The new silicone membrane addition to the butterfly keyboard in the 2018 MacBook Pro may not be that effective in keeping the mechanism free from debris, after testing shows particles can still bypass the protection and cause issues with typing.
During an iFixit teardown, a variety of particulates were added to the notebook’s keyboard with the goal of finding its breaking point.
The initial test using a fine-powdered paint additive found the membrane pushed the dust to the edges, keeping the mechanism clear. Adding more dust and typing aggressively does eventually allow dust to slip in between the membrane and the keycap covering the hole where the keycap clips pass through the silicone layer.
The test found that the system doesn’t fully protect the keyboard mechanism. The team then began using sand, which eventually lead to the key failing to function.
Following the removal of enough hardware to access the keyboard, the iFixit team had to remove all 64 keycaps in order to pull apart the main keyboard layer. The membrane itself turns out to be a “single die-cut and molded sheet” that is applied to the casing before the main section of the keyboard.
The keycaps in the new keyboard were also found to have received a slight redesign compared to the 2017 keyboard. As such, the thickness has been reduced from 1.5mm to 1.25mm, a chance which is speculated to give the keys more room to travel, as well as easier access to pry off individual keys, including the space bar.
Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.
Via AppleInsider and iFixit