Achieving 100% Quality Assurance with Miniature Force-Sensor Systems (.PDF Download)

While technology across multiple industries continues to trend smaller and smaller, which means miniaturization of all types of devices and their components, demands placed on them for more functionality are at a fever pitch. This has been particularly noticeable in the electronics sector, where manufacturers design ever-smaller technical devices and control elements. This, in turn, creates significant challenges when it comes to production, because manufacturers must guarantee that all of the components produced have the same quality. At the same time, the production area must also continuously adapt to accommodate new issues arising from these changes.

Smartphones are our daily companions. They offer high functionality while occupying very small spaces, thanks to compact and minimalistic designs. The same holds true for vehicle dashboards—they feature an increasing number of displays and control elements with a wide variety of functions in a much smaller footprint. Both are subject to the same requirements, though—to achieve satisfying and successful operation of the device, functionality and haptics need to work together in perfect synergy.

Everything at the Push of a Button (Functionality)

The central element of a typical smartphone is the “Home” button, which users employ to navigate through menus in a targeted and reliable way. At the same time, the home button must also be capable of executing multiple functions: one click can close the application, while a double-click opens a new menu, and a "press and hold" opens a different function.

Similarly, the control switch of a vehicle’s electronic parking brake must be reliable when activated so that the car doesn’t roll away when it’s parked or on a slope. The driver must be able to fully rely on it at all times. At the very least, a malfunctioning parking brake can lead to a loss in trust from the driver and potentially put their lives, as well as those of their passengers and other road users, at risk.

In both of the above cases, the malfunctioning of one small switch can easily result in economically damaging consequences for the manufacturer.