At General Label, we produce custom membrane switches and overlays for the agricultural industry. These switches act as the interface between farmers and their technology. We know that in the agricultural industry, every second counts – the last thing farmers want to be dealing with is failing technology. That’s why our membrane switches are easy to use, versatile, durable, and reliable.
Examples of Membrane Switch Use in Agriculture
Membrane switches act as user interfaces in many different types of farming equipment. As such, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to membrane switches. They’re developed as user interfaces for all kinds of devices, including:
- Irrigation systems
- Specialized machines (like milk parlors)
- Heavy equipment
- Pesticide/herbicide sprayers
- Conveyor systems
- And more
No matter what kind of farming equipment your company develops, our membrane switches can make your product easier to use and more durable. With backlighting, durable materials, high levels of ingress protection (up to IP67), and careful engineering, our membrane switches will improve your product’s usability and durability.
Benefits of Membrane Switches
The materials used in your membrane switches matter. With decades of experience in the industry, General Label has developed the infrastructure and techniques to use a wide variety of different materials and processes to build our membrane switches, including:
- Polyester
- Polycarbonate
- ESD Coated Films
- 3M™ adhesives
- Stainless steel domes
- Backlighting (LEDs)
- Long lasting screen printed graphics
- Digital printed graphics
- And much more
You can read more about the materials we use in our membrane switches on this page. The versatility of our material converting expertise means we can design membrane switches to fit your exact specifications.
Reliability is key – the overall construction of the membrane switch, including the materials used, must be able to endure the harsh environments that most agricultural equipment is exposed to. Our membrane switches can be designed with a wide variety of environmental factors in mind. Options for your membrane switch include:
- Water resistant and dustproof (IP67)
- Non-glare finishes
- Illumination for low-light/no-light use
- Actuated domes for feedback
- Impact resistance
- Corrosion resistance
- Abrasion resistance
- Heat resistance
- And more
Agricultural overlays and graphics
Our overlays are built to last; we use materials and graphic printing processes that can withstand the harsh, cold winters of Minnesota or the scorching hot Texas summers. With integrated LED lighting, these overlays can be used day and night, improving the usability of your products.
Convey vital information to farmers with our overlays. Their low profile makes them simple to integrate into almost any product. Our overlays are designed to be:
- Water resistant and dustproof (IP67)
- UV resistant
- Corrosion resistant
- Impact resistant
- And more
We can also customize your overlays with a number of value-added features, including:
- Embossing
- Hard coat finishes
- Antimicrobial finishes
- Filter windows
- Deadfronting
- Panel interconnections
- And more
Material Converting in Agriculture
With decades of experience, a team of highly skilled engineers, and cutting edge technology, General Label is at the forefront of material converting in North America. Our team builds parts to be used in a wide variety of agriculture products and machinery. These products include:
- Gaskets and vibration dampening
- Optically clear adhesives
- Bonding and joining
- EMI shielding
- Surface protection films
- High-temperature die-cut and laser-cut masks for plating
- Acoustic mesh with adhesive borders
- And more
These products can be deployed in many different scenarios. We can, for example:
- Construct vibration dampening gaskets to be used in tractors or other agricultural machinery.
- Use EMI shielding and surface protection films can protect electronics and user interfaces.
Agricultural environments can vary significantly, and our parts can be built to withstand very different, but equally harsh, environments. Some of the materials we use include:
- Polyesters
- Polyimide (Kapton)
- Polycarbonates
- Adhesives
- Tapes (including VHB)
- Foams
These materials are combined and custom-cut using a variety of techniques to specifications. With our die-cutting and laser-cutting machines, we can consistently cut and shape parts with incredible precision. The processes and machines we use include:
- Printing
- Laminating
- Die cutting (sheet and rotary)
- Laser cutting (sheet and rotary)
- Precision Pick and Place
- Metal Domes
- LEDs – Single, Bi-Color and Tri-Color
- 1206/0805/0603
- Tangent Knife Systems
With the wide array of custom converting options we offer, we can develop, prototype, and scale many agricultural parts to production.
What Type of Membrane Switch Do You Need?
Our focus on reliability and customizability enables us to custom make membrane switches for every agricultural application imaginable. To that end, we offer a variety of different styles of membrane switch, including:
- Tactile
- Non-tactile
- Metal dome array
To ensure that our membrane switches withstand the test of time, we never batch-test them. Each switch is individually tested to ensure its quality. We know that farmers can’t afford to lose out on valuable time because their equipment isn’t working properly.
Not sure what kind of membrane switch you need? Have a design in mind, but you’re not sure how to implement it? Need to retrofit new membrane switches onto existing devices?
We can help. No matter what kind of membrane switch you need, our team offers a full suite of services to guarantee that you’ll end up with the perfect switch for your product. We have over 30 years of experience, and we’ll provide everything you need, including:
- Engineering and Design
- Research and Development
- Manufacturing
- Quality Assurance
We know farmers count on the reliability of your equipment. When it comes to membrane switches, you can count on us. Whether you’ve got a fully fleshed-out design or little more than an idea in your head of what you’d like your membrane switch to look like, we can help. Call us today to schedule a meeting!