Industrial keyboard: complete selection guide

Why choose a real industrial keyboard?

You surely remember the case of those tourists rescued in the Dolomites wearing flip-flops and rubber sandals. Having reached an altitude of 2000 metres on a steep, gravelly, and slippery section, they were unable to move forward or go back.

After hours of ordeal, at 6:30 in the evening they were forced to call the alpine rescue team, who reached the unfortunate group with a brand-new Airbus helicopter that travels at 100 euros per minute. Cost of the intervention: 10,000 euros charged to the tourists.

This anecdote reminded me of the situation we found at a customer's facility that was brought to our attention by a colleague. We went to visit them to propose installing fanless PCs suitable for working in hostile environments with vibration and dust (a typical quarry environment), but once we entered the site, it was immediately clear that the urgency was something else.

I can tell you right away that we solved it quickly by providing 10 sealed silicone industrial keyboards that changed the customer's life. But this is just the beginning of the story—read on if you want to discover all the materials an industrial keyboard can be made of and which ideal use each type of keyboard is suited for. You might discover that for just a few euros, you can improve the operation and productivity of your line.

Commercial or industrial keyboard: what are the differences?

Let's quickly go back to the quarry. Our technician immediately noticed that the operators were working with commercial keyboards, the most common ones you find in any computer store and that we all use at home and in the office. They are certainly the best and most widespread keyboards in the world, but I don't need to tell you that they are great only if used in an office or at home.

In a quarry, dust, humidity, condensation, and accidental impacts cause oxidized contacts and stuck keys. To make matters worse, the customer reported that the average lifespan of a keyboard was about one month, and they were paying 150 euros for it (commercial value of that model: 40 euros!).

The customer was paying for regular commercial keyboards more than what an average silicone keyboard costs. I won't go into the professional ethics of the previous supplier's commercial policy (though I can't help saying I don't like it!). But I will address the results:

150 euros, 1-month lifespan;
silicone keyboard, lower cost, several years of lifespan.

The customer's response was striking when we asked why they hadn't purchased different keyboards earlier—ones that would have saved them wasted money and production stoppages, and were better suited to their usage: “I didn't know they existed…”

When we live in an environment, everything seems normal and obvious to us. But people outside your environment don't know all the opportunities that are routine to you. So it happens that we don't use devices that could improve our lives simply because we don't know about them. We often realize that many of our customers know us for what they are used to buying, when in reality the world of Industrial PCs is vast and every component offers many choices.

How to choose the right industrial keyboard (without costly errors)

As mentioned, today we are talking about keyboards. Depending on the environment in which it is used and how it is used, a keyboard can be made of: Silicone, Steel, ABS, Glass, Membrane.

Each keyboard can have different accessories depending on how it is used: Trackball, Touchpad, Numeric Keypad, Function Keys, Hula Point, Backlighting, Joystick.

The material of the keyboard is determined by the working environment where it is used.
The accessories equipped on the keyboard are decided by how the operator uses the keyboard.

Let's start the analysis of the different keyboards:

1. SILICONE Keyboards: offer a completely sealed body that is flexible and pleasant to the touch, often washable or submersible.

Perfect for:

• Food & beverage industry, pharmaceutical, and laboratories
• Humid environments or areas with condensation (washdowns, cold rooms, steam or splash zones)
• Logistics and machine control with dirt and dust

Choose them if: Priority is given to hygiene + resistance to liquids and dust, with good ergonomics. The continuous surface prevents bacteria, dust, or liquids from penetrating internal circuits.

2. STEEL Keyboards: Built in high-resistance stainless steel, these keyboards represent the highest level of vandal-proof and impact-proof protection (IK10).

Perfect for:

• Public and semi-public areas (kiosks, totems, stations, transport, self-service counters)
• Harsh industrial environments: heavy workshops, construction sites, mines/quarries, ports
• Control cabins, industrial vehicles, trains

Choose them if: Priority is given to extreme robustness + anti-vandalism + environmental resistance.

3. ABS Keyboards: (Industrial-Grade Plastic) ABS is a plastic with high thermal and mechanical resistance, used to create robust keyboards that are lighter than metal ones.

