Why you should consider the force displacement curve of your switches

Posted by Elite Technology on January 10th, 2018

Membrane switches have long been a great choice for devices of all kinds, particularly in the electronics industry, and today you will find membrane switches in many of the products that you use on a daily basis. Additionally, you’ll notice that there are also products that you use that utilize a combination of membrane and mechanical switches, which require different levels of force to activate.

The amount of force that a switch requires to be properly flipped is specific, and it’s something that you’ll want to control for in the products that you manufacture. Understanding the force that your switch uses will dictate how you design your product and how your customers perceive that interaction. For example, using a switch that requires more force will require users to expend more energy to activate, a good choice for more rugged products that can’t afford to be tripped easily, but it will also increase user fatigue with each marginal press. For that reason, having a high force activation isn’t a good choice for a computer keyboard, for example, because they keys are pressed quickly and repeatedly.

Understanding and controlling the consistency of the force displacement curve for the switches that you use is extremely important. You want the switches that are used to require that you expend a consistent amount of force to activate them, and also control that amount of force as well.

A great way to analyze this is through the use of a force tester, which is a piece of equipment that is designed specifically to test the activation force used in the switch. Not only can this assist in helping you maintain compliance with any certifications that you have, but it can help ensure a strong quality control process. Companies like Snaptron offer both the switches and equipment that you need to create the highest quality products available. They offer a wide range of metal dome switches and they can control for a variety of factors like force used in the switch as well. If you would like to learn more about them, then visit their website at www.snaptron.com.