ASTM Membrane Switch Subcommittee F01.18 has created a series of electrical, mechanical, environmental, cosmetic and aesthetic tests that world-wide manufacturers can use to prove their switches meet customer needs.

Low-cost test methods are a boon to membrane-switch manufacturers and purchasers, and Subcommittee F01.18 has developed 25 standard test methods that cover switch life, tail creasing, dielectric withstand and thermal shock, standard terminology for membrane switches, and more.

According to committee member Dennis Webster, both membrane manufacturers, and original equipment manufacturers who purchase custom membrane switches for their product, must know what specifications their switch will meet. “As an OEM, these are the methods that should be on your drawings and those against which you insist upon receiving verification documentation,” says Webster, an engineering manager who has worked with membranes for 20 years. “As a manufacturer, these are the methods you should incorporate within your facility, validating that you are a quality vendor.”

The subcommittee also welcomes participation on a task group that is drafting standard test procedures for electroluminescent lamps. To learn more about ASTM’s membrane switch standards or participate on the task group, contact chairman Alan Burk , ALMAX, Kirkland, WA phone: 425- 889-9417 or Click Here for information on Joining ASTM.