Front panel construction - help with buttons!

[commoncollector]

I'm working on a PC based source component of sorts and I'm at a point where I need to put it in a chassis. I'm going to get the front panel from Front Panel Express. It's a basic front panel consisting of about a dozen buttons (monentary SPST) and a small LCD display from Matrix Orbital.

I'm struggling with the buttons. Looking at this picture here:

http://www.briangt.com/gallery/cdpro2/cdp02

The actual button cover that you press to activate the switch on the PCB behind the front panel - they're just little pieces of plastic or aluminum with a ridge around the edge so they stay in. Is there a term for those? Where do you get them?

I'd like some aluminum ones I could find some.

[lgreen]

You can try here, these are my favorite- high quality but also high price.


NKK Illuminated pusbutton

NKK Pusbutton

However, the switches you are asking about in the picture I think are just metal pieces with a spring behind them. When you push them they actuate a membrane or other switch that is on a PCB behind the front panel.

[bm0rg]

Are they tactile switches behind the front panel?

If so I believe they are known as "switch caps" Only ever seen cheap plastic ones never seen aluminum ones.

switch caps

I had the same problem when building my cd player. In the end I layered acrylic to create a button.

cd player

If you want aluminum ones (which is also what I originally wanted and still do) I would find someone with a center lathe. I do know some one who could do it but I'm sure there must be someone more local to you.

[kaushik]

There are couple of other things that can be used ...
Shiny rivets are suitable candidates here as shown below :


keep broad side outwards(push side)
inside add washers and strong glue,then they will not come out.

you get aluminum ones also ...every where!