What is an Elastomeric Connector?

Elastomeric connectors are used wherever a solder-free, zero-insertion-force interface is needed between a PCB and a flat or fragile substrate. 

Elastomeric Connectors (also known as ZEBRA connectors) feature alternating, parallel layers of electrically conductive and non-conductive silicone elastomer. The elastomeric connector was invented by Joseph Asscher in the early 1970s by Elastomeric Technologies Inc. (ETI) to address a persistent problem in electronics: how to make reliable, low-force electrical connections to flat surfaces such as glass LCD panels, membrane switches, and PCB pads without soldering, crimping, or mechanical contacts that could fracture fragile substrates. ETI registered the connector under the trademarked name ZEBRA, an acronym for Zero-insertion-force Elastomeric Bonded Ribbon Assembly.

ETI’s technology was rapidly adopted by Japanese consumer electronics manufacturers in the mid-1970s for handheld calculators and digital watches. These applications required low-cost assembly, minimal height, and direct glass-to-PCB connections. The product line changed hands several times before being acquired by Fujipoly, the current trademark holder and primary manufacturer. By the 1990s, elastomeric connectors had become the de facto standard interface for LCD modules in medical devices, instrumentation, and automotive dashboards. Fujipoly subsequently introduced the XGP (gold-particle) grade for applications requiring lower contact resistance, such as precision analog, audio, and high-cycle-life medical diagnostics. Today the connector type is fully commoditized, with multiple manufacturers offering equivalent products, though “ZEBRA connector” remains the generic engineering term universally recognized in the display and embedded electronics industries.

From Fujipoly, a cross section of a ZEBRA elastomeric connector showing alternating conductive (carbon-loaded) and insulating silicone layers compressed between PCB pad and LCD glass.

Defining design feature

The elastomeric connector features a laminated silicone matrix of alternating conductive and non-conductive layers, formed by co-curing carbon-black-loaded (or gold-plated particle-loaded) silicone strips with pure insulating silicone in a tightly controlled pitch. When the connector is compressed between two mating surfaces, such as a PCB land pattern and a glass LCD segment electrode, each conductive layer bridges the opposing pads while the insulating layers prevent crosstalk between adjacent circuits.

Connection is made entirely by compression, with no solder, no mechanical latch, and no insertion force beyond the clamping load applied by a bezel, frame, or housing. This zero-insertion-force (ZIF) mechanism is critical for mating with fragile glass substrates that cannot tolerate lateral stress, and it allows blind-mate assembly. Contact resistance is determined by the cross-sectional area of the conductive layer and the applied compressive stress, typically 0.5–2.0 N/mm²; over-compression degrades performance, making housing design the key system-level variable. Pitch can be specified independently of the mating pad layout because any pad that falls within a conductive band makes contact, giving designers significant layout flexibility without custom tooling.

Sealing & Environmental performance

Elastomeric connectors do not carry an IP rating as discrete components; sealing is a system-level function achieved by the housing that clamps them. However, the silicone matrix itself is moisture-resistant, chemically inert, and performs across a wide thermal range (typically –55 °C to +150 °C). Because there are no metal contacts exposed to the environment, corrosion and contact oxidation are eliminated, which is a significant advantage in humid or salty environments. Elastomeric connector systems are widely used in small medical devices like glucometers and hearing aids, and outdoor meters where the housing provides IP65 sealing. Gold-particle-loaded variants (XGP and GXGP grades from Fujipoly and equivalents) offer lower and more stable contact resistance than carbon grades, making them suitable for precision analog interfaces.

Interoperability

ZEBRA is a registered trademark of Fujipoly. Generic equivalents conforming to the same laminated silicone principle are manufactured by Shin-Etsu Polymer Co., Ltd., Yokowo Co. Ltd., and Würth Elektronik. Because the technology is material- and geometry-based rather than pin-form-based, interoperability between suppliers is achieved by matching pitch (layer period), connector height (compressed and uncompressed), and bulk conductivity grade. They compete with FPC-to-board ZIF connectors in applications where a separable, solderfree interface is preferred.

Connector configurations

Elastomeric connectors are offered in three material grades: (1) Carbon-loaded silicone, the original ZEBRA formulation, economical, suited for low-speed digital and display applications; (2) Gold-particle-loaded silicone (XGP/GXGP) silver-coated gold or pure gold particles dispersed in silicone, offering contact resistance below 100 mΩ per layer, suitable for precision analog, audio, and high-reliability circuits; and (3) Metal-plated wire mesh woven metallic cloth embedded in silicone for very high current or RF shielding applications. Custom heights (compressed) from approximately 0.5 mm to 10 mm and pitches from 0.2 mm to 2.0 mm are available to order. Connectors are supplied in cut lengths or on reels for automated placement.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

MARKETS & APPLICATIONS

Automotive, Medical, Consumer, Military and Aerospace

Elastomeric connectors are used wherever a solder-free, zero-insertion-force interface is needed between a PCB and a flat or fragile substrate. Primary markets include consumer electronics (calculators, digital watches, clocks, handheld games), industrial instrumentation, medical devices (glucometers, pulse oximeters, hearing aids, infusion pumps), automotive dashboard and HVAC displays, point-of-sale terminals, and white goods (appliance control panels).

Application milestones include early Casio and Texas Instruments calculators (1970s–1980s), LCD watch modules, Garmin GPS display modules, and glucometers. The connectors are also used for telecom and defense electronics (Mesh ZEBRA grade).

SUPPLIERS

Fujipoly (ZEBRA® brand; XGP, GXGP, Mesh grades); Shin-Etsu Polymer Co., Yokowo Co. Ltd, Würth Elektronik (elastomeric connector strips)

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