Archive for the ‘metal dome related’ Category

Metal Dome Activation Force Conversion

Friday, November 18th, 2011

Thanks to the big Earth we live on, so we can see different culture around the world, so we can see different measure method on the same thing, so different results. When we discuss metal dome, people use various units, here are how to convert different unit of activation force of metal dome.

Ounces (OZ)     Grams Force (GF)      Newtons (N)

4.00                         114.00           1.11

6.00                       170.00             1.66

8.00                       227.00              2.22

10.00                     284.00             2.78

12.00                     340.00             3.33

14.00                     397.00            3.89

16.00                      454.00            4.44

18.00                       510.00           4.99

20.00                      567.00            5.54

You can also easy convert them by yourself.

1OZ=28.35 g

1GF  = 9.80665 Newton

In fact, OZ is the unit for weight, seemed no business relationship with activation force, but  you can easy treat them as the unit for force, if you’re know little physics.

And Gram force (GF), or KGF (Kilogram Force) has never become the unit of International System of Unit (SI), but it’s popular here in China and Europe.

In our company, the default unit for metal dome activation force we used is GF (Grams Force), but it’s no problem for customer to use other different unit to measure the force of metal dome.

Leave a message or write email to us if you’re interest or has comment for activation force of metal dome.

PCB PAD Finishing for Metal Dome

Monday, October 10th, 2011

If it is the first time you try to use metal dome or metal dome array on circuit board (PCB or FPC), then probably you want to know what kind of surface finishing of circuit board should be used if metal dome will be assembled on.

Basically there’re two types of surface finishing can be chosen: Gold (immersion or plating) and HASL (Tin). In most of time, we suggest using Gold. Why?

As you know, function of metal dome or metal dome arrayis to act like a switch, to make circuit to be closed or opened. And low contact resistance will be helpful for smooth, stable currency. All of us know Gold bas much better performance than Tin on electric conductivity. This is why we recommend Gold.

Gold-plating-PAD-on_PCB

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whatever metal dome will be assembled on Rigid PCB, or flex circuit, gold is primary choice. Here are some pictures.

Gold-plating-PAD-on_FPC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But when you need lower price, does not need strict stable currency or don’t care too much on switch on/off time, and then you can choose HAL (Tin). For most of circuit board used in ESU pencil are of HAL (LF). Here are pictures.

HAL-finishing-PAD-on_PCB

 

 

 

 

HAL-finishing-PAD-on_PCB

I hope above is clear for everybody. If still have question, leave your comments or send an email, we will reply very soon.

Metal Dome in Tube

Monday, September 26th, 2011

Regarding the Four-leg metal domes, for small-medium volume production,
if people want a high assembly speed, but don’t have Automated SMT machine, we recommend us our metal dome in tube, as well as Peel & Place dome. And here,  I’d like to say more words about metal dome in tube. Next article we will discuss another.

metal dome in tubemetal dome tube packing

To use metal dome in tube, you must have a dome placement pen, or auto-pick-gun. You insert the tube into that device, then move the device above the place where you want to place a metal dome, then push a button, a dome will come out, to fall on that position.

Using tube dome, you only need to push the button to place the metal dome, and don’t need to pick a dome by a tweezers, so it’ll make dome placing become a easy job. You can put about 1,000-2,000 pcs per hour. In fact, some expert guy can reach up to 3,000 pcs, 5,000 pcs or more.

Also if you can send back the empty tube to us, we will give you some discount, but in most case, oversea customers will not do that, because shipping fee is more expensive than tube itself. But I think if some days later, the cost of tube increased and shipping cost lower down, people will consider to re-use them, in a green way. Just make sure the tube is clear, fresh from any dirt, dust.

All right, leave comments if you like this, or have some comments, or better idea to improve the tube metal dome.

Tape & Reel Metal Dome – On Sales

Monday, September 26th, 2011

After more than one year R&D, we are going to release our new Tape and Reel metal dome, a new packing method of metal dome which is suitable for automated SMT machine.

Each metal dome is sealed in a socket on a continued tape and packed on a reel, so it can be picked and place like normal components such as resistor, capitor, on SMT machine. Metal dome packed in this way named as “Tape & Reel Metal Dome” Also someone name it as “Pick & place metal dome”.

Tape & Reel metal dome

Please note even this metal dome is used in SMT machine, we don’t recommend to solder them like normal components.

Now we provide 8.4mm, 12.2mm  Four-leg metal dome in this packing. 5,000 pcs and 4,000 pcs each reel, respectively. We will give you some discount if you  order them in Sep and Oct. It’ll save a lot of your assembly time and money!

Please visit our website for more information about Tape and Reel metal dome!

Large Metal Dome

Saturday, May 28th, 2011

Recently we saw some people search for large metal dome and ask me whether we can make 500mmx500mm metal dome, or even bigger, such as 1,000mmx1,000mm.

The answers are No, we don’t make metal dome in such big dimension. For four-leg series metal dome, Max one is Diameter 20mm; you can see from below pictures, it’s small.

20mm metal dome

For Oblong series metal dome, we can make is 50.8×12.7mm.

If you compare 20mm dome with a coin (50 cent, RMB) and you will find it is very small.

20mm metal dome VS coin

It remind me thinking one articles we posted on Aug 4, 2006: , url is: http://blog.metal-domes.com/2006/08/04/metal-dome-vs-steel-dome/ which is post in our old blog.

I am wondering maybe some people still confused metal dome and steel dome. I hope above words will enhance their understanding and solve some potential mistake.

Anyway, if someone really big, large metal dome, less than 50x50mm, which we treat it as custom metal dome, just write your purpose and sketch,  we can discuss to see the possibility to develop that new model for you, to meet customers’ requirements of various metal domes are what we working for.

