As technology continues to advance, the need for reliable and efficient input devices has become a top priority in all walks of life. Of the many options available, dome arrays have become a popular choice for many applications. Whether in consumer electronics, automotive controls, or industrial machinery, dome arrays offer a unique combination of features that make them a versatile and sensitive choice for designers and engineers.

At the heart of the dome array is a small metal dome that serves as the key element. These domes are made of high quality stainless steel for durability and longevity. The dome is mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB), usually coated with a tactile or conductive material. When the switch is pressed, the dome collapses, creating tactile feedback and completing a circuit that sends a signal to the device.

One of the key features of dome arrays is their tactile feedback. When the dome collapses, it provides a distinct ‘click’ or ‘snap’, reassuring the user that their input has been registered. This feedback is essential in applications that require precise input, such as keyboards, game controllers, or medical devices. It helps users enter data or control functions quickly and accurately.

Another distinguishing feature of dome arrays is their responsiveness. Due to its simple yet effective design, the dome array provides fast and reliable actuation with short travel distances and low force requirements. This makes them ideal for applications where speed and precision are critical, such as industrial control panels or automotive buttons. The dome array can also be customized with different actuation forces and travel distances to meet specific requirements, providing design flexibility.

Furthermore, the dome array is extremely durable and resistant to environmental elements, the stainless steel material used in the dome ensures excellent wear and tear resistance. The dome array will go through the dome life test before being sold, and the dome can rebound normally after tens of thousands of repeated pressings, which makes the dome array suitable for a wide range of applications, including outdoor equipment that requires strict hygiene standards, automotive control and medical equipment.

Additionally, the dome array offers design versatility. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes and configurations allowing for flexibility in product design. dome arrays offer a unique combination of features that make them a popular choice for many applications. Their tactile feedback, responsiveness, durability and design versatility make them ideal for a wide range of industries. As technology continues to advance, dome array is likely to remain a major player in the field of input devices, providing reliable and efficient solutions for a variety of applications.

In short, Best Technology adopts advanced production technology and high-quality managers and operators to produce reliable products for us. Best has been committed to the quality control of metal dome, ensuring that the products received by customers are of high quality, so as to satisfy customers. If you are interested in our products after reading this article, you can contact us for consultation, or you can send us an email to sales@metal-domes.com.

Are you a fan of mechanical keyboards? Do you love the satisfying clicky sound and tactile feedback that comes with each keystroke? If so, then you’re likely familiar with metal dome switches. Metal dome switches are widely used in mechanical keyboards and other devices to provide a tactile response and audible click when pressed. However, not all metal dome switches are created equal. In this blog, we’ll explore several tips to enhance your metal dome tactility and elevate your overall click experience.

 Tip 1: Choose the Right Metal DomeThe type of metal dome you choose can greatly impact the tactility of your keyboard. Metal domes are made from different materials, shapes, and sizes, which can affect the amount of force required to activate the switch and the tactile feedback you’ll feel. For enhanced tactility, consider choosing a metal dome with a higher height metal dome such as four-leg metal domes, metal domes with dimple on center or metal dome with dimple on side, as it will require more pressure to actuate, providing a more pronounced tactile bump. Additionally, experimenting with different dome shapes and sizes can also affect the tactility of the switch, so be sure to find the one that suits your preference the best.

 Tip 2: Optimize Dome PlacementThe placement of metal domes on the PCB (Printed Circuit Board) can also impact the tactility of your keyboard. The positioning of the dome in relation to the keycap and the actuation point can affect how the dome collapses and rebounds, which directly affects the tactile feedback. Experimenting with different dome placements, such as aligning the dome with the center of the keycap or placing it closer to the actuation point during the assembly, because the click feeling in center of the metal dome is the best, and the deviation will also affect the click feeling.

 Tip 3: Fine-Tune Actuation ForceThe actuation force of a metal dome switch refers to the amount of pressure required to trigger the tactile bump and register a key press. Fine-tuning the actuation force can greatly impact the tactility of the switch. If you prefer a more pronounced tactile bump, consider increasing the actuation force, which will require more pressure to trigger the bump and provide more tactile feedback. We know click feeling (CC) has an equation to define: CC (%) = (CP-CL)/CP*100%, the higher the CC score, the better the click feeling will be. But we suggest CC score should not exceed 70%, because if the click feeling is too high, it will affect the life cycle of the metal domes.

However, keep in mind that adjusting the actuation force can also affect the typing speed and fatigue level, so find the sweet spot that works best for you. 

