Select Page

Should you be using an industrial or waterproof keyboard in your application? If so, which kind of keyboard should you get? If you’ve been using a regular keyboard in an industrial or medical setting, chances are you’ll have had some issues with it over time. Dust and dirt can get under the keys, stopping them from working. Water can get inside and damage the keyboard. Rough handling can damage or destroy the keyboard. In medical environments germs and microbes can build up on the key surfaces, making the keyboard one of the least hygienic items in the room. The solution is to replace your regular keyboard with an industrial or waterproof keyboard that’s designed for the task.

Gett / Indukey silicone industrial keyboard

Photo courtesy of GETT

There are lots of different kinds of industrial and waterproof keyboards on the market. Each type of keyboard is designed for a particular kind of environment and usage. The choice will depend on several factors, such as:

  • How wet the keyboard will get; 
  • How dusty the environment is;
  • How much rough handling or shock/vibration will occur;
  • How much typing will be done on the keyboard;
  • How the keyboard will be cleaned (eg. dishwasher, antibacterial wipes, wash down, etc);
  • Whether there are anti-microbial protection requirements, eg. in hospitals;
  • Whether a separate mouse is preferred, or a trackball, touchpad or joystick;
  • How the keyboard will be mounted or installed;
  • Whether it will be used in a public environment and needs to be vandal proof;
  • Whether it’s in a hazardous environment and needs to be Ex rated or intrinsically safe.

The available industrial keyboard technologies include:

  • Plastic keyboards internally waterproofed for dishwasher use
  • Plastic keyboards with anti-microbial surfaces
  • Soft silicone keyboards
  • Extra rugged silicone keyboards
  • Flat membrane keyboards to facilitate easy wiping down
  • Metal keyboards for vandal proofing
  • Intrinsically safe, Ex rated keyboards for hazardous environments
Several of these keyboards are available in various form factors, including desktop / stand alone, panel mount from the front, or panel mount from the rear. There are also keyboards available with or without a numeric keypad and function keys.
 

Plastic keyboards

SealShield waterproof keyboard

Plastic waterproof keyboards are generally designed for clean indoor environments, where they will not normally be subjected to a lot of water or dust, but are required to be spill proof and hygienically cleanable in a dishwasher. This kind of keyboard is typically required in medical and dental practices, hospitals etc. They are not suitable for wet, dusty or heavy industrial environments.

The benefits of plastic keyboards are that they are very easy to type on, with a similar feel as a regular keyboard, whilst still being able to be put in a dishwasher or sterilised by wiping down. Some models also incorporate “anti-microbial” surfaces to further improve the hygiene for medical environments.
 

Soft silicone keyboards

CyberVisuell CSK308 silicone keyboard

Soft silicone keyboards are generally IP rated for total waterproofing and dust proofing. They have a rigid base and are reasonably tough for normal industrial use, but are made using a soft silicone material which makes it easy to type on them without a lot of force. They are suitable for a wide range of environments, and their soft touch makes it easy to do a lot of typing on them (although they do not have the same feel as a plastic keyboard).

Examples of this are the CyberVisuell silicone keyboards.
 

Extra rugged silicone keyboards

Gett / Indukey rugged silicone keyboard

Extra rugged silicone keyboards are IP rated for total waterproofing and dust proofing, and are a premium quality, heavy duty industrial keyboard. These keyboards are suitable for heavy industrial use, where many different operators might use them, and they might be subject to shock, vibration, or falling objects. Generally the keys are harder to press on these keyboards, which makes them less suitable where a lot of typing needs to be done.

These rugged silicone keyboards are available as free standing desktop keyboards, and also as panel mount keyboards utilising a metal front panel with silicone keys protruding through.
 

Flat membrane keyboards

Gett / Indukey flat membrane keyboard

Flat membrane keyboards are IP rated for total waterproofing and dust proofing, and their key surface is almost totally flat. The keys are hidden underneath the membrane surface, with printing on the top to show the key locations. These flat membrane keys respond to a small amount of finger pressure. A key benefit of this type of keyboard is that it can be cleaned by simply wiping it down. There are no cracks and crevices for dirt and dust to accumulate in. However most people find it somewhat un-intuitive to type on flat keyboards like this, as the keys cannot be felt under the fingers until they are pressed. These keyboards are extremely rugged and resilient to shock, vibration and heavy handling.

Flat membrane keyboards are available as free standing desktop keyboards in a metal casing, or as panel mount keyboards.
 

Metal keyboards

Gett /Indukey metal vandal proof keyboard

Metal keyboards are the toughest of all. They are normally built from stainless steel, with stainless steel keys. These heavy duty keyboards are designed to be vandal proof, so it is very hard to damage or destroy them. They are water and dust proof as well.

Metal keyboards are available as free standing desktop keyboards (in a metal casing) or as panel mount keyboards for integration into public kiosks etc.
Examples of this are the Gett / Indukey vandal proof keyboards, and CyberVisuell metal keyboards.
 

Intrinsically Safe keyboards

I

APC Intrinsically Safe Keyboard

ntrinsically safe keyboards are designed for hazardous environments, where there is a risk of fire or explosion due to volatile gases or dusts in the air. These keyboards use such low electrical currents that it is impossible for the electric current to cause a fire or explosion . It is also a requirement that the keyboard must be IEC Ex certified by an authorised certifier. This makes Intrinsically Safe keyboards a lot more expensive than normal industrial keyboards.

Examples of this are the APC Intrinsically Safe keyboard.
 
Confused by all the options? Worried about the cost? ESIS has been supplying industrial keyboards in Australia for decades and our qualified staff know what to recommend.  Contact us today to find out the best keyboard for your application. 

Call Now Button