What Is Membrane Switch?

The membrane switch is composed of six layers: graphic overlay, upper-adhesive, the upper circuit, the isolation spacer, the lower circuit and the back adhesive. The contact of the upper circuit is downward, and it is in contact with the point of the lower circuit. The circuit contact bounces back after releasing, then the circuit is disconnected and the loop triggers a signal.

The membrane switch panel has strict structure, beautiful appearance and good sealing. It has the characteristics of moisture resistance and long service life. It has been widely used in electronic communication, electronic measuring instruments, industrial control, medical equipment, automotive industry, smart toys, household appliances and other more fields.

Which Home Appliances Use Membrane Switch Panels?

Membrane switches' minimal weight, low profile, durability, and ease of maintenance make them a popular choice for home appliance makers. Membrane switch keyboards can be found on:

Intelligent Electric Rice Cooker:Smart rice cookers refer to a new generation of rice cookers that are different from traditional mechanical cookers. The user can control the built-in program through the membrane switch panel, monitor the temperature in real time to flexibly adjust the firepower, and automatically complete the cooking process. With the two major characteristics of "reservation time, multiple functions", stylish and convenient, it is a popular trendy kitchen appliance product in modern life.

Automatic Washing Machine:Fully automatic washing machines usually pre-set some programs in the internal chip, and the user needs to select one of the programs when washing. When in use, the user only needs to turn on the faucet and switch on the washing machine, and the washing machine will automatically recognize and control the water level, and accurately complete the functions of soaking-rinsing-dehydration-automatic drainage.

Induction Cooker:The surface of the induction cooker is a heat-resistant ceramic plate. The alternating current generates a magnetic field through the coil under the ceramic plate. When the magnetic field lines in the magnetic field pass through the bottom of the iron pot, stainless steel pot, etc., eddy currents are generated, causing the bottom of the pot to quickly heat up, achieving the purpose of heating food. The induction cooker can precisely control the cooking temperature, which saves energy and ensures the deliciousness of the food. The firepower can be adjusted at will.

Treadmill:Treadmill is a regular fitness equipment in the home and gym, and it is the simplest kind of home fitness equipment today, and it is the best choice for home fitness equipment. Just 6 buttons can complete multiple preset projects, including some diversified treadmill exercises. During the exercise, the user can freely choose or change the training content.

Benifits of Membrane Switch:

Membrane switches are highly valuable to the user interfaces of many different kinds of home appliances. Some of their benefits include:

(1) Durability

Membrane switches can generally be used more than one million times. The reason for such a long life is that the action of the switch is only realized by the vertical movement of the elastic membrane. The contacts of the switch are in vertical contact, and the amount of wear is very small. The screen printed contacts can form a sufficient thickness, and a layer of conductive carbon is printed on the silver paste contacts to achieve the purpose of high wear resistance and self-lubrication. Therefore, the life of the membrane switch is more than tens of times longer than that of the mechanical contact switch.

(2) Good Sealing Performance

Since the membrane switch is an integrally sealed structure, the contacts of the switch are not corroded by harmful gases and are not easily oxidized. At the same time, it has the characteristics of waterproof and dustproof, so it is more suitable for various harsh environments.

(3) Small Size, Light Weight and Reliable Structure

Membrane switches can be arranged and combined into membrane keyboards in design. Moreover, it is a sealed sheet structure composed of multilayer films. The connecting wires and lead wires between all switches are completed by screen printing at one time, with a total thickness of 1~3mm. Therefore, the volume is reduced, the quality is reduced, and the reliability is improved.

(4) Rich Colors and Beautiful Appearance

The membrane switch can be personalized in the design of the color pattern according to the user's design concept, and the comprehensive characteristics of the beautiful material, the beautiful decoration and the beautiful craftsmanship can be reflected in the decoration effect.

(5) Reduce the Cost of Supporting Mechanical and Electrical Products

The traditional mechanical switch needs to be welded during installation, and even needs to be fitted with a fixed bracket. The installation of the membrane switch is a paste type, as long as the adhesive paper is removed, it can be firmly pasted on the surface of the whole machine, and its lead outlet is inserted into the socket of the rear circuit of the whole machine, and the circuit can be connected instantly. It saves labor and materials, and reduces the cost of the complete machine.

At JRPanel, we help design, test and produce high-quality membrane switches for a wide range of industries. With our material expertise and a range of printing and custom conversion capabilities, we can add a series of unique features. Our engineering expertise and broad range of capabilities enable us to offer a diverse array of membrane switch keyboards/panels for all kinds of home appliances.