Large interactive passenger information displays showcase Zytronic’s rugged touchscreen tech & Litemax’s high brightness low power LCD displays
30 August 2022
Travellers at airports, railway stations & other transit hubs now have easy access to a wealth of up-to-the-minute information at their fingertips thanks to the ingenuity of engineering solutions provider, L.B. Foster.
The 43” INFORM range produced by L.B. Foster includes fixed and mobile interactive totems, plus wall-mounted displays. The units take advantage of UK-based display & touch solutions manufacturer, Zytronic’s highly durable multitouch projected capacitive touch (MPCT™) technology, supplied via its UK distributor, displays & embedded computing specialist, Display Technology Ltd, based in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire.
Display Technology supplied two customised touch screen designs for L.B. Foster at its UK manufacturing facility. Both totem and wall-mounted units are 43” in size and are required to work indoors and outdoors, in often unattended locations. To meet this requirement, the TFT (thin-film transistor) LCD (liquid-crystal display) displays supplied feature a wide operating temperature with low power consumption while offering high brightness. Each has Zytronic’s ZXY500™ multitouch controller to provide millisecond fast, all-weather performance. The touch sensors are made from printed 6mm thermally tempered glass with a laminated rear hard-coated polyester film, delivering optimum impact resistance and anti-spalling in the event of breakage. The glass selected has an antiglare etched finish for better image display visibility in direct sunlight and the touchscreens also incorporate UV (ultraviolet) blocking and IR (infrared) reducing filters to help protect the underlying LCD from sunlight damage and assist the overall system thermal management.
The totem and wall-mounted touchscreen units provide an unsurpassed interactive user experience irrespective of the environment and remain unaffected by rain, dirt, scratches or extreme temperatures, and work even when the user is wearing gloves.
L.B. Foster’s new INFORM02 touch screen mobile totem is designed to go through standard doorways. It is capable of running for 24 hours on a single charge from its built-in batteries with wireless connectivity to allow operators to manage content in real-time. There is also the facility for operators to locate their assets and check battery power status remotely, and an NFC optional upgrade allows users to take away information on their smartphones. As well as being dust-tight, water-resistant (meeting IP65 standards) and fire-resistant, the units are also certified to blast test ASIAD 2017 PBIED – crucial for installations at airports and other busy public venues.
The INFORM02 totem also benefits from a Litemax 43” 1800 nit High Brightness TFT, which draws a low 106W power consumption, essential to maintaining the INFORM02 24hr daily battery lifecycle. When combined with the use of a digital light sensor and controller card, this regulates brightness and power consumption within the totems in all different lighting conditions. The TFT also supports a wide operating temperature of -20 to 60°C with LCD Blacking Defect Free (Hi-Tni 110°C) Technology, making it ideal for maintaining visibility in demanding environments. The updated Litemax LCD Module kit by Display Technology further enhances the performance of INFORM02, improving the passenger experience.
“Zytronic’s ability to manufacture these large-format touch sensors is ideal for our low volume, yet bespoke design requirements,” says Dagan Bradbury, Head of Visual Comms & Structures, TEW Engineering, L.B. Foster Europe. “The anti-spall polyester film laminated to the rear of the touch sensor also means that in the unlikely event that the tempered screen is broken, it safely holds the small cubes of glass together and continues to protect the underlying display. To date, Zytronic has supplied several hundred touch sensors for our mobile totems and wall-mounted units.”
Creating a passenger information terminal that is accessible to all members of the public was key. Therefore, L.B. Foster’s INFORM software has a ‘flip’ function, so that the interactive element of the user interface is accessible from a height of 1.4m. The graphical user interface (GUI) software also includes “signing” for customers with hearing impairments. In the future, there are plans to further modify the design of the touchscreens to enable attachment of speakers onto the back of the glass to improve accessibility for partially sighted users and possibly to include ZyBrid® hover that allows a contactless sensing option that can detect users up to 30mm away from the glass surface.
If you would like to discuss your latest project needs, please email us at info@displaytechnology.co.uk, or send us an enquiry to find out more about our touchscreen technology. For more information about Zytronic’s multitouch sensor technology, please visit: www.zytronic.co.uk/technology/multi-touch/
About LB Foster
L.B. Foster is a world class engineering solutions business committed to engineering excellence through traditional engineering solutions and the application of new technologies to conventional challenges. The company acquired TEW Engineering Ltd and TEW Plus Ltd in 2015, including the trading names of TEW Control & Display, Industrial Automation and TEW Plus. These key strategic acquisitions in the rail supply sector that now positions L.B. Foster as a total solutions supplier to the rail industry – from wheel/track interface to signalling, remote condition monitoring and customer information systems.
The company employs 500 people across its European business, which comprises six operating divisions with 30 production sites around the world. The company’s solutions and services are in use in 50 countries worldwide. For further information, please visit: https://lbfoster.eu/
About Display Technology
Display Technology delivers the latest technical innovations in displays and embedded computing backed by market-leading service at every stage of the process.
Established in 2001, Display Technology became part of the Fortec Elektronik AG Group in 2016. The Fortec Group, operates over two continents with an annual turnover of circa 88 million Euros. The group has a full Research & Development department developing new products in Germany, and an engineering team with four different production facilities. At these locations, the company is able to add value to TFTs whether it’s by simply adding a touch screen, to building a complete finished monitor. For further information, please visit: https://www.displaytechnology.co.uk/
About Zytronic
Zytronic Displays Ltd internationally award-winning touch sensors are used globally in ATMs, digital signage, self-service kiosks and gaming machines, as well as by industrial and medical OEMs. The company’s success rests on its patented and highly durable touch sensing technologies, which can be provided in custom designs of 85” and beyond. These touchscreens are supplied under registered trademarks such as Zypos®, Zybrid®, Zytouch®, Zyfilm® and Zyprofilm®.
In addition to its manufacturing and R&D centre in Newcastle, England, Zytronic has sales offices in Taipei, Tokyo, Orlando, Florida, and a worldwide network of representatives and distributors. For further information, please visit: https://zytronic.co.uk/
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