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This section provides an overview for tactile switches as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 28 tactile switch manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked tactile switch companies as of December, 2024: 1.iMS Motion Solution Johor Sdn Bhd, 2.C&K Components, Inc., 3.CTS Corporation.
Table of Contents
A tactile switch is a momentary-type switch that is energized by a click when a person presses it.
Tactile" here means "palpable" or "tactile" and is also called a tact switch. Tactile switches are generally installed on printed circuit boards.
They are characterized by the fact that when a switch is pressed; it provides feedback of the sensation of having been pressed. For this reason, they are widely used in all electronic devices that are operated by humans. Installation methods are broadly classified by whether they are inserted into a hole in the PCB or mounted on the surface of the PCB, and further classified by whether they have a seal that is effective in preventing dust, etc.
Tactile switches are used in a wide range of equipment that requires human operation, including communications equipment, office automation equipment, laboratory equipment, medical equipment, and remote control units for home appliances. At the design stage of the board on which tactile switches are used, it is necessary to identify and select whether they are to be embedded in holes or mounted on the surface properly.
If tactile switches are to be used in precision equipment or in machines that have a large loss in case of failure, it is better to select tile switches with a sealed structure that is highly reliable and has waterproofing and dustproofing effects. By using different stroke lengths at the time of pushing depending on the product, it is possible to make a product that can be touched quickly and continuously, or to make a product that cannot be activated unless it is pushed with strong force.
Tactile switches have a mechanism whereby when a plate called a push plate inside is manually pushed, an electric current flows through the switch when the electrical switch contacts formed inside the switch make contact with each other, causing the switch to operate. A tactile switch consists of an enclosure, a push plate, a film, a metal dome, three contacts, and a mounting base.
The metal dome is a conductor with a dome shape. Two contacts are attached to the edge of the dome and another contact is attached to the mounting base in the center of the dome. When the push plate of a tactile switch is pressed by hand, the center of the metal dome is crushed and the contacts in the center of the dome make contact with the metal dome. The contact point and the metal dome make contact, allowing the current to pass through the three contacts and turning the switch ON.
Conversely, when your hand leaves the push plate of the tactile switch, the metal dome and the contact point in the center of the metal dome separate, turning the switch OFF.
Tactile switches are generally durable enough, but they can fail depending on where they are used and how often they are used. Repair will be performed, but in some cases, such as with older products or the manufacturer no longer exists, it may not be possible to request repair. Nevertheless, if soldering can be performed, replacement with a new one by the user can be handled.
Check the part number from the failed tactile switch and investigate whether an identical tactile switch can be obtained. If not, it is not too difficult to find a similar tactile switch based on the external dimensions. This is because tactile switches are standardized to some extent.
There are several types of mechanical keyboards for PCs, such as red-axis, brown-axis, and blue-axis. These are derived from the fact that key switches made by a German manufacturer, a major manufacturer of key switches for keyboards, have different axis colors for each type. Since the axis color changes for each type of key switch, it is possible to identify the type of key switch by checking the axis color.
Among these key switches, the key switch with a brown shaft is called a tactile type. However, tactile switches are not actually used, but are simply referred to as such by the manufacturer due to the structure of the key switch (i.e., the feel of the keys).
There are six main keyboard shaft colors: red, pink, silver, black, brown, and blue. Each keyboard has a different feel, but this difference in feel comes from the key switch structure, which itself is identical.
In addition to tactile switches, haptics, a haptic technology that creates the feeling of an object as if there is an operation button that does not actually exist, by applying vibration when operating a smartphone, is being actively developed these days, especially by electronics manufacturers.
With the application of advanced interactive communication technologies such as VR and AR, technological progress is very rapid to incorporate haptic technologies that make it seem as if we are touching objects in a virtual space. In the near future, tactile technology evolved from tactile switches is expected to play an active role in areas such as telemedicine and robot operation.
*Including some distributors, etc.
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C&K is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, and was established in 1928 as a manufacturer of electromechanical switches. The company designs various Push buttons, Toggles, Navigational, Slides, and Rotary switches, along with Smart Card Connectors that are used in vending machines, digital satellite receivers, and other equipment. C&K switches serve a huge market of consumer electronics, transportation, aerospace, and medical to name a few. The High Reliability connectors are also produced to cope with applications that have extreme operating conditions such as space, military, automotive, etc
Grayhill, founded in 1943 with headquarters in the USA, is an ISO 9001-certified manufacturer of principle switch interface products, PC-based control systems, and industrial wireless data communication devices. The company's products include board-level DIP switches, tactile switches, keypads, custom keyboards, and miniature enclosed rotary switches for original equipment manufacturers in the healthcare, military, and off-highway markets. Grayhill offers standard products, tailored products, and tailored assemblies. The company also holds AS9100D and ISO 14001:2015 certifications, as well as the SAE AS9100 Revision D Quality Management System (QMS) for defense organizations.
