03 / Capabilities → Membrane Switches
Membrane Switches
The engineered product on the front of the equipment. Not a label.
What it's for
A membrane switch is a multi-layer assembly: a printed graphic overlay, a spacer, a printed circuit, and the adhesive system that bonds it to the device housing. Specified well, it survives a million actuations, resists ingress to IP65 or IP67, and reads as a clean engineered surface for fifteen-plus years. Specified poorly, it delaminates, the dome cracks, the LED legend goes dark.
We specify membrane switches as a stack — overlay material, ink system, tactile dome (or non-tactile), circuit substrate, terminal type, and adhesive — not as a graphic with a circuit attached. That distinction is what separates the work that lasts from the work that comes back.
What it survives
Membrane switches built for medical devices have to survive disinfectant wipedowns, alcohol-based sanitizers, and surgical lighting. Aerospace and industrial overlays have to survive temperature extremes, vibration, UV exposure, and operator gloves. We specify the overlay polyester (or polycarbonate), ink, and topcoat to match — and we test the build, not just the artwork.
Typical applications
Medical device control panels and HMIs
Diagnostic and lab instrument interfaces
Aerospace and avionics control overlays
Industrial equipment operator panels
Defense and military-spec controls
Consumer appliance and electronic interfaces
What we need from you to quote
Quantity (annual)
Overlay dimensions and key count
Tactile or non-tactile (and feedback type if tactile)
Backlighting requirements (LED, light guide, electroluminescent)
IP rating required
Operating temperature range
Connector or terminal type
Required certifications (UL, MIL-spec, FDA, RoHS, REACH)
Mating surface and adhesive constraints
Target lead time and prototype timing