Tactile membrane switch with a crisp, repeatable click.
A tactile membrane switch adds a felt click under every key, using a stainless metal dome or an embossed poly dome at about 200 to 400 gf. Crisvex builds the whole sealed panel to your drawing, so the feel, force and life match how the panel is used.
tactile range
Specify your tactile membrane switch.
Every line below is built to your drawing. Tell us the feel, force and panel and we recommend the rest.
Sizes and force are guides. Send a drawing or sample and we confirm the exact build, then sample for sign-off.
A felt click, built into a sealed printed panel.
A tactile membrane switch is the same layered, sealed panel as any membrane switch, with one addition: a snap element under each key that gives a positive click as the contact closes. That click comes from a nickel-plated stainless steel dome or a dome embossed into the polyester layer. The hard-coated overlay at about 0.175 mm, the silver circuit printed at about 0.125 mm per layer, the spacer at about 0.225 mm and the rear adhesive all stay the same, so the finished stack lands near 0.875 mm with a wipe-clean front and a single tail out.
The point of a tactile key is confirmation. The operator knows the press registered without watching a screen, which matters on medical, industrial and weighing panels used by feel. We set the dome to your target force, around 350 gf for a typical mid-range key inside the 200 to 400 gf band, then verify it on an actuation force test before the panel ships.
- Metal dome - a nickel-plated stainless steel snap dome, for example about 8.4 mm at about 350 gf, gives a crisp, high-contrast click and a long, repeatable feel for keys pressed often.
- Poly dome - a dome embossed into the polyester layer gives a softer, quieter response and a low, even key profile across the panel.
- Same sealed stack - second-surface overlay, printed silver circuit, vented spacer, a 0.10 mm dome retainer and 3M 467MP rear adhesive, with an FPC or printed tail to your connector.
Two ways to feel the click.
Both give a tactile membrane switch a felt response. They differ in feel, force and life, so the right one depends on how the panel is used and how often.
Crisp click, long life
Nickel-plated stainless steel snap domes give a sharp, high-contrast click with a clear make point. The feel stays consistent over a high cycle count, so metal domes suit buttons pressed many times a day on industrial controllers, instruments and medical devices.
- Feel - crisp, positive snap with a defined click ratio.
- Force - typically about 200 to 400 gf (for example about 8.4 mm at about 350 gf), set to your target.
- Life - high-cycle, holds its feel for keys used often.
Soft feel, low profile
Domes embossed into the polyester layer give a softer, quieter tactile response and a low, even key profile across the whole face. Poly domes spread many tactile keys over a large area at lower cost, a good fit for appliance and HVAC faces and lighter-duty panels.
- Feel - softer, rounded press with a quieter action.
- Force - within the same approximate 200 to 400 gf range.
- Life - repeatable presses for lighter-duty use.
Not sure which feel fits? Read our guide on tactile vs non-tactile membrane switches for the trade-offs.
Tactile panels for demanding work.
A felt click confirms the press without looking, a good fit wherever an operator works a control surface by hand.
Medical & rehabilitation
Metal dome keys give clear confirmation on monitors, handsets and bedside devices, behind a sealed, wipe-clean front.
Industrial & instrumentation
High-cycle tactile panels for controllers, inverters and measuring instruments pressed many times a day.
Appliances & HVAC
Poly dome faces give a soft, even feel across ovens, boilers and climate units, sealed against splashes and steam.
Weighing & POS
Repeatable tactile keys for scales and point-of-sale terminals that take constant input through the day.
Metal domes for a tactile membrane switch.
The stainless snap dome sets the feel of a tactile membrane switch. These are the variables we set to your drawing.
Not sure a metal dome is right? Compare the feel and life in our guide on tactile vs non-tactile membrane switches.
How the tactile click works.
Each key on a tactile membrane switch runs the same short cycle, from press to reset, with the metal dome doing the work.
Press
A finger pushes on the embossed key in the overlay. The load passes down through the overlay adhesive onto the top of the stainless dome.
Dome snap
At the target force, about 200 to 400 gf, the dome buckles and snaps through. That collapse is the felt click and gives the finger a clear make point.
Contact close
The collapsed dome bridges onto the printed silver pad on the lower circuit. The normally-open contact closes and the signal registers, with contact bounce held under about 0.3 ms.
Release
As the finger lifts, the load drops below the dome's snap force and the spring steel starts to return toward its rest shape.
Reset
The dome pops back to its domed shape, the contact opens and the key sits ready for the next press, held centered on its pad by the retainer layer.
We test the click before tooling.
We confirm the feel and the contact of every tactile membrane switch design, then sample for sign-off before any hard tooling is cut.
- +Actuation force testWe measure the press force against your target inside the about 200 to 400 gf band, so the dome feels the way the panel needs.
- +Life-cycle testA metal dome key is cycled toward its rated life, up to about 5 million actuations, with the feel and contact checked over the run. See our membrane switch life-cycle guide.
- +Circuit continuityEvery printed circuit is checked for continuity and for clean make and break, so each normally-open contact reads a single press.
- +Sample sign-offYou approve a sample for click feel, force and look first; only then do we move to production tooling.
Tactile membrane switch questions, answered.
What is a tactile membrane switch?+
Should I choose metal dome or poly dome?+
What click force can I specify?+
How long does a tactile membrane switch last?+
Can a tactile membrane switch be backlit or sealed?+
Send your drawing for a tactile keypad quote.
Share your artwork, sizing and target click feel. We recommend metal or poly dome, set the force and quote it as an OEM / ODM project.