Miller-Stephenson Articles
Mechanical Keyboard Lube | Advanced Solutions
Jul
Superior Mechanical Keyboard Lube
Easy to Apply, Lube for Life, and Makes New Keyboards Feel & Sound Broken In
Miller-Stephenson and Chemours manufacture advanced grade 0 semi-fluid lubricants and oils that are extensively used in mechanical keyboard switches. Miller-Stephenson is the manufacturer of TriboSys and is direct channel partners with Chemours, the manufacturer of Krytox. Namely, the dynamic mechanical keyboard lube products are the TriboSys™ 3203, TriboSys™ 3204, Krytox™ GPL 205 Grade 0, and Krytox GPL oils. Miller-Stephenson has been serving the keyboard lubrication community with expert technical assistance for decades with these one-of-a-kind products. These mechanical keyboard lube are extremely easy to work with, durable (act as a “lube for life”), and non-migrating. As a result, end-users can easily apply the lubricant, elongate the life of the switches, and not be concerned about creating a short within the controller of the mechanical keyboard. More importantly, they make new mechanical keyboards feel broken in due to normalizing the molding imperfections that occur during the manufacturing process of the switches. This broken-in feeling is a result of the elimination of undesirable acoustic and tactile properties such as a scratching sound and spring jitter. Also, GPL 205 Grade 0, TriboSys 3203, and TriboSys 3204 are all grade 0, semi-fluid greases. By utilizing a grade 0 lubricant in a mechanical key switch, the applicator is able to work with the lubricant as if it is a grease but gets the performance of an oil when spread thinly and uniformly.
Benefits of the Krytox and TriboSys
- Easily applied with a brush
- Favorable acoustic and tactile properties
- Extremely stable and durable; will act as a lube for life
- Non-migrating; won’t create a short
- Grade 0 lubes have the performance of an oil with the ease of application of a grease
What are the Differences and Advantages of mechanical keyboard lube ?
TriboSys™ 3203: TriboSys 3203 is the least viscous grade 0 grease that has a place in the mechanical keyboard industry. Due to its relatively low oil viscosity, it is the easiest to work with and is the ideal lubricant for tactile and click switches.
TriboSys™ 3204: TriboSys 3204 is the perfect general grade 0 lubricant for mechanical keyboard switches. Due to its middle of the road viscosity, it is used for both tactile and linear switches. TriboSys 3204 is recommended for novice users that may not be familiar with how to lubricate a linear switch since it is easier to work with than GPL 205 grade 0. Also, the thinner the grease, the more you can feel the keys. So, depending on the end user’s preferences, TriboSys 3204 may be recommended over TriboSys 3203 or GPL 205 Grade 0.
Krytox™ GPL 205 Grade 0: GPL 205 Grade 0 is the thickest mechanical keyboard lube that is widely used within the mechanical keyboard industry. Highly recommended for linear switches due to the oil viscosity in this grade 0 lubricant.
Krytox™ GPL Oils: While most end users prefer the semi-fluid grade 0 greases over oils since the PTFE thickener in the greases makes them easier to work with and will stay in place better. However, some expert applicators and users who really want to feel the keys prefer oils. Namely, the GPL 105 and 106 are the most chosen oils for keyboard applications depending on the thickness of the oil they prefer.
Improving the Molding Process of Mechanical Key Switches
The main reason a mechanical keyboard lube is utilized within the switches is because of the imperfections and inconsistencies that happen during the molding process. Miller-Stephenson manufactures’ next-generation mold release systems with our ReleaSys™ product line. ReleaSys will lower the scrap rate, eliminate post-mold cleaning processes, and increase the quality of the small mechanical switches that are used within the mechanical keyboard industry. Technical experts of chemists and engineers are ready and eager to help you improve your mechanical keyboard process and lubrication needs! Contact them via email or phone here.
The recommendation made here with and the information set forth with respect to the performance or use of our products are believed, but not warranted to be accurate. The products discussed are sold without warranty, as to fitness or performance, express or implied and upon condition that purchasers shall make their own test to determine suitability of such products for their particular purposes. Likewise, statements concerning the possible uses of our products are not intended as recommendations to use our products in the infringement of any patent.
