New touch panels and user interfaces

Who is not familiar with those elegant smartphones, PDAs or SatNavs with their stylish user interfaces?

It is the declared objective of elektro systembau bender to address our customers' requirements and implement them in efficient solutions. The result is new, advanced applications and operating concepts.

 

For each project and its specific requirements, we prepare customer-specific solutions for the related application. New findings from technological development are combined with knowledge and experience from proven systems on the market.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Touch screen and user interfaces

Right at the start of the "Touch Screen+Visualisation" project it was clear that customers and users would prefer their own specific graphic implementation. Starting from the simple integration of a company logo to a communication solution with their own products. Corporate identity aspects of the customer's design must also be taken into account.

The software used for the data visualisation utilises the latest Windows operating system and development environment standards, and as a result offers numerous options for the graphic implementation and communication.
As many of our customers use these touch control panels not only in the European region, but also in countries that do not use the Latin alphabet, we design international, generally applicable symbols and pictograms. Also functions such as music playback can be realised.

 

 

Touch membranes
The first projects with a touch panel were implemented at esb around two years ago. Here so-called resistive touch panels are used; in these devices the controller evaluates a change in resistance on touching. These resistive touch panels are also used on the panels on which the entire surface is covered with a sealed membrane. These membrane panels have the major advantage that numerous items of equipment from other manufacturers can be fitted easily behind the specifically designed membrane (including intercom stations). Our extensive know-how and the experience in the manufacture of membrane panels obtained over the years are a major advantage. The usage of membranes with antibacterial properties is unique. Even highly transparent surfaces, for example the cut-out for a screen, can be treated with special antibacterial lacquers to obtain maximum transparency.

 

 

"The glass operating theatre"

Various operating theatre manufacturers have recently started offering their customers operating theatres with full glass walls. Glass has the advantage that it has a smooth surface, is easy to clean and resistant to cleaning agents and disinfectants. In addition, glass surfaces can also be illuminated indirectly, depending on the wall design, and specific lighting scenes produced. Not just a pleasant warm light for the patients, but for example also the typical glare-free green light that is required for endoscopic surgery.

In the case of such a glass wall, the annunciator and control panels should also have a glass surface.

 

 

Glass-Touch

For operation through a glass plate, however, a special touch-sensitive panel is required, a so-called capacitive projected touch panel. Using this touch panel, called "Glass-Touch" at esb, it was possible to implement operation through a 6 mm glass plate without problems. Even in the case of glass thicknesses up to 18 mm easy operation is possible.

The usage of a new material for the background membrane required a new printing technology. Here the in-house "digidirect vis-twin" digital printing system at esb was used; with this system it is possible to print the mirror-image on the rear of the glass plate.

The printing on glass surfaces is indicative of the high quality of the new printing system, as any inaccuracy has an extreme effect on the sharpness of the printed image on glass.
The manufacture of glass-touch systems requires new solutions and a general re-think, as it is not possible to simply fit, for example, intercom stations with mechanical buttons, microphones and loudspeakers behind a glass plate. Here esb is working closely with the manufacturers of the equipment used in operating theatres.

 

You will find more detailed information about the Touch Control Panel in our Technical Datasheet. (370 KB)