Tel: 757-887-8488

140 Harwood Drive

Newport News, VA 23603 USA

Actuation Force: The force required to collapse the web of a rubber keypad in conjunction with polydome, metal dome, mechanical switch or rubber only. Air Channel: Air path(s) on the bottom of rubber keypads that allows for air passage when rubber is depressed. Alignment Hole: Through hole in rubber keypad that is used to position keypad in enclosure. Base Matte: Silicone sheet material that joins all keys on a rubber keypad. Also known as mat. Bezel: The faceplate or cover, typically plastic or metal, used to secure a keypad to a printed circuit board or switch. Bosses: Small posts used for positive alignment of rubber keypad in bezels or assemblies. Compression Set: The measurement of a material’s ability to recover its original size and shape after compression under prescribed conditions. Conductive Rubber: Silicone keypad impregnated/coated with conductive material. Color Matching: The visual and electronic analysis of a mixed silicone rubber material compared to a supplied color sample. Diaphragm / Web: The thin hinged area that permits a rubber key to flex. Durometer: A measurement range of hardness for silicone rubber. Key Height: The measured distance from the bottom of a keypad (base matte) to the top surface of a key. Legend: Printed graphic (symbol, letter or number) on the top of the rubber surface. Life: The number of actuations realized before the rubber diaphragm/web ruptures. Reversed-Out Graphics: Graphics that allow rubber color or masking color to be seen through top surface printing on keypad. Positive-image Graphics: Single or multi-color printing on top of key surface. crvbloonSnap Ratio (A-C)/A: See graph Stroke / Travel: Distance from the contact surface of a rubber part to a surface. Swell: The increase in volume of rubber when in contact with petrochemicals for a determined period. Tactile Feel: The response of rubber while depressing. For tactile rubber keypads, it is a critical function of the diaphragm web geometry. Tear Strength: The tear strength is a measure of the resistance of rubber to tear forces. The tear strength is calculated by dividing the maximum force load by the thickness of the rubber. Wear or abrasion resistance: The resistance of a particular ink or coating to manual wearing. The testing process is usually a Norman tester with the number of cycles legends can perform before wear is noticeable.