Many machine OEMs now incorporate touchscreen technology into their control panel interfaces to do away with standard computer keyboards and mice. they can be combined into a single HMI using a touchpanel. A touchpanel is usually an LCD screen (although they did make them for CRT monitors) with a film over the screen that is touch sensitive. it can be used to replace the mouse or keyboard input on a computer or HMI system. There are many technologies that can be used in touchpanels.

Two of the main forms that we see in an industrial environment are:

Resistive

A resistive touchscreen panel is composed of several layers, the most important of which are two thin, metallic, electrically conductive layers separated by a narrow gap. When an object, such as a finger, presses down on a point on the panel's outer surface the two metallic layers become connected at that point: the panel then behaves as a pair of voltage dividers with connected outputs. This causes a change in the electrical current which is registered as a touch event and sent to the controller for processing.

Capacitive

A capacitive touchscreen panel consists of an insulator such as glass, coated with a transparent conductor. As the human body is also a conductor, touching the surface of the screen results in a distortion of the local electrostatic field, measurable as a change in capacitance.

REA Technologies can replace the sensor film on touchpanels, as well as troubleshooting display problems such as a burnt out backlight or faulty inverter.

Many panels also require software to program and configure them, and many have HMI programs stored on them also. This data needs to be backed up along with the PLC programs or computer software needed to run the machine.

A membrane keyboard is a computer keyboard whose "keys" are not separate, moving parts, as with the majority of other keyboards, but rather are pressure pads that have only outlines and symbols printed on a flat, flexible surface.

If these mambrane keyboards go faulty, not many companies can repair them. we have had good results here at REA Technologies in repairing our customer's membrane keyboards. If your keyboard is having trouble, let us take a look at it. We can refurbish your unit and get it responding like it should.

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