Side panel buttons on small enclosure -- How do phones make them so sleek?

[TheGreatNed]

Hello EEVBlog members,

I'm doing an RF project that involves a 3x2 inch enclosed PCB with a battery inside.

My mechanical guy made the enclosure reallllllllllly sleek. But we have this ugly pair of PCB mounted tactile buttons poking out the side.

Can anyone help me achieve the sleek tactile buttons that seem molded into the case of every phone out there? Those thin ones on the side that just blend with the enclosure? I know I can't get it perfect, but I can pend some money on this. Different approaches for sleek buttons are also welcome.

Thanks... any help is greatly appreciated!!

[helius]

If you take a phone apart you will see that the buttons are molded into the case, and most of their tactility comes from that. They "blend in" because they are designed with the case as one unit. The PCB switches inside are about 1.5 mm. See Panasonic EVP-AV as an example.

[Someone]

Many of those perfectly aligned switches you see on small devices are made with living hinges in injection moulded plastic, either as part of the case or as a separate insert. Cheaper products use captive switch caps that are held in place against the enclosure by the force of the switch.
http://au.rs-online.com/web/p/push-button-caps/4952517/
The shoulders on those caps prevent them coming through the panel work, and you can manufacture/machine your own that sit flush with the case.