Tip 4: Consider Overtravel and Reset PointOvertravel and reset point are two critical parameters that affect the tactility of metal dome switches. Overtravel refers to the distance a key travel after it has actuated, while the reset point is the point at which the switch resets and prepares for another key press. Experimenting with different overtravel and reset point values can affect the snap-back and clicky feel of the switch. A shorter overtravel distance and reset point can result in a more pronounced click and snappier tactility, while a longer overtravel and reset point can provide a softer and smoother keystroke. It’s essential to find the right balance that matches your desired click experience.

Tip 5: Consider Keycap Material and DesignThe keycap material and design can also impact the tactility of your metal dome switches. Different keycap materials, such as ABS, PBT, or even metal, can have different textures and densities, which can affect the overall feel of the switch. Additionally, the keycap design, such as the shape, curvature, and surface finish, can also impact the tactility of the switch. Experimenting with different keycap materials and designs can help you find the perfect match for your enhanced click experience. Also, don’t make the contact silicon button too large, since it will affect the click feeling as well.

Tip 6: Make it as plunger dome array

The last way is to make the metal dome as UV plunger dome array. (???https://www.metal-domes.com/product/plunger-dome-array.htm) Plunger dome array also named as dome array with plunger or dome array with actuator, is a kind of dome array which add an extra plunger which will be 0.8-3.2mm on top of Mylar, similar like one section of actuator of keypad. Plunger dome array is suitable for such situation such as narrow space, small contact size, unable to use big diameter metal dome to add clicking feeling, or increase height, etc.

So this is the end of this article, hope you can elevate your click experience by implementing these expert tips and enjoy a superior tactile feedback with your metal dome switches!

We all know that the snap dome (also named as metal dome) is very important for the conduction of electronic product as they provide tactile feedback and act as a switch. However, poor contact of the metal dome can result in malfunctioning or unresponsive buttons, which can greatly affect the user experience or even affect the function of the whole product. Then if a product has a conduction problem, is it certainly caused by snap domes? Certainly not. Let’s briefly introduce several situations of poor contact of snap domes.

 1.  Contamination

Contamination is one of the primary factors that can lead to poor contact of the snap dome, when there is a contamination on the contact side between metal domes and PCB boards, it will affect the normal conduction of metal domes. Sometimes, dust, dirt, stain, moisture, and other contaminants can accumulate on the surface of the metal dome over time, causing an insulating layer to form. This insulating layer can interfere with the electrical conductivity of the metal dome, leading to poor or no contact when the dome is pressed. So cleaning the surface of snap dome when you are going to assemble it on a PCB or flex circuit is a necessary and very important step.

 2. Deformation

Metal domes can deform over time due to repeated use or exposure to high temperatures. Deformation can cause the metal dome to lose its original shape and fail to make proper contact when pressed, resulting in poor performance or non-functioning buttons. 3. Incorrect Design or Installation

Poor design or installation of the metal dome can also lead to poor contact. For a simple example, if the external diameter of PCB pad is 5mm, while the dome size is 6mm, when pressing down the metal dome, it will exceed the pad and cannot connect so that it won’t work. Normally Best Technology suggests that the external diameter of PCB pad should exceed at least 1mm than that of metal dome to ensure the good contact and high reliable of the snap dome.

In the same way, if the deviation of metal dome assembly is too big, it may also affect the conduction. Because normally we press the center of metal dome to make product be connected, if the assembly is deviated too much and not align well, it may actually work on the side of metal dome but not on the center when we press the center of product, indicating that the dome cannot down on the PCB pad to make conduction.

 4. Corrosion

Corrosion is another factor that can lead to poor contact of the metal dome. Corrosion can occur due to exposure to moisture, chemicals, or other environmental factors, leading to the formation of a non-conductive layer on the surface of the metal dome. For this problem, we can use corrosion-resistant materials for metal domes, such as stainless steel or gold-plated metal domes, can help to minimize the risk of corrosion. Proper storage and handling of metal domes to prevent exposure to moisture or chemicals are also important. 5. Wear and Tear

Over time, metal domes can experience wear and tear due to repeated use, resulting in poor contact. The metal dome’s spring force may weaken, or the contact area may become worn out, leading to inconsistent or no contact. 

6. Gap

If your product has a silicon keypad and the gap between silicon keypad and PCB boards is too large, then it will result in poor conduction problem. As we are pressing the silicon keypad to make metal dome down in order to connect with PCB board, if the gap is too large, we cannot make the dome down on PCB pad. 

In a word, proper cleaning, maintenance, design, installation, and material selection can help to prevent poor contact and ensure the reliable performance of snap domes in electronic devices. Regular inspection and replacement of metal domes when necessary can also help to maintain good contact and enhance the overall user experience. Contact us to get your high reliable snap domes immediately.