Littelfuse founded in 1927, is an industrial manufacturing company empowering a sustainable, connected, and safer world, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The company's product portfolio includes the solutions for both individual and entire systems, as a global manufacturer of technologies in circuit protection, power control, and sensing. Across more than 20 countries, and with approximately 18,000 global associates, partner with customers to design and deliver advanced solutions. Serving over 100,000 end customers, their products are found in industrial, transportation, and electronics end markets.
CTS Corporation was founded in 1896 and is headquartered in Lisle, Illinois. CTS is a manufacturer and distributor of sensors, actuators, and various connectivity components to telecommunications infrastructure, information technology, and other high-speed applications such as the aerospace and medical markets. CTS operates in 3 primary market segments: Sense, Connect, and Move. The Sense market segment includes controls such as potentiometers, pedals, sensors, and switches. The Connect segment includes various types of resistors, capacitors, and frequency control products. The move segment includes piezoelectric move products, rotary actuators, and thermal products including ZIF PC board retainers and heatsinks.
Salecom Electronics Co., Ltd. is a manufacturer of switches based in Taiwan since 1976. The company designs various switches such as Toggle switches which vary as remote-controlled, miniature, and industrial, and Rocker switches that are available as Sealed Ultraminiature and Sub-miniature and more. The Tact, Slide, Key, Dip, and Pushbutton switches are also available along with Micro switches that have numerous applications in, telecommunications, instrumentation, medical equipment, networking, computer peripherals & more.
Highly Electric Co., Ltd. was established in 1974 in New Taipei City, Taiwan, as a manufacturer of industrial switches. The company provides a diverse range of products, including safety door limit switches, snap-action switches, toggle switches, rocker switches, foot switches, and sensors, among others. These components have diverse applications: safety door limit switches enhance machinery safety; snap-action switches offer swift switching; toggle and rocker switches control functions; foot switches enable hands-free operation; and sensors detect and transmit crucial data for automation and robotics. The industrial sectors where these components find applications include manufacturing, electronics, machinery, appliances, automotive, medical, and automation.
Nissha FIS Inc. is a Japanese organization that manufactures and sells and gas sensors especially semiconductor type and it’s associated products. Nissha FIS devices mainly consist of gas sensors, sensor modules and related equipments such as analyzers and detectors. These are mainly used in disaster prevention, medical field and vehicles. The company has been certified for ISO 14001:2004 and JIS Q 14001:2004 for environmental protection. They have set up five regulations for the safety of the environment to be adhered within their company. They are preventing pollution, product safety, preventing global warming, continuous improvement and co-existing with society.
Manchester Organics Ltd., established in 1951 and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a manufacturer of mechanical components and electronic devices. Starting as Japan's first manufacturer specializing in miniature ball bearings, the company has grown and expanded its portfolio to motors, sensors, access products, electronic devices and components like semiconductors and sensors. These products have various applications ranging from modern homes and offices to information and telecommunication devices, robotics and automobiles. The company has developed Electro Mechanics Solution, that integrates control technology with machine and electronic technology for manufacturing precision components.
ALPS ALPINE CO., established in 1948, is a manufacturer and supplier of sensors＆communication, modules＆systems, and components based in Tokyo, Japan. The company serves the energy, healthcare, automotive, mobile, and consumer electronics domains, where they combine and build on core device technology, including human-machine interfaces, SENSORING™, and connectivity. For example, in the healthcare industry, they supply components for medical equipment, including control switches, sensors, lenses, and joysticks, and the Senclear™ Microfluidic Devices for drug discovery and development. Their power conversion modules, current sensors inverters, and converters are used in the energy industry in storage batteries, solar power systems, and electric vehicle charging systems.
Hokuriku Electric Industry Co. LTD., founded in 1943 and headquartered in Toyama, Japan, is a manufacturer and supplier of electronic components. Some of its products include circuit modules, fixed resistors, printed circuit boards, variable resistors, and NTC Thermistors, and it has eight domestic affiliate companies and 11 overseas affiliate companies, including HDK America Inc., and HDK China Ltd. The company is ISO 14001 certified, and it is working on producing products that are RoHS compliant. Its net sales for the 2022 fiscal year were 45.46 billion Japanese Yen, which was a 5.01 billion YoY increase from 2021.
Shinmei Electric Co.,LTD. was established in 1958 and is a manufacturer and supplier of electronic components based in Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan. The company produces various electronic parts such as microswitch, solenoid, detection switch, tactile switch, and slide switch. The products have been applied in various usages such as office automation, home appliance, communication equipment, health equipment, and audio equipment. The company has obtained certificate of ISO 9001 and IATF 16949 standard certification.
