Overview
Our Custom Conductive Carbon Pill Silicone Rubber Keypad is engineered for precise, reliable, and cost-effective input in controller and calculator applications. Integrating molded-in conductive carbon pills directly into the silicone structure, these keypads provide a seamless, tactile interface with consistent electrical contact, eliminating the need for separate metal domes. Designed for medium to high cycle life and stable performance, they are ideal for consumer electronics, industrial controllers, medical devices, and point-of-sale terminals. We offer full OEM services—from DFM and tooling to production, legend marking, and assembly-ready finishing—to deliver a turnkey solution tailored to your user interface and ergonomic requirements.
Basic Information
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Place of Origin | Xiamen, China |
| Brand Name | OEM / White Label |
| Material | Silicone Rubber (LSR or HCR) with molded-in Conductive Carbon Pill |
| Molding Process | Compression or LSR Injection Molding (with Pill Insert Molding) |
| Hardness (Shore A) | 40–60 (optimized for tactile feedback & longevity) |
| Key Travel | 0.2–1.0 mm (design-dependent) |
| Actuation Force | 100–350 gf (tunable via silicone thickness & pillar design) |
| Contact Resistance | ≤ 100 Ω (typical, stable over lifecycle) |
| Life Cycle | >500,000 actuations (minimum) |
| IP Rating | Up to IP54 (sealed design optional) |
| Tolerance | ±0.02–0.05 mm on critical features |
| Surface Finish | Matte, textured, or gloss; UV-resistant |
| Marking Options | Laser etching, pad printing, color fill |
| Lead Time (samples) | 7–12 business days |
| Lead Time (production) | 18–30 business days (tooling-dependent) |
| MOQ | Flexible — pilot batches supported |
| Packaging | ESD trays, poly bags, or custom taped for assembly |
Surface Coating & Marking Options
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Laser Etching — High-precision, wear-resistant legends for sharp contrast and permanent marking.
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Pad / Screen Printing — Multi-color graphics and icons for branding and user guidance.
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Color Coating — Pantone-matched colors and soft-touch finishes for enhanced aesthetics and feel.
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Textured & Anti-Glare Finishes — Surface treatments to improve grip and reduce fingerprint visibility.
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Selective Conductive Coating — Optional localized conductive enhancement for hybrid circuit designs.
Key Benefits
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Integrated Conductive Solution: Molded carbon pills provide reliable, direct contact to PCB pads, reducing part count, simplifying assembly, and lowering overall cost.
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Consistent Tactile Response: Silicone hardness and pillar geometry are engineered to deliver a precise, repeatable keystroke feel suitable for rapid data entry in calculator and controller use.
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Durable & Stable Performance: Carbon pill technology offers excellent resistance to oxidation and stable contact resistance over hundreds of thousands of actuations.
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Design Flexibility & Sealing: Can be designed as individual keys or full-mat keypads with integrated sealing lips (gaskets) for dust and light moisture protection.
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Customization Ready: Full customization of key shape, layout, graphic legends, color, and tactile profile to match specific application ergonomics and branding.
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Streamlined Assembly: Available with adhesive backing, alignment frames, or carrier plates for quick and accurate PCB mounting.
Quality Assurance & Testing
We implement a rigorous quality assurance protocol starting with material certification for the silicone and conductive carbon compound. Each production batch undergoes dimensional inspection using optical comparators and CMM, actuation force testing with digital force gauges, and critical electrical validation measuring contact resistance consistency. Lifecycle endurance testing is performed to verify performance beyond 500,000 cycles. Additional environmental tests, including thermal cycling and chemical resistance checks, ensure the keypad meets the durability requirements of everyday professional and consumer use.
Why Choose Us?
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Expertise in Conductive Silicone Solutions: Specialized knowledge in designing and molding carbon pill keypads that balance electrical performance, tactile feel, and cost.
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End-to-End Project Ownership: We manage the entire process from concept and DFM analysis through tooling, sampling, and volume production, ensuring a seamless transition from design to finished product.
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Scalable, Quality-Focused Manufacturing: Our controlled molding processes and in-house finishing capabilities ensure high consistency and quality, scalable from prototype to high-volume runs.
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Proactive Technical Collaboration: We provide expert DFM feedback, rapid prototyping for validation, and ongoing engineering support to optimize your keypad for performance, manufacturability, and cost.
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Commitment to Reliability & Delivery: Adherence to ISO-based quality systems and a track record of on-time delivery make us a reliable partner for your critical input device components.
Factory Capabilities
Our production integrates precision mold manufacturing using CNC machining and EDM to create cavities that precisely form the carbon pill chambers and silicone features. We operate dedicated compression and LSR injection molding presses with insert-molding capabilities to consistently encapsulate the conductive pills. Post-molding, our in-house finishing department handles laser etching and pad printing for marking. We also offer value-added services including precision die-cutting for adhesive backing, assembly into carrier frames, and final packaging in ESD-safe materials. Our on-site QA lab, equipped with electrical testers and cycle testers, allows for real-time validation and process control.