How to Check Metal Dome when you receive it?

Thursday, August 5th, 2010

When customers receive the metal dome, how to check it is qualified or not.

Maybe you will say: “ I do not have professional equipment as you, so that it is difficult to check them.”

No, you are wrong. It is not so such a difficult thing, just following up these steps and you will find it very easily.:-)

  1. Check the Part Number: include diameter, force and the plating.
  2. Out shape of metal dome, if there’s a dimple or several dimples, check the size of dimple and to see whether it is in right position or not.
  3. Surface metal dome: good metal dome should be avoid of grease stains?dirt?dust; no obvious burr?crushes?stamping?blows, etc.
  4. Press the center of dome to see the clicking feeling, force, and listen to the voice during the whole process.

Ok, my friend, is it clearer than before? If you need more requirements, please kindly let us know. We, Best Technology, are always being your best partner in metal dome and metal dome array in China.

Metal Dome Manufacturing QC Procedure

Friday, June 4th, 2010

Many customers have pay attention to the qualified quality of metal dome now. But they don’t know how to judge it? We think the most important thing is have a strict procedure to check materials and quality controlling.

Depending on our many years’ experience, we, Best Technology, summarizes four points about the OQC procedure as below.

metal dome QC process

This is our main OQC procedure, and more details not listed, if you need more, please contact us.  You can also visit our website to see details: http://www.metal-domes.com/Quality.htm, you can check other information, such as Metal Dome Test Certeria, Metal Dome Handling Precaution and so son.

At the same time, we can also handle relevant test depend on customer’s special request. If you want to get more information, please contact us or send an email to us. We will provide the best service for you as before.

We succeeded to develop the new one million life 10mm four-leg metal domes lately.

Saturday, December 19th, 2009

There is a very imprtant & good news for all of us. Following up with the development of the one million life times 6mm, 8.4mm, 12.2mm four-leg metal domes/snap domes by Our R & D staff, we have won our customers further trust by the quality, price and service. Including some very famous brand, such as: Emerson, Honeywell, Sigmatron, Dyson etc..  They continue their efforts, follow with the need of marketing, & developed the 10mm cross shape metal domes with one million life times lately.

The specifications of this type are similar to foreign famous brand, such Snaptron, Nicomatic, but the price is lower 50% than theirs. We have the 220gf, 280gf, 350gf for this type, with or without dimple & Stainless Steel or Nickel Plating are available.

10mm diameter metal dome

It is almost the blank state for this type with one million life times in China mainland marketing. Our lunch of this type will fill in this blank state, & further improve our four-leg shape metal domes series.

Our company has the diameter from 6mm to 20mm four-leg shape metal domes now. You can find all of your required from here. It also consolidate our company is the leader manufacturer of metal domes & metal dome arrays in China mainland.

10mm diameter metal dome

If you have further queries, please do feel free to contact Best Technology. Thank you.

The whole thickness of our metal dome arrays.

Saturday, November 7th, 2009

This time follow me to see the whole thickness of our metal dome array products. We have two types of the metal dome arrays: Single layer & Double layers. Please see the following structure:
  Single layer metal dome array

 Double layers metal dome array

1.For the Single layer structure: the whole thickness is equal to the thickness of the Mylar & metal dome. Normally the thickness of Mylar is 0.05mm.

2. For the Double layers structure: the whole thickness is the same as the Single layer structure. You can see from the picture, it is the double layers, but the spacer is parallel to the metal dome. So that you can ignore its thickness. Normally the thickness of the spacer is 0.075mm.

If there is enough space between your PCB & cover layer by the side of your button, It means over the thickness of the Mylar & Spacer (0.05+0.075=0.125mm), we recommend you to use the most popular double layers structure. Because there have ventilation between the domes, when you press the domes, the air can ran out easily. So it will be better with click feeling.

I think you are fully understand the advantage & disadvantage of the two structures now. For more information, please feel free to contact Best Technology.

IQC For Metal Domes

Thursday, October 15th, 2009

Recently, I have found there are so many different names regarding the metal dome. metal dome, which we normally called, some called “Snap Dome”, Tactile Dome, and Dome Switch, and so on. It is a very interesting phenomenon.
I have checked there is a question everyone should be very concerned about this issue. So I have posted the content of my answer as below, I hope to be helpful for all of you.

A guy in BBS asked “How to solve the following problem?”
1. What should we pay more attention about the quality of the metal domes?
2. How can we check?
——– The following is my answer.

Simply speaking, for your IQC department to check the metal domes, they need to note the following points:

1). Shape (clean, dirt, dust, grease stains & deflashing);

2). Actuation force (test by force gauge machine);

3). Contact resistance & stability.

4) You can press the metal dome for several times to check whether the dome can rebound to original position or not. (the process named as metal dome rebounding)
If what you make it metal dome sheets, the following should to be known:
5) Appearance of PET (clean, dirt, grease stains)
6) Lose or double metal domes
7) The location of each dome is the same as the drawing of the PCB
8) If there is EMI printing, pleas take care of the quality of the tracing
9) Others, such as location holes, out line, and so on.

For more information, please visit our website:
http://www.metal-domes.com/Quality.htm

Our dust-free workshop make sure the clean of the products. & Our experienced masters & workers with many years fruitful production experience, we have well developed a team of dedicated management and supporting staffs. Our major concern is to produce good quality items.
Our R & D professionals with strong marketing sense and innovative ideas, we will continue to launch numerous trendy array products to meet for customer needs.

Best Technology Co., Ltd., who specializes in manufacturing metal domes & metal dome arrays for more than decade years of experiences, is engaging in offering the best quality & service to all of our customers.