Perfect for:

• Workstations in workshops and production in industrial but non-extreme environments
• Logistics, warehouses, assembly lines
• Internal terminals in automation, packaging, machine tools

Choose them if: Priority is given to industrial reliability at a contained cost, in non-extreme environments.

4. GLASS Keyboards: Made of capacitive tempered glass (similar to smartphone displays), they offer a completely smooth surface free of mechanical crevices.

Perfect for:

• Medical environments and laboratories
• Control stations in very clean environments (cleanrooms, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, operating rooms, industrial kitchens)
• High-end kiosks and terminals in public or corporate spaces

Choose them if: Priority is given to hygiene + aesthetics + chemical resistance, in controlled or high-profile environments.

5. MEMBRANE Keyboards

Perfect for:

• Machine panels and control cabinets
• Food and beverage industry
• Information terminals and kiosks

Choose them if: Priority is given to low profile + panel integration + good quality/price ratio.

What accessories can an industrial keyboard have?

Integrated trackball

• Operators wearing work gloves (logistics, production, maintenance, quarries, construction sites)
• Workstations subject to vibration or movement (industrial vehicles, crane cabins, forklifts)
• Dirty or humid environments

Choose it if: The operator works with gloves, in motion, or in harsh environments, and precision is needed without an external mouse.

Integrated touchpad. Perfect for:

• Fixed workstations in less hostile environments (technical offices, control rooms, laboratories)
• Compact terminals without space for an external mouse
• Choose it if: Relatively clean environment and operator without heavy gloves.

Integrated numeric keypad. Perfect for:

• Logistics, warehouse, and production (codes, quantities, batches, serial numbers)
• Data entry workstations (orders, picking, labeling, quality control)
• Industrial POS terminals or kiosks

Choose it if: The operator types many numbers and speed is required. The ideal compact solution for those working in clean environments or with thin gloves who want an intuitive, integrated pointing interface.

Customized function keys (F1-F12). Perfect for:

• Machine tools and automated lines (cycle start, reset, recipe change, etc.)
• Workstations with recurring commands
• Environments where the operator has little time and must act quickly

Choose them if: Essential for sending quick commands to PLC, SCADA, or HMI management software without going through the operating system.

Hula Point (central pointer). Perfect for:

• Very compact workstations, without space for a trackball or mouse
• Operators who prefer a central pointer
• Environments with moderate vibration

Choose it if: Space is limited and an integrated, discreet pointer is needed.

Backlighting. Perfect for:

• Night shifts or dimly lit environments (warehouses, 24/7 lines, vehicle cabins, outdoor stations)
• Workstations where keys need to be read quickly without extra lighting
• Environments with high light contrast

Choose it if: The operator works in the dark, in low light, or on night shifts.

Integrated joystick. Perfect for:

• Controlling movement and directions on special machinery, trucks, small cranes
• Interfaces where the joystick controls axes or directions
• Workstations where you want to avoid an external joystick

Choose it if: Designed to control PTZ cameras, robotic arms, cranes, and direct material handling machinery.

10 questions to choose an industrial keyboard

Made it this far? You probably want to know more. Answering these 10 questions is faster than thinking about it. It is a great starting point to explore which keyboard could really transform your production line and improve your team's working conditions.

1. Will the keyboard be used indoors or outdoors?
2. Is dust present?
3. Can it come into contact with water, oil, grease, or detergents?
4. Does it need to be washed or sanitized?
5. Does the operator wear gloves?
6. Does it need to be panel-mounted?
7. How much space do you have available?
8. Is a pointing device needed?
9. Are numerical values frequently entered?
10. Are there keys or functions the operator uses continuously?

Find the most suitable configuration

The answers to these questions help identify the most suitable material and accessories for the workstation. This way, you can reduce frequent replacements, downtime, and operational issues.

Write to us specifying the environmental conditions and operator activities. We will help you choose the most suitable material, useful accessories, and a concrete configuration for your application.

Call us at 0429 653281 or email us at info@tastiereindustriali.com. 
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