We are pleased to be part of one of the latest developments within the touch screen/overlay market.  Our partner Kyocera known in the display market for their excellent CSTN and TFT LCD are now mass producing their unique glass/glass structure 4-wire resistive touch. Traditionally 4-wire resistive touches have always been in the main a film/glass construction which have performed extremely well in a host of industrial and commercial applications however they have sometimes suffered in very hostile environments where either cold, heat and humidity have proved very challenging. Through technical advances and specialist construction Kyocera have replaced the front film with an ultra thin (0.2mm) flexible glass layer resulting in superior visability (>85% transmissivity) and a longer operating life (>1M touches on a single point). Operating temperatures at both ends of the spectrum are also accomodated, the glass/glass touch has an operating temperature of -35 ~ +85 degC and a storage temperature of -40 ~ +95 degC.

The rear glass substrate can be supplied in various thicknesses of 0.7, 1.1 and 1.8mm and with the front glass being only 0.2mm thick the overall package is extremely thin whilst still offering excellent durability and environmental properties. The glass/glass touch is hermetically sealed thus preventing a build up of moisture between the rear glass substrate and the front glass which has sometimes been an issue for the traditional film/glass touches in high humidity applications.  

Different surface treatments can also be applied to the front glass, anti-reflection, anti-glare, anti-finger print and if purchasing Kyocera’s packaged product i.e. TFT LCD plus glass/glass touch, the LCDs front polarizer, which dramatically improves the displays readability in sunlight and increases the displays transmissivity to >90%. Sizes start at 3.5″ diagonal and currently go up to 19.0″ (4:3 aspect ratio) covering all the popular display sizes inbetween.

The touch can be supplied as a separate component which the user can then adhere to their own display or we can supply the touch fitted to one of Kyocera’s TFT LCDs, again sizes from 3.5″ to 19.0″.

For further information please complete our online enquiry form located at the bottom of this page, call us on 01494 778235 or send an email to sales@craftdata.co.uk

One of our principals has developed a dual LCD touch screen monitor with a single base. One screen is directly mounted above the base as per a normal touch monitor. The second screen (without touch), can be set to the left, right, above or the reverse of screen one i.e. with the rear side facing the rear of monitor one and facing outwards to a possible second user or viewer. Screen two is attached to a pivoting mounting arm with a large a 210 degree turning arc. 

There are currently two sizes available, a 17.0″ (x2) and a 19.0″ (x2), features common to both are as follows:-

• Tilt angle - right/left 210 deg.
• Resolution: 1280×1024 / 2560 x 1024
• Viewing Angles: U/D = 80/80, L/R= 80/80
• Brightness: 17.0″= 300 nits, 19.0″= 450 nits
• Contrast Ratio: 17.0″= 400:1, 19.0″= 800:1
• Touch Overlay: 5 Wire Resistive Touch

In use the screens can display the same picture on both screen one and two, different images i.e. user information on screen one and advertisements or video feeds on screen two (facing the customer), an edited version of screen one can also be shown on screen two if certain information is needed but other information is not, screen one can also have a PIP of what is being shown on screen two. The operator of screen one (touch version) can select the information shown on screen two which is facing the customer (wow that was difficult to explain). 

When we were first approached to market this monitor here in the UK we were unsure of the potential users and markets however the more you think about the product you can clearly see the advantages for use in certain applications. Around the world success has been agained in banking, hospitality, point or purchase & point of sale markets.

For further information please contact us at sales@craftdata.co.uk or call Fred Tagg on 01494 778235

We have this month added the Onetouch range of capacitive sensors to our comprehensive group of touch screen options. These are fully 3M (Microtouch) compatible and are available in three standard thicknesses, Commercial - 3mm and Tough Touch - 6mm or 9mm. The response is fast and accurate and all sensors are coated with a transparent film deposit which significantly increases the durability and resistance to scratching and abrasions. The sensors will continue to function normally despite dust, dirt, grease or moisture. Both RS232C and USB controllers are offered, plus, if required, the adhesive tape to fix the sensor to your LCD display.

Standard commercial sizes range from 7.0″ to a wide format 22.0″ while the Tough Touch covers the 10.4″ to 21.3″ size displays. All have a surface hardness of between 6H and 9H and are impact test approved to UL60950-1.

For further information please call Fred Tagg on 01494 778235 or drop an email to ftagg@craftdata.co.uk

We are pleased to introduce 3 new Industrial TFT LCD touch monitors designed for harsh or even hostile environments requiring a rugged man machine interface.

