08-03-2022 | Schurter | Subs & Systems
SCHURTER provides its customers with complete HMI solutions for the right display to satisfy all their needs. With its knowledge and extensive sourcing channels, the company selects the optimal display for the customer's application.
The display market is undergoing a huge change - the demand for consumer products has grown significantly. Well-known brands are focusing more and more on this market with large quantities in series production and are lowering the portfolio for the industrial sector. In the past, well-known producers have already merged, and currently, a well-known manufacturer from Japan is entirely discontinuing the production of industrial displays. This development leads to a smaller choice with increased lead times and troubles the long-term availability situation of displays.
The company allows the availability of displays through a wide choice of sourcing channels. Sourcing is accomplished through direct access to various display manufacturers worldwide and indirectly through distributors and partners of the SCHURTER Group. The selection of sourcing channel depends on a number of factors. For example, the project volume with cost framework, technical modifications of the displays or long-term availability regarding the application.
The availability of the selected display must match the production lifetime span of the end application, particularly in medical technology, where a service life of at least five years is required. The company takes this necessity for long-term availability of displays into account with suppliers qualified for this.
It offers its customers a total design package with an election of optimal displays, including the control, based on every respective application. A wide range of display diagonals, formats and technologies are offered. The portfolio includes TFT colour LCD, OLED and e-paper displays and modules suitable for industrial and medical applications.
Due to the flexible construction of the display assembly through the air gap or optical bonding process, the devices are mechanically integrated into the application in different designs. Employing different bonding technologies, touch sensors, cover glasses and displays are connected (bonding) or laminated into one single unit. Optical bonding of displays also improves and optimises the performance characteristics of touch panels to adapt them to customer needs and application conditions. Also, optical bonding has become a must-have in industry and medicine and the most common and modern method of HMI display optimisation. Bonding the display to the cover glass enhances readability, increases contrast, colour brilliance and enhances mechanical robustness.
TFT displays with industrial specifications are the most broadly employed displays. They are offered in a wide range. OLED displays have so far been more common in the consumer market. These comprise of small active LEDs printed straight onto the glass. However, these displays have only been qualified for the industrial sector in smaller diagonals. E-paper technology, is constantly being developed further. E-paper is employed in multiple outdoor and indoor applications, such as a digital, static information display (e.g. timetables). These displays offer very low power consumption.
Every application has its own demands for the interface to the display. Standard display controllers satisfy the growing needs for an efficient display solution. TFT-LCD and e-paper panels are integrated into various terminals and controlled by the corresponding electronics. Multiple communication interfaces are supported by the standard display controller boards. The configuration of these boards is customer-specific as they depend on the chosen combination of input and output signals, dimensions and control voltages.
As a complete system provider, the company works with customers to develop an input system developed to their specific demands. Its engineers are already involved in the development phase of an application, and the design and functionality of an application will be created according to their wishes and requirements. All standard display technologies and their options are available to customers. The company's experts will advise on the optimum selection and integration of the display in a particular application.
