The Challenge
A world-class remote control brand approached Shanyo with a demanding requirement for a custom metal dome: a custom-shaped design that had to meet three rigorous performance criteria at once — center-point gold plating for low-resistance conductivity, TPU composite material for enhanced fatigue resistance and sealing, and consistent quality across full-scale mass production. For a metal dome switch used in daily remote control operation, any deviation in process control could mean inconsistent tactile feel, signal delay, or premature failure after years of use.
Our Approach
To meet these exacting standards, our team achieved breakthroughs through two parallel tracks — mold fine-tuning and composite material processing — addressing conductivity, tactile feel, and lifespan one by one:
- Conductivity – By precisely controlling the uniformity of the gold-plating layer on the metal dome contact point, contact resistance was stably reduced and conductivity significantly enhanced, achieving zero-latency signal response even under high-frequency use — a key requirement for any reliable remote control button design.
- Tactile Feel – Using simulation-based dome curvature design, the press curve was refined repeatedly to narrow force tolerance to ±15gf, delivering the clear, consistent tactile feedback remote controls depend on for “blind” operation without looking at the device.
- Lifespan – A specialized stress-relief process was introduced to mitigate metal fatigue from repeated long-term presses. Tested press-cycle life exceeded 1,000,000 cycles, far surpassing industry standards for long-life metal dome switches and meeting the client’s strict reliability requirements.
The Result
A technical leap born from a custom shape — helping the client achieve mass production on schedule, and making every press of the remote control reliable. From prototyping to volume delivery, this project reflects Shanyo’s process expertise in custom metal dome manufacturing for demanding consumer electronics applications.