In our last article, we shared the assembled method for metal domes, but there are still some customers curious about the mounted way about Triangle metal dome. So today we will show you the detailed method when we assemble the triangle domes, hope this is helpful solution for your projects.

Below are the common specifications for the triangle domes in the market, they can be classified by four types — no leg, short leg, middle leg and long leg, each dome has different leg length. Best Technology has 0.8mm, 1.5mm and 3.0mm leg length for triangle snap domes, and other special length like 2.5mm also contact us.

Triangle Metal Dome

Below are the main questions that customers are more concerned, hope this can

Q1: Can I solder a triangle metal dome with legs on PCB directly?

A: It is not recommended to solder triangle domes on the PCB or FPC directly. Because triangle dome plays a conductive circuit function on the circuit board, the domes will have a certain extension to the four sides when press it down. If solder it directly on the PCB, two legs of the domes will be fixed, when press it down, the metal dome can’t extend around the sides, the pressure strength will be increased as well. So that the life time of metal dome will be shorten and some characteristics can’t perform well when apply to the end-applications, which will cause the “dead key”, poor clicking feel, unstable strengthen and some other issues.

Q2: Do you have any better method to fix the triangle metal dome?

A: Of course. The common metal domes which used on FPC/PCB mostly are triangle dome, circle dome and four-leg metal dome. We can fix it as following ways according to the different needs.

1.Insert two legs of triangle dome into the plug-holes on PCB, and bend the two legs. – This is the most popular solution.

But it has an obvious drawback that it is easy to shake and spend a lot of human time, and it must has plug-in holes on the PCB to insert the legs.

We can choose suitable leg length according to the board thickness. In generally, the common thickness for printed circuit board are 0.8mm, 1.0mm, 1.2mm and 1.6mm, the corresponding leg length are 0.8mm, 1.5mm, 2.4mm (special) 3.0mm in Best Technology.

Triangle metal dome insert in PCB

2.Stick triangle dome with a 3M adhesive tape. The disadvantage is if the tape doesn’t have a good stickiness, then the metal dome is easy to be misaligned.

3.Make the triangle metal dome as dome array. Dome array is easy and convenient to stick on the PCB, but the cost will be a little more than other two methods. At present, dome array (DA) is widely used in many buttons, such as keypad, keyboard, mobile phone…

Triangle dome array with PCB

Q3: We have limited space which only enough for one metal dome, and there are too many components around the side, what should we do?

A:You can try to use soft hot melt adhesive fix the metal dome, so that triangle dome enables extend around when press the domes down while won’t lead any potential risk to the function, why not! It is the best way that we recommend when must solder metal dome on the PCB or flex circuits.

Above are the common questions and solutions we faced and solved when communicated with our customers, if you have any other good methods that can mount the triangle domes on the circuit boards easily, welcome to contact us at sales@metal-domes.com. And also, if you still have some questions that can be solved by these ways, just feel free to let us know, our experienced sales will solve for you timely.

Metal domes also named as stainless-steel domes or tactile metal domes, are momentary switch contacts that, when used in conjunction with a printed circuit board, flex circuit, or membrane, become normally-open tactile switches. Some customers are very curious about how to assemble the metal dome array on the circuit boards, here are some basic steps about assembling the metal dome array.

Clean the PCB and metal dome array

Firstly, make sure there is no dirty or any stains on the surface of printed circuit boards or metal dome array, make sure they are cleaning to assemble.

Align metal dome array with the PCB

Peel off the metal dome array from the release paper and then align it with the PCB through positioning holes, outline or mark legend printed on PCB.

Stick metal dome array with PCB firmly

Put the metal dome array with fixture or automatic machine carefully (depending on your setup, the most cost-effective method for mounting metal dome arrays is automatic placement equipment. In contrast, manual placement with an application fixture is faster, more accurate, and more cost-effective than visual alignment), then press surface of dome array to make sure it adhere on PCB firmly.

Whether you’re using an application fixture or automatic equipment, when securing a dome with pressure-sensitive adhesive tape, it is crucial to move air out of the venting area so that the domes don’t “float.” Floating happens when the air pocket around the dome causes the dome to stick to the top of the tape so that it is not resting securely on the circuit pad. To prevent this, place the domes with your pressure-sensitive adhesive tape directly onto the circuit board. Ensure the adhesive around the dome’s edges is secured to the circuit board and then moves outward to the adhesive edges. If the adhesive is too tight around the dome, it can cause the dome to collapse. This condition is also known as pre-load.

Then the assembly process is finished, the most important thing is to make sure the PCB and metal dome array should be assembled firmly.

