I agree with Gyro on this.
If you are dealing with 100 switches rather than just one or two, imagine the heartache of suffering intermittent connection or complete failure to make a decent connection.
The OP has not stated the intended application, intended current that will flow through the switches or any need for longevity.
If you are dealing with very low currents for something like a sensor, it may appear that any old switch contacts will work, but this is not the case. The quality of the contact material and resistance of the contacts when closed can be very important for a decent connection at low currents. A really cheap switch is unlikely to use silver plated contacts if they can get away with cheaper plating. As for platinum contacts…. Not a chance ! The thickness of the plating material will also be a factor. For generic ‘bulb and battery’ applications the really cheap switches may be fine. For more important applications where reliability and longevity is important, cost cut at your peril ! There are very real and good reasons why a C&K switch will cost you more than a no-name ‘minimum cost’ switch. As has already been stated, a switch that uses such poor materials for its casing that it melts whilst soldering, is not likely to spend adequate money on what goes inside that inferior casing material ! Mechanical parts can be an expensive component to produce compared to mass production of silicon based products.
Switches can be a relatively expensive part of the BoM, even with quantity price breaks. In your position I would be looking at surplus electronics sellers for branded switches at reduced prices. There are many such companies that buy end-of-line or production surplus and you get good quality parts at a far more affordable price…. Especially if wanting a 100 of a part like a switch.
Look in the big name catalogues for well respected brands of switch and then start a search on eBay for those brands of switches and you might get lucky with a surplus dealer.
As a little side story, I bought a faulty Stanley branded electric air compressor from a guy for £10. It was in ‘like new’ condition because it had not been used much during its warranty period. It started to cut out and eventually would not start at all. I bought it as scrap and had it running in less than 5 minutes…. The cause of the failure ? A cheap, ‘no-name’ Rocker type power switch….. the poorly plated contacts had arced under heavy load and the plastic supporting the contact pads and Lucar connectors melted until all contact was lost. A nice C&K replacement was fitted and the compressor has been reliable for several years of regular use. A cheaply made critical component can ruin a products reliability.
https://www.ckswitches.com/Fraser
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