Membrane keypad is quite cheap and easy in application, but not always is the best solution. Still very popular are frontplates using separate PCB witch micro-switches. It helps:
- minimize cost of low serie production
- allow easy PCB modification
- allow to service PCB
This solution doesn’t restrict decoration possilibity (also using backlights), and improve durability using very thick base plates (metal sheets, plactics or epoxy-glass lamnates).