[Case Study] How We Transformed a Simple Keypad into a Custom Solution

Do you work in a company or an industrial department where there are already existing machines, and you need keyboards or keypads to integrate into yourproduction environment?

You have two options: you can look for a keypad that fits perfectly with that machine, or...

Replace the entire machine.
With a total cost that can reach up to €500,000!
A cost that, of course, will be even higher if you need to replace more than one machine.

Think about it.
If we were to ask you to make a decision right now, just like that... which option would you choose?

Almost certainly, not the one that requires a €500,000 investment to replace a machine... right?

Why choose a custom keypad for your machine?

If you work in an industrial company and are looking for a keyboard or keypad to integrate into an existing machine in your production environment, you know this.

You know that, in most cases, it is the hardware device (keyboard or keypad) that must adapt to the machine it will be integrated into, not the other way around.

This means that the device you choose must fully comply with the machine’s specifications, such as size, mounting type, etc.

Otherwise, if you choose a keyboard or keypad that is not suitable for your machine or application... what consequences will you face?

What happens if you choose a keypad that is not suitable for your application?

Not all keypad models are suitable for the application, machinery, or industry where you need to insert them.

This is a fact. And although there are many models available, not all can meet very specific requirements...

Are you looking for a keypad to insert into a machine or a specific application?

Then don’t make this mistake: choosing it on your own, without first verifying that the technical specifications of the hardware device match the machinery you already have in your company.

The consequences for your company would be very serious.

Let’s assume, for example, that you choose a keypad, thinking its features make it suitable for your machine: the keypad arrives at your company after a month, you try it, and see that you can’t fit it into the machinery...

What happens now?

The device you just purchased cannot be used, and the machinery will never function.

By doing so, you will have wasted a lot of time and money buying a keypad that doesn’t work, and now you’ll be forced to buy another one, spending more money and waiting at least another three weeks before it arrives.

Wouldn’t it be better to get help from a technician who can assess the specific requirements you need for the hardware device?

Custom keypad: is it possible to get one?

If until yesterday you always thought that having a custom keypad for your industrial environment was a titanic task – if not impossible – know that this is absolutely not the case.

There are suppliers who are perfectly capable of meeting your needs and delivering a product customized from A to Z.

But you need to find the right supplier. A supplier who knows how to listen carefully to your needs and understand which keypad model is most suitable for you. Once that is done, if necessary, the same supplier can customize the keypad model you have chosen!

And that’s exactly what happened when a customer approached us with a specific need, and we... fulfilled it!

Customer's requirement: keypad for a screw dispenser

The company that contacted us mainly deals with precision mechanical processing.

Their request was as follows: they needed a stainless steel numeric keypad to be inserted inside a machine.

The machine in question was a screw dispenser, so the keypad had to meet specific technical requirements, such as size, frame shape, and type of mounting.

The customer had already seen a keypad in our catalog that seemed suitable...

But...

The keypad in our catalog was standard: therefore, it could not meet the technical specifications required by the customer.

How to solve this dilemma?

Product customization: the procedure

To understand a customer's needs, the first step we take is always to initiate a phone contact with the customer.

First and foremost, we listen carefully to the customer and try to understand what their need is. Afterward, we take action to satisfy it.

In this case, since the customer required a customized keypad for the machine in which it had to be inserted, we asked for all the photos of the machine and the technical drawing with the measurements of the hole, and the specific keypad they needed.

This allowed us to make assessments, understand what type of mounting was necessary, and determine the appropriate dimensions for the keypad.

This way, we realized that another customization was needed, which concerned the frame of the keypad.

Customized Numeric Keypad with Custom Frame

The only way to provide a keypad that could be inserted into our customer's machine was to customize the entire frame by moving the position of the holes.

This is the keypad model that the customer had seen in our catalog:

And this is the same keypad AFTER the customization:

You may have also noticed that...

The frame is not the only customization we made.

Custom keys

Our customer also had another request: to have a keypad with backspace and Enter as the only action keys, in addition to the usual numbers.
And that's exactly what we did.

In conclusion...

The customer asked us for a keypad that would perfectly fit the needs of the machine into which it had to be inserted.

Therefore, they didn't have to make any changes because we adapted to their requirements and delivered a product. This way, we delivered a perfectly suited numeric keypad for our customer’s use, in just two weeks!

Here is the final result:

The keypad is perfectly integrated into the machine and fully functional.

Are you looking for a specific keyboard that you can't find in the catalog, or do you need a keyboard or keypad that can be customized to your needs?

Request a product customization

We will customize your hardware device with the specifications you need.

If you want to take a look at the original keypad model, here it is:

Here is the TN010 keypad