Which Type of Touchscreen Monitor LCD Solution is Right for Your Business?

Touch screen monitor solutions are becoming more popular than ever before. There are plenty of options to choose from for your industrial monitor needs, but not every solution is right for every situation. The options exist to help you find the best monitor for your unique video display needs. You can find an entire range of touch screen monitors at TRU-VuMonitors.com.

An affordable option that works for many situations is a resistive touch panel system. These LCD monitors make use of layers to provide touch screen capabilities. There are two, thin layers that are conductive to electricity and resistive layers that are separated by a very thin space. When the screen is touched, the layers come in contact with each other and input to the screen is recorded. The resistive touch screens are very affordable, but don't offer the image clarity that you can get with other touch screen monitor solutions.

Another popular type of touch screen technology is the capacitive touch model. These monitor panels are coated with indium tin oxide. This coating keeps a continuous electrical charge circulating on the screen. When a user touches the screen, the charge is reduced and input is recorded to the device. Capacitive models provide a clearer picture than resistive models, but only works when a finger touches the screen, so input options are limited.

Other popular choices for a touch screen industrial monitor include SAW, infrared and HID models. Each of these types of touch screen uses a different technology and each has its own pros and cons. The monitor experts at TRU-VuMonitors.com can help you sort through the details and choose the touch screen option that's best for your business.

Image via Wikipedia

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Industrial Grade Monitors vs. Consumer Grade Monitors

What is an industrial monitor?  And why do you need one?  Many people mistakenly assume that they can use a retail/consumer-grade monitor from a local retail store for their industrial application.  Unfortunately, they find out too late that it will not suit the purpose.

Industrial monitors differ from standard monitors in many ways. They use industrial-grade components for long life, and the ability to operate 24/7/365. Retail/consumer-grade monitors use low-cost components for low-cost mass production; they are not designed for long-term continuous use. Industrial monitors are built for harsh industrial commercial environments where they may be subjected to a variety of contaminants such as dust, dirt, water, chemicals, vibration, etc.  Retail/consumer-grade monitors are intended for desktop operation in an office or at home – commercial use will void a warranty.  Speaking of warranting, industrial monitors typically carry a 1-3 year warranty; for consumer-grade monitors, 90 days to one year is the standard.

Retail/consumer-grade monitors are designed for a single user, seated directly in front.  In industrial and commercial settings, one or more people may need to view the monitor, and they may be above, below or next to it.  Industrial monitors offer much wider horizontal and vertical viewing angles (up to 178°).Image via Wikipedia

Typical consumer monitors range in size from 15” to 27”, in standard housings.  Nearly all are now in the widescreen 16:9 format.  Industrial monitors have a nearly endless variety of sizes and configurations.  This ranges from 3.5” flip-down mobile monitors, to dual and triple rack mount; panel mount; waterproof; medical-grade; sunlight readable; open frame, custom and touchscreen LCD monitors.

Industrial monitors provide a wide range of mounting options.  They can be embedded in a machine (panel mount), mounted in a 19” rack (rack mount), placed inside a kiosk (open frame), wall or ceiling mounted; mobile monitors can be mounted on a vehicle’s dashboard or from its roof.

Industrial monitors are available for a much longer time period (2-3 years +).  Consumer-grade monitors typically change models every 6 months.

Industrial-grade monitors provide the ruggedness, performance, flexibility and reliability that industrial and commercial customers demand. They can be specially built as custom monitors to meet specific needs. Consumer-grade/retail monitors are best suited for your home and office.