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As the custom mechanical keyboard market evolves, various innovative mounting structures have emerged to refine typing experiences:
Tray Mount: Secures the plate to the base with screws—cost-effective but prone to inconsistent keystroke feel and hollow acoustic resonance.
Floating Keycap Design: Features exposed switches for easy cleaning, yet sacrifices durability (dust ingress) and comfort (stiffer typing feel).
Sandwich Mount: Clamps the plate between housing layers, offering better keystroke consistency than tray mount but limited cushioning.
Integrated Plate: Casts the plate and housing as one rigid unit—ideal for competitive gaming but fatiguing for extended use.
Gasket Mount has recently dominated the scene by suspending internal components via gaskets structure, eliminating hard-mounted connections. Combined with multi-layer acoustic foams, it delivers a signature "bouncy" feel and creamy sound signatures, redefining premium customization standards.
(Gasket mount structure)
The noise-reduction system of Gasket-mounted keyboards utilizes multi-layered cushioning materials to optimize both tactile feedback and acoustic performance. Key components include: plate foam (Poron foam between the plate and PCB to eliminate switch vibration noise), switch pad (IXPE or PE material adhered to the PCB surface to suppress spring ping), and case foam (high-density silicone or foam beneath the PCB to dampen cavity resonance). Premium designs incorporate Poron gaskets (sealing the internal assembly edges) and PTFE acoustic films (refining high-frequency noise).
The Gasket structure's core innovation lies in its elastic suspension system that decouples the internal assembly from the outer case. By employing cushioning materials like silicone or Poron foam as vibration-absorbing mediums, it creates a signature soft, bouncy keystroke feel and superior sound quality. This design entirely replaces traditional screw-based rigid mounting, instead relying on precision-engineered molds to enable controlled micro-elastic movement of the core components (PCB and plate assembly) within the housing.
Silicone gaskets or high-density Poron foam of varying hardness levels deliver distinctly different tactile feedback. Softer materials provide noticeable deformation cushioning, making them ideal for users seeking a gentler typing experience. Acoustically, this structure inherently suppresses case echo, and when paired with IXPE switch pads and Poron plate foam, it can eliminate over 90% of resonant noise, allowing switches' native sound characteristics to shine through.
Despite its excellent acoustic performance, most switches paired with Gasket-mounted keyboards tend to be silent linear variants. This is because the Gasket's elastic damping system absorbs tactile feedback from clicky switches, blurring their distinctive "clicky" sensation. While the multi-layer sound-dampening materials reduce vibration, they also attenuate the crisp sound signature characteristic of tactile switches. Furthermore, the slight flex caused by the floating internal assembly may lead to inconsistent switch bottom-out positions, affecting the precise actuation of tactile mechanisms - making them better suited for linear switches requiring smooth, consistent keystrokes. Consequently, gamers prioritizing rapid actuation may find tray-mounted or integrated plate designs more suitable alternatives.
Manufacturing Gasket-mounted keyboards presents significant technical challenges for mass-production factories. The production demands extreme precision - gasket thickness tolerances must be maintained within ±0.2mm, while housing dimensions require equally exact matching. Additionally, potential long-term performance degradation of cushioning materials must be addressed, with premium products utilizing anti-aging high-density PU or specially treated silicone to ensure durability. These stringent standards substantially increase production costs, explaining why authentic Gasket keyboards predominantly occupy the premium market segment.
