One challenge a company incurs when designing silicone keypads and components for a military application, is finding an ITAR certified company to supply their silicone parts. ITAR stands for The International Traffic in Arms Regulations. ITAR is mainly for military or defensive articles, but it also includes space related technology. ITAR is designed to regulate goods and technology designed to kill or defend against death in a military environment.

When military parts are involved, the responsibility for the loss of intellectual property or counterfeiting typically lies with unauthorized U.S suppliers, distributors and other mid-tier suppliers who fail to properly vet the origins of the products being purchased. One of the most common problems that is plaguing the market today is Domestic companies that are nothing more than a front for foreign companies, or are sub-contracting work overseas. They imply that their products are manufactured in the U.S but in reality, are most likely done overseas. Unfortunately, this can lead to sensitive military equipment being counterfeited and re-introduced to the market from an outside source which drive up defense costs and compromise national security.

ITAR regulations are a bit vague in regards to the components of USML systems. However, components that make up USML systems must meet ITAR requirements before export. This means that even though silicone keypads are not specifically listed on the USML, they are required to be ITAR compliant if they are being used on a USML system.

Here at SiTECH, we take ITAR very seriously. We are an ITAR-certified rubber molding manufacturer, and we follow every procedure to ensure that all of the requirements are being met, and our custom silicone keypads and components are 100% ITAR compliant.

SiTECH is an American-owned company and our custom silicone keypads are manufactured at our plant in Virginia. If your company is ITAR compliant, then do not risk endangering it by using foreign components. We have over 75 years of experience in silicone keypad design and molding, and are committed to providing complete customer satisfaction with the highest quality products in a successful and timely manner. Contact us here to have us review and quote your custom silicone rubber keypad or component today!