Custom membrane keyboard prototyping in china?

[Yansi]

Hello!

just one another manufacturing question: Do you have any experience with any membrane keyboard prototyping service in china? I would like to produce a few small batches of front panels/keyboards. I have looked around for local manufacturers... but oh well.. I have cured myself from that very quickly.  Their pricing is what I would define as insane.

Do you know any chinese manufacturers for membrane keyboards, that would make small batches prototypes, like 10pcs?

Thank you,
Yan

//EDIT: Typo.

[Koen]

that wold make small batches prototypes, like 10pcs

http://www.allpcb.com/membrane_switch_quote.html

[Yansi]

Well.. AllPCB is becoming quite interesting for me now. I quickly typed in some parameters for the quote and the resulting price is very VERY reasonable I think.  If that of course is true. I do not know any details of the membrane assemblies, what is required as the design data etc, but seems promising so far. Thanks!

[Yansi]

Well bummer!! 

[Mr. Scram]

Does anyone have an example of how this ends up looking? At these prices it's cheap enough to have some fun with.

I don't suppose you can have something similar made with rubber buttons?

[ovnr]

Membrane switches are one thing, I'm really happy that they seem to offer a (hopefully reasonable quality) graphic overlay printing service. It's been a bit of a bottleneck for one of my projects.

[Mr. Scram]

Membrane switches are one thing, I'm really happy that they seem to offer a (hopefully reasonable quality) graphic overlay printing service. It's been a bit of a bottleneck for one of my projects.

I'm not sure I fully grasp the difference. Isn't an overlay included in the membrane keyboard? Or is a graphic overlay just the front panel graphics part, but without any buttons or LEDs included?

[ovnr]

I'm not sure I fully grasp the difference. Isn't an overlay included in the membrane keyboard? Or is a graphic overlay just the front panel graphics part, but without any buttons or LEDs included?

Yes, it is - the overlay is just the printed sheet of plastic without any extras; the membrane switch option includes, well, membrane switches. One of the reasons that it's more expensive is tooling, as you emboss the plastic with pockets for each button, and you also need a second layer of plastic (plus silk-screened silver ink on both layers).

[BIN.JRPANEL]

For membrane switches, it usually with a Graphic Overlay and with circuits ( silver), and has 2 kinds keys. "Die pressing" and metal dome.
also it can design widows ( transparent or translucent) in the pad.  This often used in some system or equipment that for human to control.
Attached a picture to show the layers of membrane switches. also the 2 kinds of keys type.
For Graphic overlay, it is just a front panel, which is sample as top layer of membrane switch, and will back with rear Adhesive ( 3M).
It usually has windows ( a picture show the difference of the window of  transparent & translucent.

[eb4fbz]

I have used http://www.elecflex.com/ a couple of times.