FAQs when Searching for Industrial Displays

ITG offers both! Although the world is trending more and more towards PCAP (Projective Capacitive), both technologies remain the most common used in touch-sensitive devices. Here’s a comparison of their main differences:

Resistive Touch Screens: 

Composed of two flexible layers coated with a resistive material separated by a thin gap. When pressure is applied, the layers touch and create an electrical circuit at the touch point.

Often used in industrial settings, ATMs, and other environments where users might wear gloves or use styluses.

Capacitive Touch Screens (PCAP)

Made of a single glass layer coated with a transparent conductor. Touching the screen with a conductive object (like a finger) disrupts the screen's electrostatic field, which is detected as input.

Growing popularity within industrial settings, but most common in smartphones, tablets, and modern consumer electronics where high sensitivity and multi-touch capabilities are desirable.

Specific use cases may require features like touch functionality, brightness, sunlight readability, or high-resolution graphics. Designing a custom computer display with application-specific requirements is crucial to ensure functionality and reliability in diverse industrial settings. 

For example, within harsh environments, displays must be rugged, with features like reinforced glass and weather-resistant housings to withstand dust, moisture, and vibration. Touch panels need to be responsive even when users are wearing gloves, common in manufacturing or medical environments, ensuring ease of use without compromising safety or hygiene.

In temperature-controlled environments, displays must maintain performance across a wide temperature range, preventing failures due to extreme heat or cold. Additionally, users in specialized environments, such as those wearing goggles or protective gear, require displays with high brightness and clarity for visibility.

Understanding the operating environment, such as temperature ranges, humidity, dust, and vibration, is crucial when selecting a durable display.

Displays must be able to withstand extreme temperatures to ensure they function correctly without overheating or failing in cold conditions. High humidity levels can lead to condensation inside the display, causing electrical shorts or corrosion. Dust can infiltrate the display housing, obstructing visibility and damaging internal components over time. Vibration, common in manufacturing or heavy machinery environments, can loosen connections and degrade the structural integrity of the display.

Rugged displays often come with enhanced sealing, reinforced housings, and specialized coatings to protect against these environmental factors. This durability translates to fewer maintenance needs, lower replacement costs, and increased uptime, which is essential in environments where operational continuity is crucial.

Engineers can choose displays that not only meet performance requirements but also offer reliability and resilience, ensuring they can support industrial computers effectively and efficiently over their intended lifecycle.

Then begin with an overall assessment. Integrating a display involves a comprehensive evaluation of physical, electrical, and environmental factors to ensure it functions reliably within the industrial product, meeting both performance and durability requirements. Also, keep in mind early within your evaluation compliance with industry standards and certifications to ensure the display meets regulatory and quality requirements.

First, assessing the integration involves ensuring the display physically fits within the product's design, considering factors like size, mounting options, and the overall layout. Mounting options must be compatible with the product's structural design, requiring robust and secure installation solutions to withstand environmental stresses such as vibrations or impacts.

Connectivity is another critical aspect. The display must integrate with existing systems through compatible interfaces, such as HDMI, DisplayPort, or custom connectors, and support necessary data communication protocols. This requires careful coordination with the product's electronic and software systems to ensure seamless data flow and functionality.

Additionally, addressing power requirements and ensuring thermal management are vital. The display’s power needs must align with the product’s power supply, and adequate cooling solutions must be in place to prevent overheating.

Engineers need to know the expected lifespan of the display to ensure it meets the longevity requirements of the product.

Industrial electrical engineers design and select displays by evaluating application-specific requirements and environmental conditions. The lifespan of the display should ideally align with the lifecycle of the product it’s supporting. For example, is the display selection compatible with existing systems and operating environments, such as temperature, humidity, and exposure to dust or vibration?

Compatibility with the existing operating system ensures seamless integration and functionality.

Ensuring compatibility minimizes the risk of software conflicts, which can lead to system instability and operational downtime. In environments where reliability and efficiency are paramount, such as in medical settings or busy public spaces, even minor disruptions can have significant consequences.

Compatibility simplifies the deployment process, reduces technical support needs, and ensures that the display can be easily updated or replaced without extensive reconfiguration, ultimately supporting a stable and efficient work environment.

Knowing the available configurations and sizes helps in selecting a display that fits the design specifications and user requirements.

Standard sizes and configurations provide a baseline for ensuring compatibility with existing systems, reducing custom development costs, and simplifying integration. When designers know the available options, they can select displays that meet ergonomic, space, and visual clarity needs, enhancing user experience and productivity.

Standard display sizes from ITG include: 7”, 12”, 15.6”, 21.5”. All of our displays come standard with VESA mount and optional post or flush mounts.

Evaluating the total cost of ownership (TCO) for industrial computer displays involves considering several key factors beyond the initial purchase price. Total expected volume and maintenance costs are critical, including regular servicing, potential repairs, and software updates to ensure continued performance and reliability. Replacement costs are also a factor, considering the display’s expected lifespan and the frequency of replacements needed due to wear, environmental conditions, or technological obsolescence.

Energy efficiency impacts operating costs, especially in large-scale deployments, as more efficient displays reduce power consumption and lower utility bills. Additionally, evaluating warranties and service agreements can provide insight into long-term support costs.

The team from Interface Technology Group has decades of industrial design experience integrating the latest technologies within extremely harsh and complex environments. We are deeply passionate about solving our client’s toughest challenges.