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To remain competitive, membrane-switch suppliers are offering alternative solutions like touchscreens and keypads in combination with membrane switches and value-added assembly.
"Customers don't want [just] a membrane-switch supplier anymore. They want to know what else you can do," said Mahasen Samaravijaya, president of Interface Data Systems Inc., Phoenix.
A key trend is the integration of passive and active devices, particularly LEDs, within the membrane switch.
"Customers would like to save money by removing LEDs from their board
and directly placing them in the membrane switch, which also saves space," said Joe Bergquist, sales manager at The Bergquist Co., Edina, Minn. "The technology's available; it's just a matter of doing it cost effectively."
Membrane switches are found in or on appliances, cell phones, industrial controls, and medical equipment. In the future, suppliers expect them to be used as a horn switch in automotive applications.
"The industry has gained broad acceptance, and membrane switches are now routinely designed into new electronic devices," said John Nering product manager at membrane-switches.com, Marblehead, Mass. "The membrane switch has become the workhorse for low-current switching tasks."
Membrane-switch suppliers have reported only modest growth in recent years. However, many are anticipating double-digit gains this year, partly due to their efforts to become providers of total or custom-interface solutions.
Molex Inc.'s projections of 12% growth in its membrane-switch sales this year may be conservative, according to Garry Thompson, general manager for the switch division at Molex, Lisle, Ill. The company could possibly grow beyond that, he said.
The competitive, highly fragmented market is difficult to measure, said Chris Cardinale, who is in the sales department at CAM Graphics Co. Inc., Amityville, N.Y.
The market, particularly for basic membrane switches, is mature.
"A lot of small, local screen printers entered the market and created the fragmentation that contributed to the erosion of profit margins. Now, companies that were in the market early on are struggling to stay alive," said Bill Seitz, director of interface products at C&K Components Inc., Watertown, Mass., which has been in the business since 1985.
U.S. sales of membrane switches are approximately $500 million annually, membrane-switches.com's Nering estimates. Membrane- switches.com offers an online guide for buyers and suppliers of membrane-switch products and materials. A supplier directory is under development...