Membrane Keypads and Graphic Overlays

Glasgow-based international manufacturing services company Mekall is to expand and diversify its graphics division.

From its UK graphics factory, Mekall has designed and manufactured Custom Membrane Keypads, Graphic Overlays and Fascias for clients in the instrumentation, medical, biomedical, diagnostics, aerospace, defence, catering and agricultural sectors for nearly 25 years.

Now key supplier to a number of blue-chip companies throughout Europe and Asia the company is looking to strengthen its offering in the European marketplace in particular; by launching a number of new services over the coming months.

Launching in April, Mekall is to offer a comprehensive range of standard sized membrane keypads and overlays for a broad range of applications. The move sees Mekall diversify from its 25 year history; producing custom solutions to also offer a unique range of “off-the-shelf products”, Tom Kennett, Account Manager for Mekall said: “In recent times, we have seen increasing demand for standard layouts and sizes of keypads and overlays - with designers and engineers particularly keen to keep their tooling and development costs & timescales as low as possible”.

He added, “Sadly for most product designs, the design and specification of the interface whether it be a keypad or touch screen, comes towards the latter stages of the design phase constraining the Keypad or Overlay to be built around the rest of the product. With growing emphasis on designers maximising the interface between man and machinery and keeping the interface solution as cost-effective and adaptable as possible, more designers are now looking at the interface element of their product earlier in the design phase. Given Mekall can now offer a range of standard sized Membrane Keypads and Overlays to the marketplace we feel we can help companies to benefit from standard products meaning reduced setup costs, tooling investment, lead-time and unit costs as well as reducing their inventory – whilst still allowing customers to add their own logo, references where required”

The new service will be available via www.standardkeypads.co.uk and www.standardoverlays.co.uk and will expand in coming months to offer a unique interactive service allowing designers and engineers to get budget estimation of their designs online.