But sometimes we will encounter the metal dome array can’t assemble on PCB board firmly, why do have this phenomenon? Does the adhesive of the dome array is not strong? If not, we should take care of the below points:1. If there is dust, grease, masonry stains on the PCB board? PCB board must be kept clean;2. We should peel off the dome array by tooling, such as tweezers;3. Last, we press it a while on board firmly.

Through the above steps, I think the problem can be solved, metal dome array should be very firmly attached to the top of the circuit board.

Best Technology was founded specifically to serve the membrane switch and related mechanical switch industries. We have made metal domes (metal snap domes), metal dome arrays (metal dome sheets) since 1999. As a professional metal dome and metal dome array vendor in China.

We have years of experience in this line, so we are so confident that we can meet your requirements of metal dome, dome array, in various packing, we always do our best to serve our customers.

Are you tired of your electronic devices not functioning properly due to dim, flickering displays? Well, the problem may lie in the alignment of the light guide film with the dome array. This crucial element ensures that light is evenly distributed throughout your device’s screen and can significantly impact its overall performance. In this post, we’ll explore why proper alignment is essential for a high-quality display and how to achieve it effectively. So buckle up and get ready to brighten up your electronics!

What is Light Guide Film and Dome Array?

Light guide film is a clear plastic film that helps to distribute light evenly across the surface of a dome array. The dome array is a series of small, reflective domes that are mounted on a board. When light shines on the light guide film, it is bounce off of the domes and into the room. This creates an even, diffuse light that is perfect for task lighting or ambient lighting.

If the light guide film is not properly aligned with the dome array, the light will not be evenly distributed and will create hotspots or dark areas. This can be frustrating and cause eyestrain. It is important to take the time to align the light guide film correctly so that you can enjoy proper lighting in your home or office.

(Light_guide_film_with_dome_array)

Step-by-Step Instructions on How to Align Light Guide Film with Dome Array

Assuming you have your light guide film (LGF) and dome array (DA) in front of you, here are the step-by-step instructions on how to properly align the two:

1. Place the LGF on top of the DA so that the notches on both pieces are lined up.

2. Make sure that the two pieces are flush with each other and that there is no gap between them.

3. Once you have confirmed that the LGF is properly positioned on top of the DA, use a piece of tape to secure them together.

4. Trim off any excess LGF that may be sticking out from around the edges of the DA.

5. Your LGF should now be properly aligned with your DA!

Tips for Optimizing the Process

1. Make sure the light guide film is properly aligned with the dome array.

2. Use a spacer between the light guide film and the dome array to ensure proper alignment.

3. Use double-sided tape to secure the light guide film in place.

4. Make sure the edges of the light guide film are flush with the edges of the dome array.

5. Trim any excess light guide film from around the perimeter of the dome array.

It is critical to ensure that the light guide film is properly aligned with the dome array in order to achieve optimal light extraction and uniformity. If the light guide film is misaligned, it can result in non-uniform light output, decreased brightness, and/or reduced efficiency. There are several methods that can be used to align the light guide film, such as using a jig or template, laser alignment, or optical alignment. Each of these methods has its own advantages and disadvantages, so it is important to choose the method that best suits your needs and application.

In conclusion, properly aligning light guide film with dome array is an important step in the process of creating a successful lighting design. Without proper alignment, it can be difficult to achieve the desired result and may lead to uneven illumination or decreased performance levels. By taking the time to ensure that your light guide film is properly aligned with your dome array, you will be able to create better-looking lighting designs while also ensuring maximum efficiency.

What Best Technology can do?

As a leading of LGF dome array One-stop service supplier in China, we have strong R&D team, professional sales and rich manufacturing experience in LGF series products. By means of our mature fabricating process, we can make and assemble the LGF together with dome array fast and efficiency. In the meanwhile, Best Tech can save much components cost for you, for example: on the motherboard of mobile phone, through the optical refraction, only 1~4 pcs LED will be enough for soft and high light luminance, if using our LGF dome array (mobile phone LGF). At the same time, we can adjust luminance of the black area during the design to achieve the value to 30CD/M2. So why not choose Best Tech as your long-establish LGF and Metal dome & dome array supplier in Asia?

There are so many different types of metal dome arrays, due to the similar shape, they are hard to distinguish quickly in the first time. Here, Best Tech sharing some methods to help you to recognize the various dome arrays, let’s get started.

First of all, we should know how many types of dome arrays in the market. Currently, what most commonly snap dome arrays are as followings:

• Single layer dome array
• Double layer dome array
• EMI printing dome array
• Rubber glue dome array
• LGF dome array

In these five kinds of dome arrays, the single layer and double layer dome array are most difficult to recognize since they are almost in the same shape in visual. But if we observe their structure by a simple tweezers, then you will find the way fleetly.

