switches
Ideal for for low volume production or for the prototype of a new membrane switch program, our line of stock membrane switches are available through a distribution network with no tooling or engineering design cost. Xymox stock membrane switches are normally open, momentary contact, push button type devices. Layers of insulating materials, conductive coatings and adhesives are combined to form a completely sealed switch, ideally suited for switching low energy logic signals. Xymox carries a variety of both tactile and non-tactile options.
Tactile Switches – Xymox tactile feedback metal dome stock products are ideally suited for use in most membrane switching applications where user feedback is a requirement. They are constructed with stainless steel domes located over each switch position, and the provided key spacing offers good finger placement and graphic design flexibility.
Non-Tactile Switches – All stock Xymox panels are constructed of flexible materials and designed for bonding to a rigid support surface. Connections are made through conductive tracks on a connecting tail, and there are various styles of tail terminations available.
Why use a Xymox stock switch?
- Availability – Stocked locally through a worldwide network of Xymox distributors.
- Economy – Stock switches (without face-plates) carry no art, plate or set-up charges.
- Reliability – Proven through extensive testing and years of customer use.
- Perpendicular tail – Prevents airborne contaminants and liquid splashes from entering your electronics cabinet at the edge of the switch.
- Edge-abuttable – In some models, various, continuous spacing switch configurations can be made by placing any of the non-tailed sides of the switches edge-to-edge.
- Variety of tail termination methods – Compatible with many connectors.
- Matrix or common bus – Provides flexibility for your electronic design.
- Compatible with custom faceplates – Custom appearance is achieved by mounting one or more switches behind the custom faceplate of your design.
In the Stock Membrane Switch catalog you will find design layouts, specs, and part numbers for anything from single-key layouts through 40-key layouts. Stock switches are available with metal domes or no dome layouts, and with or without a Berg connector.
Custom Switch Design
At Xymox, we want every interaction between your customers and your products to be a great one. So, we take custom designs very seriously. A custom switch is our chance to help you hit a homerun every time your product steps to the plate.
Our engineers and support staff are friendly, dependable, and always ready to help you with recommendations on everything from budgeting to scheduling, from material choices to general product construction – everything it takes to ensure your custom design fits the exact needs of your application.
Customer Requirements
Custom switch design at Xymox is truly a collaborative experience. As our customer, you’ll play a critical role in the process as well! We’ll rely on your help to define the application and identify the key elements required in satisfying your end customers.
We encourage you to fill out our requirements form. It will serve as an aid in putting together the blueprint for your custom switch design. The information provided will help us in manufacturing a part that meets all of your specifications. In the document You will find:
- General Requirements – any special quality requirements that you have related to FMEAs, PPAP’s, regulatory requirements, etc.
- Faceplate Requirements – all of the details required for the top layer that carries all of the colors and defines the key nomenclature.
- Electrical Requirements – all of the details required for the switch itself.
- Tolerances – printing, diecutting, and assembly tolerances are noted.
Sample Blueprint
After the customer requirements form is completed, our design exerts can get to work. The following blueprint shows an example part with all of the details noted for the switch and faceplate. It’s typical of what a finished blueprint would look like for a custom membrane switch.
Xymox solved a long standing switch issue. This issue had caused us many issues and lost customer confidence. Xymox was very responsive and supplied their expertise to help us resolve the problem.
— Customer since 1994