Unlike with metal dome array, the manufacturing process of polyester dome (polydome) is different. Here are a simple diagram showing the manufacturing process of polyester dome (polydome).
Polydome Manufacturing Process 
(polyester dome manufacturing process)

Here are basic manufacturing steps of normal polyester dome (Polydome)

  1. Material preparing: PET (polyester), conductive ink (silver and carbon), rubber glue (if any);
  2. Material cutting: Cut the PET (normal thickness 0.10mm, 0.125mm) into size needed for conductive ink printing. That layer of PET will be named as Mylar.
  3. Baking: put PET into oven for baking, to release water from PET;
  4. Printing: Print conductive ink step by step, normally carbon ink firstly and then silver ink, or print mixed silver and carbon on-time. After that, baking again to make it drying;
  5. CNC drilling: Punching or laser cutting the location holes on PET with conductive ink already been printed & baked;
  6. Dome making: Aligning PET on embossing tooling, press the tooling with heat to make a half circle dome shape on conductive area of PET. The basic polydome came out now;
  7. Spacer making: cut the PET with air-path, holes. That layer of PET named as Spacer
  8. Mylar & Spacer lamination: Align Mylar and Spacer, and then laminate together;
  9. Rubber glue making: to punch rubber with tooling or laser cutting, to make the shape and cutout;
  10. 2nd Lamination: Align rubber glue on top of Mylar and laminate it firmly on Mylar;
  11. Outline making: punching or laser cutting whole part to make the outline of Polyester dome (polydome);
  12. Finished Polyester dome (polydome) manufacturing.
  13. Assemble it with PCB, rubber key, etc.
    If there’re special requirements such as EMI shielding, then extra process will be added and some process will be adjusted according to customers’ different requirements.

Welcome to visit our factory to see the whole manufacturing process of polyester dome (polydome)!