• Single layer dome array

For the structure of a single layer dome array, the metal sheet is located

under Mylar (a layer of PET adhesive material with glue) and it has some vent holes to ensure the basic click feeling and using. For better understanding, you can see below structure diagram:

(Single layer dome array)

• Double layer dome array

Double layer metal dome array is somehow similar to single layer type by

means of metal dome contacts attached under Mylar as well. But the difference is that, in this type, an extra spacer is attached under the metal dome contacts. Air paths which function like air holes in single-layer, helps provide good click-feeling when dome contacts are pressed. Besides this effect, air paths help reduce the potential risk for PET film being damaged by metal dome contacts’ burr and block dust coming into PET films. So, double layer metal dome array is composed of metal dome, spacer and mylar, see below diagram for better understanding.

(Double layer metal dome array)

• EMI printing

EMI dome array is printing a layer of silver paste or silver carbon on the top of mylar material functionality as an electrostatic discharge control (ESD). Same as normal FR4 PCB, EMI dome array can be classified into single layer EMI printing and double layer EMI printing dome array. Whether single or double layer, the EMI are printing on the top side on the whole product. Below is the structure of EMI printing dome array.

• Rubber glue

Rubber glue dome array manifested as one layer of Rubber Glue added on top of the Mylar or EMI. It performs special plastic performance and can be tightly stick on Keypad or PCBs. Because material of adhesive is Silicone, so it also named Silicon or Acrylic PSA adhesive tape, here you can see the datasheet of one of normal rubber glue material used in our top adhesive dome array.

The rubber glue dome array consists of a layer of rubber glue, Mylar, spacer and a layer of metal dome. So actually, the difference between EMI dome array and rubber glue is the top layer material, you can see below structure.

• LGF dome array

LGF dome array is a new design in dome array market, which add a layer of LGF material on the top of normal dome array. LGF full name as Light Guide Film, just as its name implies, it is a film which can achieve better light distribution. It is very easy to distinguish since the LGF always shows in a transparent film (sometimes it also shows white or grey color.)

Same as above dome arrays, the basic materials are Mylar, Spacer, metal dome, and this dome array add an extra LGF on the top of Mylar, details please see below.

Above are the five popular dome arrays in Best Technology. And if you have some other special design which not belong to these five types, we also can make for you, since we have custom dome array service.

In a word, by means of a small tool we can recognize the dome arrays very easily, hope this post will make you sense the way to distinguish various dome arrays. If you still have some doubts, warm welcome to contact us at the first time, we are always here!

Four legs series metal domes (also named as 4-leg tactile metal domes, F-series metal domes or cross metal dome) are four-legged dome designed specifically for mounting on a wide variety of switching surfaces, including single or double-sided printed circuit boards, flex circuits, and membrane switch panels, where traces of negative and positive can designed under the dome on the same side of circuits.

The four legs metal dome can achieve high actuation forces and tactile relative to their size, in the meantime, they are available in a wide variety of sizes and actuation forces.

F-series metal domes has better click feeling than Circle and Oblong series domes, and its life cycle is longer than Triangle dome, its normal life times are >= 1 million. The height of it is higher than other domes, based on the same diameter, force and clicking ratio. That’s why the cost of cross metal dome is higher than others.

In addition, the size of F series metal dome can be made from 5mm to 20mm in a range of (trip) force, typical 125- 500 gf. The trip force, rebound/return force, click, travel, and height, etc., can be adjustable according to clients’ request. No matter what size or force you require, we’ll do our best to produce it. Contact us now for more!

The basic specifications of Four-Leg Metal Dome:

Contact Configuration: SPST, Normally Open

Contact Bounce (on) : <.3ms

Contact Bounce (off) : <6ms

Operating Temperature: -55 C to 125 C

Storage Temperature: -55 C to 125 C

Humidity: 0-97% (no condensation)

Contact Resistance:<100 ohms

With Nickel plating: <1 ohm

Gold or silver plating: <0.1 ohm

Voltage/Current Maximum: 12 ma @ 24 volts DC

Breakdown Voltage: Over 200 volts

Types of Four-Leg Metal Dome

Best Technology is a professional metal dome manufacturer in China, which have more than 16 years fabricating experience in metal dome industry, we not only pack metal dome in normal bulk, but also can put each dome on an array and with Adhesive tape on its top, so that you can just peel off each piece and put it on key location of Keyboard/FPC/PCB. Welcome to contact us or visit our website if you need more information about Four legs metal dome.