Ring light guides...

Creative Lighting is becoming just as important in the instrument and machinery marketplace as it is in the consumer world – sophisticated lighting adds that “extra edge” to differentiate one product from another.

Multitron has announced the availability of MENTOR’s Ring Light Guides. The shallow, single LED design is believed to be unique, enabling functional and aesthetic added-value to be simply added to the end-product.

A very wide range of applications are possible – for example switches, buttons, knobs, controllers, jacks or logos can all be illuminated. Totally homogeneous lighting is created using just the single LED.

The compact, space-saving design and flat 4mm deep construction means that PCB space is saved and the size of the housing is minimised compared with other solutions, for example a ring of multiple LEDs.

Many LED options are offered: monochrome, duo, RGB, or special colours. Two standard sizes are available with internal Light Guide diameters of 12mm or 16mm, both featuring a lighting ring up to 2mm thick.

Options include a choice of bare wires or wires terminated with a plug. The printed circuit board can be supplied with optional I²C controllers or series resistors.

In addition to the range of standard products, the modular product design enables customised solutions to be rapidly developed from standard products. In many cases, additional tooling costs are either non-existent or very low.

Special sizes are also possible as are special geometries eg rectangles, ellipses, triangles, crescents or free contour-following forms, such as a door lock shape. Depending on the complexity of the solution, one or more LEDs are used to ensure consistently uniform lighting.

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Evenly-illuminated switch keycaps.

Multitron has announced the ex-stock availability of four ranges of full-face, evenly-illuminated switch keycaps, utilising MENTOR's world-leading Light Guide expertise. The faces of the switch caps are precision-designed area light guides, providing totally homogeneous illumination with no hot-spots, despite using just two SMD LEDs. The majority are available ex-stock and at low MOQs.

The keycaps incorporate a novel 3-part SMD switch design for flexible solutions. The conventional design approach is to specify an "all-in-one" component supplied as a complete illuminated switch assembly. MENTOR's novel solution offers the illuminated cap separately from the switch and LEDs.

This design approach offers almost limitless flexibility in terms of mixing and matching switch cap types to produce complex panels, and the use of RGB LEDs allows an infinite choice of switchable colours from a single illuminated switch.

The Illuminated Switch Caps have been Patented - the ground-breaking design is the result of MENTOR's near 100-year legacy in the manufacture of electronic components, allied with their position as world-leaders in high-precision light guides and optics. A One Minute Video Overview of the product ranges is available.

The four ranges include illuminated switches, illuminated status indicators, “spot” status indicators, low-profile illuminated switches and illuminated switches with text/graphic inserts.

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Handle options.

Multitron has announced the availability of 50 new Stainless Steel and Chromium-Plated Handles, added to Mentor’s range of Equipment Handles, bringing the total range of Handle options to over 270. The majority are available ex-stock and at low MOQs.

Handles made of steel are ideal for high bearing loads and are suitable for pulling, pushing, and lifting actions in equipment and machinery applications, and if elegant design, high strength, chemical resistance or food hygiene are important in the product design, then stainless steel handles are a very good solution. Chromium-Plated Handles offer stylish, high-strength solutions, and many versions have anti-slip hand grips as options.

A product handle can dictate the overall aesthetics of the final product, so equal importance is applied to both form and function. Every handle offers elegance and quality, is ergonomic and comfortable to hold and can be customised to meet specific dimensional requirements.

In addition to Stainless Steel and Chromium-Plated Handles, MENTOR’s range includes aluminium and plastic handles, recessed and carrying handles, ledge, strap and tray handles, plus folding / collapsible handles. There are also “prop-up”, “spring-back” and “rear-up” handles, front-panel handles and circuit board handles, heat resistant handles and many modular handle systems.

Extensive product information is available on the new Multitron Handles Microsite, including fully-dimensioned drawings and selection charts. Information on availability and MOQs etc is presented using graphical icons with “instant on hover” explanatory text.

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Designing keyboards.

Designed by Engineers for Engineers, Multitron’s new MENTOR Keypad Components Microsite provides logical, easy-to-follow routes to help develop the ideal keypad design solution, accompanied by a host of essential explanatory and technical data. A one-minute video overview is provided on the Microsite.

The Microsite explains how MENTOR’s light guide competency delivers a homogenously-lit switch-face from just two customer-supplied SMD LEDs. Versions for use with tactile switches both under overlays and via apertures in painted enclosures are available. There are also shallow versions for use with MICON 5 and dome switches on membrane keypads. Ranges of status indicators are available to match the sizes and dimensions of the switch caps.

Versions are available with Integrated "Spot" Status Indication - individual secondary and tertiary status indication built into the switch face. Other versions incorporate miniature light guides which can be individual or grouped, to signal various switch or activation modes or they can function as traditional ON/OFF or Caps Lock indicators.

The range also includes unique light-guide based 7-segment displays, utilising separate SMD LEDs for each element of the 7 segments. This results in an infinite choice of colours. Infinite size variations is also achievable. Traditional 7 Segment displays are tall, and the difference in height between the display and other PCB components has to be overcome using mechanical methods. MENTOR has solved this problem – MENTOR tooling can be height-adjustable continuously between 4.5mm and 23.5mm at no cost.

The information on the Microsite includes dimensioned drawings, simple selection charts and information on ex-stock availability, MOQs for non-stocked parts etc. Rather than presenting long lists of tables, the Microsite uses graphical icons with “instant on hover” explanatory information.

With substantial and invaluable help from MENTOR, the new Microsite is arguably the web’s most comprehensive resource and obvious first port-of-call for specialist engineers seeking the optimum keypad component solution.

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Put a handle on it!

The selection of a suitable handle is often left to the very end of the product design cycle, but Multitron aims to change that by offering a very wide range of MENTOR handles which will enhance and transform a run-of-the-mill-looking end product into something stylish and even funky, but never forgetting everyday practicality and functionality.

Multitron, the exclusive British & Irish agent for MENTOR, has announced the availability of their extended handle range which now includes aluminium; steel; stainless-steel; plastic and mixed-material options. In terms of design and shape, MENTOR aims to add style with many different designs: D-shape; bow; square; recessed; folding; finger-tip, hand-moulded; strap-style and many more.

Many different finishes and colours are available as standard, including black; grey (or custom-coloured) plastic; natural-anodised or black-anodised aluminium; brushed aluminium; chromium-plated; shiny-matt stainless steel; silver powder-coat; black powder-coat; silver-enamel; ground and polished; plastic-coated; etc. Each handle style is designed to be ergonomic and comfortable to hold, and many different dimensions are offered in every range.

A range of heat-resistant plastic handles is also available, manufactured from highly-durable Duroplastic Type FS31, rated for use up to 100⁰C. Rack systems are also supported with handles designed for standard 19" rack systems - these handles are suitable for handling higher loads using a variety of pulling, pushing and lifting actions.

MENTOR has also developed a Modular Handle System so that a custom handle can be configured to meet any dimension required by the application. The handle components are supplied un-assembled, ready for customisation