ALMAX has been an innovator in rubber keypad designs for over twenty years. We supply full design services, can supply general rubber keypad design guidelines, or manufacture the rubber keypad you design. We are continually developing new processes and rubber keypad products, including our proprietary MaxFilm backlighting technology. Our engineering team is uniquely qualified to provide you with rubber keypad design guidelines.

Non-tactile rubber keypad

Screen Printed Rubber Keypads vs. Laser Etched Rubber Keypads
Rubber keypad nomenclature can be created by two methods: screen printing or laser etching. Both screen printed rubber keypads and laser etched rubber keypads can be sealed with either polyurethane or epoxy to provide an abrasion resistant surface and firmer tactile feel.

Screened keypads supply full color graphics at a lower cost
Laser etching can achieve high precision even with intricate and dense keypad nomenclatures
Laser etching can be combined with LED backlighting for use in low light environments
Screen Printed Rubber Keypads
Screen printed rubber keypads have graphics screened on top of the buttons. Color is added to the rubber keypad when molded supplying the rubber keypad a base color. Additional color is than screen printed on top of the buttons achieve the aesthetic and directional product requirements.

Screen printed rubber keypads are an excellent solution for branded products or products with electronic interfaces requiring multi-color nomenclature.

Screen printed rubber keypads are appropriate for applications where moisture ingress is of concern. The rubber keypad with the polyurethane or epoxy coating provides a moisture resistant electronic switch solution.

Laser Etched Rubber Keypads
Laser etched rubber keypads are created by molding clear or colored rubber for the keypad base color. The rubber keypad is then sprayed with layers of ink which is cured. After curing, the inks are laser etched to expose the desired final colors on the rubber keypad surface.

Etching can be done in tighter tolerance than screen printing, making laser etched rubber keypads ideal for dense or detailed keypad nomenclature.

Laser etched rubber keypads are frequently combined with LED backlighting which illuminates the etched patterns on the keypad buttons. Laser etched rubber keypads with LED backlighting are ideal for low light environments, particularly in applications where moisture ingress is of concern as the rubber keypad with the polyurethane or epoxy coating provides a moisture resistant electronic switch solution.