The 15.0″, 17.0″ and 19.0″ sizes all come fitted with a waterproof IP65 (NEMA3) rated SAW touch.  The standard SAW touch has a sealed front bezel which protects the touch reflectors and transducers from liquids and dust which makes these monitors ideal for process control applications, medical equipment and public information kiosks all of which may need to be washed or certainly wiped down at some point in their daily routines.

The monitors are fitted with a dual RS232 and USB touch interface to make for easy communication plus with both vertical and horizontal mounting options via supplied brackets and with rear VESA mounting holes mechanical integration is relatively easy.

SAW touch is the preferred touch technology in many applications due to its high resolution of 4096×4096 plus Z-axis capability.  It is a pure glass overlay with a Mohs’ hardness rating of 7 offering between 90-92% transmissivity and has a life of over 50M touches on a single point. The touch can be used with both a gloved or un-gloved finger without the need to change any touch settings and is impervious to all chemicals that do not effect glass.

If you would like further information please navigate your way to our contacts page and leave your details, alternatively send us an email to sales@craftdata.co.uk or call us on 01494 778235. We hope to hear from you soon.

The spread of touch enabled products, like the Apple ITouch and the self service check-in terminals at most airports is familiarising the general public with the concept of touch systems, encouraging more and more similar applications. Having worked with electronic displays and touch for more than 20 years Craft Data has seen the increase in the need for touch in a host of different projects. Touch technology has gone from, in many cases a luxury aspect of the application to now being a necessity.

There are a number of different touch technologies however we have focused on the main players. Each technology has advantages and disadvantages when compared so hopefully this blog will help you understand what will and won’t work for you in your particular application.

The simplest and probably the most widespread is the low cost Analogue Resistive. This is basically a flexible polymer front sheet and a glass backing substrate (although now an acrylic backer can be made available), both having their inners surfaces coated with a conductive layer sealed together but separated by tiny clear rubber balls/spacers. Electrical connections are made to all four sides so when the front flexible polymer surface is pressed against the rear substrate compressing the clear rubber balls, current flows side to side and top to bottom, the magnitude of which indicates the point of contact. When the touch pressure is removed the rubber balls return to normal and separate the two surfaces. Any stylus can be used to make the touch, although something that will not scratch or puncture the front film is preferred.

If ruggedization or vandal proofing is part of your specification whilst still requiring a tactile touch response then possibly the resistive hybrid “Ultra Touch” could be suitable. The usual flexible front polymer sheet is replaced by a flexible glass/polymer laminate sheet and coupling this with a chemically strengthened glass or polycarbonate backing substrate makes this technology ideally suited for public kiosk type applications.

Infrared is a long established technology originally developed for schools and children with dexterity/mobility problems. It utilises infrared emitters on two sides of a PCB frame and detectors on the opposite two sides creating and invisible array across the display screen’s surface. Any non-transparent stylus touching the screen breaks both the vertical and horizontal beams, defining the touch point. The touch frames can be fitted to most popular monitors with screen sizes up to a huge 108” diagonal, retrospectively if necessary. A 2M diagonal version is the largest frame size to date, designed for a TV game show.

Surface Acoustic Wave systems (SAW) have transducers mounted on two corners of a sheet of glass which has machined reflectors on all four sides. Acoustic waves are transmitted across the surface of the glass both vertically and horizontally which are reflected back. Since the distance is fixed and the frequency of the wave is known, if a finger touches the glass, part of the energy wave is absorbed and the point of touch/absorption can be computed.
The stylus needs to be energy absorbing, a finger is ideal and possibly even a gloved finger but a pointer or a pencil for example are not. For vandal protection the sensors can be made from 6mm or more toughened glass.

Capacitive systems are also based on a sheet of glass but here the outer surface has a conductive coating. Electrodes at the corners generate an energy field across this surface so when a conductive stylus e.g. a finger, makes contact, a small current is drawn from each electrode and the relative values indicate the touch point.

More and more industries are making use of touch interfaces, any type of menu, POS, medical and public information systems are just a few common applications. If you have a possible requirement for a touch from 2.8” through to 108” and want help with deciding which technology is right for your application and budget please contact us by phone, email or fax. We are not just pushing one of the preceding technologies from one manufacturer but will listen to your needs and make a recommendation on what we feel is right for you.