Spray Painted & Laser Etched Silicone Rubber Keypad for the Aerospace Industry

The keypad shown here was designed for use in an avionics display application. We were responsible for sourcing the molded silicone keypad which was composed of a translucent 70 ± 5.0 durometer (Shore A) silicone rubber.

The face of the keypad is toned to ensure uniform light transmission for all the graphics, and required the use of our spray painting capabilities. We applied black FED-STD-595 #37038 over white FED-STD-595 #37875, as well as a clear matte polyurethane top-coat which was applied to provide the desired look and feel.

Masking for the painting was fabricated in-house using our plotter/cutter, while the spray painting was performed in our spray booth with fume exhaust, and then cured in our batch oven. The components also received laser etching on our Ytterbium fiber laser.

The finished components measured 6.000″ by 6.000″, and met tolerances of ± 0.005″. To learn more about this project, see the table below or contact us directly.

Spray Painting & Laser Etching Project Highlights

Product Name

Illuminated Keypad

Product Description

his Keypad is used on avionics displays.

Capabilities Applied/Processes

Primary:
Spray Painting / Toning
CNC Fiber Laser Etching

Secondary:
Cleaning
Plasma Treating
Baking/Curing

Equipment Used to Manufacture Part

Plotter / Cutter
Plasma Jet
Spray Paint Guns and Fume Exhaust Booth

Ytterbium Fiber Laser
Batch Oven

Overall Part Dimensions

6.000″ Length x 6.000″ Width

Tightest Tolerances

± 0.005″

Material Used

Translucent 70 ± 5.0 Durometer (Shore A) Silicone Rubber
White Silicone GT5785
Black Silicone GT5641
Clear Matte Polyurethane Mix

Material Finish

Spray Painted White FED-STD-595 Color #37875 over Black FED-STD-595 Color #37038

In process testing/inspection performed

Dimensional Inspection
CMM Inspection
Visual Inspection

Photometer Transmittance Readings
Light Leak Inspection
Final Inspection

Industry for Use

Aerospace

Volume

400-500 per year

Delivery/Turnaround Time

12 – 16 weeks

Delivery Location

Singapore

Standards Met

PDF Drawing Specifications
Material Specifications
Light Transmission Specifications
FED-STD-595 Color Specifications

2D CAD Artwork
Certificate of Conformance
AS9102 First Article Inspection Report