Editing Metal contact switch (section)

====Bare contacts====
More commonly, the switch contacts are placed directly into the switch. The lower shell of [[Cherry MX]] switches grips the contacts tightly, allowing them to be opened and reassembled with considerable ease. Alps clone switches use the top shell to hold the contacts, which is not substantially harder to work on, but makes for awkward reassembly after in-situ maintenance. (Cherry MX only supports in-situ maintenance in [[PCB mount]] keyboards.)

<gallery widths=250 heights=187>
File:Cherry MX -- switch contacts.jpg              | [[Cherry MX]] contacts; these are pressed directly into the shell
File:Alps.tw Type OA2 -- both contact plates.jpg   | [[alps.tw Type OA2]] contacts
File:Clare-Pendar S84010 H3 -- switch contacts.jpg | [[Clare-Pendar S84010 H3]] contacts; in use, the slider holds them apart until the key is pressed
File:NMB Hi-Tek - Internals Front.jpg              | [[Hi-Tek Series 725]]; this functions similarly
</gallery>