 THE
APPLICATION GUIDE is an aid in the design and development
of silicone keypads and specialty products. Silicone combines excellent
feel, reliability and long life in the most rugged environment.
Silicone keypads are used in a wide range of applications including
medical, industrial, instrumentation and communications equipment.
The Application Guide includes:
*
Material and Processes
* Mechanical Tolerances
* Graphics Criteria
* Design Recommendations
* Drawing Information
* Terminology
Silicone material is supplied to the keypad industry
in two forms, liquid and gumstock. Liquid silicone is a two part
system mixed as it is used; gumstock is a one part system that
has a shelf life. Both are heat cured. Liquid silicone has the
consistency of vaseline while gumstock is more like putty or clay.
Silicone is measured for hardness in a shore A scale. The lower
the number, the more silicone there is in the product and the
softer it feels. The higher the numbers the less silicone and
the more filler there is in the product and the harder it feels.
Fillers can reduce elongation, compression set, tear and tensile
strength.
There are less than a half dozen manufacturers
of silicone. Si Tech uses GE materials because of their UL listing,
six sigma quality rating for consistency and traceability of material
batch runs.
Molding silicone rubber varies by process. The
tools themselves are very similar and are usually made from P20
steel or 6061 aluminum. Wear on the tooling is usually negligible
over the life of a project unless fillers that cause abrasion
are added.
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The
types of molding processes are liquid, compression, transfer and
extruding. Liquid molding is a closed loop system and molded under
pressure using computer controlled repeatable equipment. Compression
molding is open-air system similar to a waffle iron, material
is hand cut and weighed. Transfer molding is a combination of
compression molding and gumstock material pushed into a mold under
low pressure. Extruding molding uses gumstock molding processes
for continuous product such as tubing.
Si Tech's
team with over 75 years of experience in silicone keypad design
and molding is committed to providing complete customer satisfaction
with the highest quality products in a successful and timely manner.
The customer is the focus of Si Tech's business.
Silastikey
design options include:
* Custom
Shapes and Surface Finishes
* Various Key Travel and Actuation Forces
* Wrap Around Designs
* Back Lighting, Light Pipes and Clear Windows
* Sealing Features
* Insert Molding
* Proprietary Silicone Coatings For:
o Abrasion
o Chemical
o Adhesive
o Conductive
Our
Newport News, Va Manufacturing Facility |
