Can buckling spring switches be plate mounted? Or on a related note in regard to the mod this is planned for are there any MX switches that are close to or exceed BS switches in tactility and noise?
A long debate could be mounted on what component(s) of buckling spring keyboards are "switches" since they are so different.
The capacitive switches of the F are definitely "mounted" on a plate, if you can call them mounted, since they lie flat, and the membranes of the M are not "mounted" at all, but they are sandwiched between plates. After you have taken these beasts apart, you realize that the buckling spring parts are just causing the "hammers" to bounce down and make some connection between other components. Cherries have stems/legs/plungers/whatever that actuate something at the bottom, but IBM "switches" are not self-contained in some sort of body or housing.
So, to answer the above question realistically, let's just say that buckling springs are not switches at all, in the usual sense.
The secondary question, what other switches are most similar to buckling springs, well, I won't touch THAT.
Same thing that jdcarpe said, but more long-winded.