CITIZEN ELECTRONICS CO. LTD. is based in Yamanashi, Japan, and is a manufacturer of LED and backlight units that was established in 1975 as a subsidiary of CITIZEN WATCH CO. LTD. The company’s product lineup includes standard and compact chip LEDs, horticulture LEDs for indoor plant growing operations, and deep ultraviolet (UVC) LED assemblies. It also offers dustproof and waterproof tactile switches, along with design and development services for unique customer projects. The company’s products are used mainly by clients in the automotive, consumer electronics, industrial equipment manufacturing, and medical device manufacturing industries.
TE Connectivity Ltd., started in 2007 and headquartered in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, is a designer and manufacturer of sensor and connectivity solutions for harsh conditions. It operates three primary segments, namely transport, industrial, and communication solutions, and its product portfolio includes automotive connectors, fiber optic connectors, analog power meters, RTD sensors, and circuit breakers. It serves customers in approximately 140 countries and several industries, including aerospace, automotive, rail, IoT connectivity, and E-mobility. The company manufactures 192 billion products annually and has invested over 610 million USD in research development and engineering.
SMK Corporation, with its roots dating back to 1925 in Tokyo, Japan, has established itself as a manufacturer specializing in connectors, remote control systems, and electronic components. It boasts a diverse product portfolio that includes connectors, plugs, switches, remote control units, and touch panels. These quality components play pivotal roles in an array of applications and an assortment of industries, ranging from home electronics for the operation of devices like air conditioners, to the automotive sector in the rear-view mirrors. Furthermore, its solutions extend to the realm of mobile devices, wearable technology, such as smart glasses, and healthcare equipment.
Apem, originally founded as APR in 1952 in France and incorporated as Apem Inc. in 2008, is a global manufacturer of electronic components. The companyThe company offers a wide range of products, including panel switches, PCB switches, LED indicators, joysticks, and industrial controls, catering to clients in various markets such as agricultural machinery, construction machinery, public environment, defense, and healthcare. Apem also provides a fully customized design and production solution to clients from its offices and facilities located in France, Germany, the UK, the USA, and China.
Dailywell Electronics Co. Ltd., founded in 1997 and based in Taipei, Taiwan, is a switch manufacturer and supplier with an annual capacity of 800 million pieces. Its products include toggle, slide, rocker, pushbutton, and anti-vandal switches used in several devices, including audiovisual equipment, aircraft model drones, industrial control equipment, computer peripherals, and medical equipment. The company has its own mold research and development center to design and develop the precise molds used to fulfill the various specifications of the production process. It is ISO 9001, ISO 9002, ISO 14001, and 3C certified.
Rafi GmbH & Co. KG, established in 1900 and located in Berg, Kr Ravensburg, Germany, is a manufacturer and supplier of electromechanical components. Its product range includes Glasscape for capacitive input, Flexscape that merges touchscreen and haptic input, Joyscape for flexible joysticks, ECU processor units for intelligent applications, and control/signaling components for industrial automation. The company has achieved certifications like ISO 9001:2008 for quality management, ISO-TS 16949:2009 for the automotive industry, and ISO 14001 for its environmental management system.
NIDEC COPAL ELECTRONICS was established in Japan in April, 1967 as a specialty manufacturer of electronic components. NIDEC’s offerings have increased to serve the automotive, construction, medical equipment, FA equipment, analytical measuring equipment, and residential security industries. Among the offerings are components for LiDAR, railway pressure sensors, CPAP, dialysis, MRI, and ultrasonography machines, wireless base stations, and power tools. These components include switches, sensors, mirrors, motors, and fans.
KWS DVS Ltd, established in 1990 and based in Devon, United Kingdom, is a manufacturer and supplier of water-saving washroom solutions. The company’s product portfolio includes WC flush valves, urinals control, automatic taps, safe ensuites, and water management controls. They also offer customer services, technical support, a team of engineers, maintenance, repair and installation. They are used in multiple industries which include health sectors, medical, education, water, and energy efficiency industries.
CannonKeys, established in 2019 and based in Rhode Island, United States, is a manufacturer and supplier of custom mechanical keyboards. The company specializes in manufacturing in-stock keycaps, KAT key caps, clicky switches, linear switches, and more. It also offers many accessories including deskmats, stabilizers, switch modding, and travel cases for professional and personal users of computers. The company manufactures custom keyboard kits of different models and supplies to the custom keyboard community.
