Since 2004 we have been supplying membrane switches on PVC enclosure milled from solid for a control instrument for leather spraying systems, for a company based in Vicenza that has been operating in the tanning industry for more than 25 years. We took care of the initial design of the product, together with the customer, and of the recent “evolution” from an ergonomic and aesthetic point of view.
The leather sector of Vicentino has always shown the strong points of “Made in Italy”: creativity, high product quality, productive dynamism and technological innovation.
Innovation that also involved the enclosure with membrane switch supplied to a Vicenza-based company specializing in the production of equipment and accessories for leather coating.
The company, founded in 1997, initially provided assistance and maintenance services. Over time it has grown to the point of designing and producing various solutions for the tanning industry, such as automatic coating lines and booths, spray guns finish, electronic systems for managing leather spraying.
We have been collaborating with this company since 2004 for the realization of the enclosure with membrane switch for the management tool that is applied to the leather spraying machinery.
System evolution and support upgrades
The evolution of these automation systems has led our customer to ask for support to modernize the control interface with great attention for both ergonomics and product design.
In the previous product revision, the display was only for viewing and all commands were achievable exclusively through physical keys on the keyboard, but now many push buttons have been eliminated thanks to the use of a large touchscreen display.
In other words, the new product combines physical keys on a classic membrane switch and functions on the touch screen, in order to offer greater ease of use for the quickest and most recurring functions.The membrane switch also features several status LEDs for easy reading of the active functions by the user.
The whole structure is made of PVC plastic material obtained from solid with CNC machining, to offer greater solidity and strength to the product also according of the operating environment. The finish is liquid conductive coated in a matt shade.
Willingness and skills to customize the enclosure with membrane switch
The product was designed by us in collaboration with the customer’s technical department. The object is very solid, with a minimal design but with a very technical appearance.
It has been designed to be used in an industrial environment and to guarantee a rather high resistance to splashes: the customer explained to us that, in the field in which these machines are used, often the cleaning is carried out with water jets.
As we have repeatedly pointed out, it is difficult to get feedback on a single component from the last user.
In this case, the feedback came from the customer’s assembly department and from some companies to which our customer sells their products: in all cases, positive feedback was received both on the convenience of assembly and connection of the support, and on the design, which was appreciated for its modernity and functionality.
In addition to the willingness to customize the product, the customer also recognizes us a high responsiveness.
When a first batch of the new enclosure with membrane switch was made, during the assembly of the first 10-15 pieces, the customer realized that a slightly deeper internal excavation was needed: a minimal modification, a few millimeters of milling, but enough to facilitate the assembly and keep the components more protected.
Reported the requirement in the morning, a visit was made by the customer in the afternoon, the modification was immediately approved, allowing the production of the subsequent batches.
