Silicone Rubber Keyboard by Overmolding and Insert Molding

When you are designing a silicone rubber keyboard, you may consider the backlighing, LEDS, silicone rubber display windows and its functions of ligh transferring.

Overmolding

Overmolding also called as double molded process，co-molded process.

Silicone Rubber Keyboard which need different colors keys, but don’t want the colors mixed. In this state, overmolding process is one of the choice.

Overmolding silicone rubber keyboard is achieved by a double-shot process.To mold the desired colors keys firstly. Generally,they should be molded in a harder durometer.

And then the molded keys will be positioned ina special insertion tool. The insertion tool is used to push the molded keys into the main tool .

Then, the silicone rubber button pad in the mold will bond and permanently vulcanize to the keys.

Advantage- Multicolor Silicone Rubber Keyboard by overmolding have beautiful looks, without any mixed colors. 

Insert Molding

Since the silicone rubber material is fluxible, it will melt at high temperature, and the colors will mix if multicolors silicone rubber keyboard. Some silicone rubber keyboard which need light blocks will choose insert molding. 

Insert Molding is a process that to uses isolate light and prevents it from transferring from one location to another and mutual interference. To produce light blocks in a a separate tool . Generally, the light blocks should be molded out of a harder durometer than the main par, or to produce the light blocks in plastic injection, like PP,PC material.

And produce the main silicone rubber keybord by compression molding ,liquid silicone injection molding, plastic injection molding.

After finish all parts, assembly the light blocks and silicone rubber keyboard.

Advantage- The inserted light blocks will provide a clean line without any bleeding. The insert molding process also gives you peace of mind by not having to worry about leaking light.

Note: Silicone Rubber Keyboard with conductive carbon pills are molded by insert molding.