Pran Electronics Pvt. Ltd. was established in 1998, is a group company of Mehta Engineering Enterprise originally founded in 1968, is a manufacturing company of switches and connectors based in India. The company has acquired specialization in design, development and production of standard switches and connectors like water proof/washable tactile switch, modular jacks, push button switch etc. Fully equipped with in-house facilities for mass production of precision plastic injection moulded parts, sheet metal stamped parts and assemblies. All products match upto international standards and an ISO 9001:2008 certification by TUV Rheinland.
OMRON Corporation is a Kyoto based electrical equipment manufacturing company founded by Kazuma Tateisi in 1933. OMRON’s product portfolio includes medical equipment like nebulizers and digital thermometers, automated teller machines for the finance industry to AC, DC and custom control systems for the oil and gas industries. The company has over 30,000 employees and offers its products and services in 120 countries. It primarily serves the healthcare, energy, casino, and automated test equipment industries.
iMS Motion Solution Johor Sdn Bhd, founded in 2014 and based in Ulu Tiram, Malaysia, is a distributor of industrial automation products. Its products include motors, motion devices, pneumatics equipment, controllers, and frequency inverters used in manufacturing plants, industrial automation, and factory automation sectors. The company works with brands like Mitsubishi, GGM, Sanyo, Autonics, and GGM, among others. In 2019, it was appointed as a Distributor of FESTO Malaysia, and it received the Distributor Sales Achiever Award 2019 that FESTO presented. The company is ISO 9001 certified and has approximately 24 years in the factory automation field.
Ranking as of December 2024
Derivation Method| Rank | Company | Click Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | iMS Motion Solution Johor Sdn Bhd |
7.0%
|
| 2 | Apem |
7.0%
|
| 3 | C&K Components, Inc. |
7.0%
|
| 4 | CTS Corporation |
5.7%
|
| 5 | MinebeaMitsumi Product Site |
5.1%
|
| 6 | SMK Corporation |
5.1%
|
| 7 | Pran Electronics Private Limited |
4.5%
|
| 8 | Dailywell Electronics CO., LTD. |
4.5%
|
| 9 | ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD |
4.5%
|
| 10 | HIPPOKEYS |
3.8%
|
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the tactile switch page as of December 2024. Click share is defined as the total number of clicks for all companies during the period divided by the number of clicks for each company.Number of Employees
Newly Established Company
Company with a History
*Including some distributors, etc.
*Including some distributors, etc.
| Country | Number of Companies | Share (%) |
|---|---|---|
|
Japan
|
9 | 47.4% |
|
United States of America
|
4 | 21.1% |
|
Taiwan
|
3 | 15.8% |
|
Germany
|
1 | 5.3% |
|
India
|
1 | 5.3% |
|
Malaysia
|
1 | 5.3% |
146 products found
146 products
SGM Co., Ltd.
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Standard Response
■Vibration resistance There shall be no abnormality such as incorrect opening/closing or damage even if vibration is applied at a frequency of 10 t...
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Fuji Electric Equipment Control
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One step wiring that only inserts the wiring (push -in method). You can suppress not only the number of man -hours but also the wiring quality vari...
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Fuji Electric Equipment Control
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One step wiring that only inserts the wiring (push -in method). You can suppress not only the number of man -hours but also the wiring quality vari...
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Fuji Electric Equipment Control
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Shinmei Electric Co.,LTD.
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■Features - Composite switch that integrates an encoder and 5-way push operation function. ・Surface mount type suitable for high-density mounting ...
Nimatsu Electric Co., Ltd.
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Very Fast Response
Goang-Yiu Enterprise Goang-Yiu Enterprise is a Taiwanese switch manufacturer founded in 1988. We manufacture a variety of products such as power sw...
Keisei Co., Ltd.
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■Features ・Achieves a sharp click feeling and high durability. ・A series of taping specifications that can be used with general-purpose radial ta...
Keisei Co., Ltd.
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Standard Response
■Features We offer a wide variety of sizes, shapes, colors, etc. ■Characteristics Key top exclusively for convex plunger types of B3F, B3FS, and B3W.
Keisei Co., Ltd.
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Standard Response
■Features ・Achieves sharp click feeling and high durability - Embossed taping packaging specifications are available, ideal for automatic mounting...
Keisei Co., Ltd.
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Standard Response
■Features - Contributes to downsizing of equipment by making it thinner. - Seal structure equivalent to IP67 (IEC-60529) ensures high contact relia...
CUI Japan
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The product line of the Cui DeviceS touch switch uses a small package of 3x 2 mm, with an actuator's height of up to 17 mm and a maximum operating ...
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CUI Japan
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Shinden Co., Ltd.
30+ people viewing
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A small tact switch with LED. A push-on momentary type switch that allows you to select the button, LED color, and bezel shape. LED terminal and sw...
Würth Elektronik
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Standard Response
Würth Elektronik
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Standard Response
