| While
in today’s uncertain economical climate, saving
valuable financial resources is of paramount importance
for many purchasing agents and project leaders,
when selecting an LCD product intended for harsh
environments and/or 365 x 24-hour per day usage,
one should consider what the product they’re considering
was truly intended to
do.
Many
“industrial-grade” product manufacturers sell
on solely on ‘price’ and in doing so they must
compete in terms of selling prices with other
less-costly “industrial-grade” product manufacturers.
How do they sell so cheaply? It’s simple….most
repackage consumer grade off-the-shelf LCD monitors.
They extract the LCD and electronics, reassemble
them in cheaply made metal housings and call them
Industrial Grade.
Hmmm,
well let’s look at VarTech Systems for a moment.
Certainly, VarTech could purchase these types
of consumer grade products from the same distribution
channels and repackage them in similar housings
and enter the “cheaply made industrial grade LCD”
marketplace. But VarTech’s business model is different
and as such an alternate path was chosen in terms
of engineering high-quality, innovative rugged
computer systems and LCD products.
Let’s
analyze the differences.
Product
Operating Hours
VarTech’s
Industrial, Marine and Military grade products
have been engineered to withstand long operating
hours with thermal characteristics considerations
built into the overall design for proper heat
dissipation. The majority of VarTech products
are typically operated 24-hours everyday, 7-days
per week, week-in and week-out each month, for
years on end.
The
internal “engine” of the repackaged Consumer grade
“industrial” products are designed by the Original
Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) for limited time
operation with the intent of long off times and
are not appropriate for 24-hour use.
Electronic
Design
In
order to effectively combat 24/7/365 usage, high
humidity environments, extended operational temperature
applications, DC power spikes, etc., during the
initial product design stages VarTech carefully
considers each component to be utilized within
a specific design so as to ensure that the finished
product can withstand such harsh treatment.
The
weakest electrical component within an “industrial”
grade system dictates how effective the overall
product will be in demanding applications. Use
the cheapest integrated circuits, liquid crystal
displays, power supplies, high-voltage inverters
and you’ll have a product destined for problems.
VarTech selects only the highest grade ‘parts’.
The ruggedness of these internal componets and
their inherent tolerance to harsh environments
provide a display instrument with truly “industrial”
capabilities.
In
contrast, other manufacturers jockeying for price
must utilize the cheapest cost components available
in order to maintain a competitive price advantage
in the “cheaply made industrial grade LCD” marketplace.
This includes the use of low-to-mid-level LCD
panels, controller boards, critical power components,
etc.
Often the "budget-grade industrial" LCD company has no idea who even actually manufactured the most critical internal system components within "their" monitor as they simply purchased a plastic-desktop LCD, removed the plastic housing and transferred the LCD and existing electronics housing into their enclosure. There's been no thought given to graphics chipsets, end-of-life (EOL) time-frames for components, integrated circuit quality, power supply and inverter reliability data, grade level of LCD panel, etc. VarTech, on the other hand, can explain in detail every component, its performance characteristics, EOL, etc.
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Mechanical
Design
Mechanics
plays a crucial role in protecting the electronics
of an “industrial” LCD product.
Bezels
& Enclosures
VarTech
engineered NEMA 4 (IP65) qualified bezels and
enclosures are milled or machined from a high-grade
solution heat treated aluminum alloy with a mechanical
property of T6 temper 6061 which has an ultimate
tensile strength of at least 42,000 psi (290 MPa)
and yield strength of at least 35,000 psi (241
MPa). Most “budget-industrial” monitors utilize
a much lesser grade softer aluminum alloy. Most
of VarTech’s NEMA 4 frontal bezels are milled
with two distinct beveled edges, one at the outer
perimeter, the other at the LCD window. Both areas
are gasket-sealed, each with a ONE-piece design
of high quality, closed cell sealing gland. Most
“budget” displays are ‘sealed’ with strips of
gasket material. As thermal dynamics take effect,
pressure differentials are created from temperature
variations. This causes a lot of stress on gaskets
and where each ‘strip’ of gasket ends gaps will
form. These gaps will allow contaminants and possibly
the ingress of liquids to enter the device and
damage the components. So, a typical “budget”
LCD monitor will have 8-gap areas; 4 at the outer
perimeter and 4 at the LCD window. Since VarTech
utilizes only a ONE-piece design, there are no
gaps in either area.
NEMA
4X (IP66) Qualified Bezels and Enclosures
Most “budget” products are constructed of a 304
grade stainless steel. VarTech uses only type-316
which has an alloy addition of molybdenum which
prevents most forms of corrosion. It is also known
as marine grade stainless steel due to its increased
resistance to chloride corrosion compared to type
304. Many people are surprised to find that “stainless”
steel can be stained by chicken blood and several
chemicals commonly used throughout various industrial
environments. This is the case for type-304 ss.
But the more resilient type-316 tends to be more
tolerant of these abrasive agents.
Thermal
Management Considerations
Varying operational temperature extremes will
have a negative impact on electronics. So, VarTech
utilizes a number of unique thermal management
systems which makes the displays fit for the harshest
temperature environments. Some of VarTech’s models
can even operate effectively for long periods
of time at -40°C / -40°F MIL-STD-810F to +70°C
/ +160°F MIL-STD-810F. “Budget” type products
certainly don’t offer such safeguards.
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LCD
Module Selection
As
devices for displaying various types of information
and images in many diverse environments, customers
are demanding greater sophistication and diversity
from displays. To meet the growing demand for
higher image quality, greater energy efficiency,
and improved environmental performance such as
greater resistance to shock and vibration and
operational temperature capabilities, VarTech
selects only the highest quality LCD modules.
The results are easily seen in outstanding image
reproduction, vivid images in any ambient light
environment, wider viewing angles, greater color
gamut and much, much more. Original Equipment
Manufacturers of amorphous-silicon color thin-film-transistor
(TFT) liquid crystal display (LCD) modules take
into account the special needs of the industrial
market and leverage cutting edge technology and
cultivated know-how that it then uses in the design
of their advanced true "Industrial Grade"
LCD modules.
Here
again in contrast, the low-end ‘industrial’ display
“manufacturers” must purchase only cheaply made
office/home grade LCD panels.
Features
Consumer
grade budget displays generally offer only the
bare minimum in terms of notable features. For
instance, "budget" models typically offer 1 or
2 video input capabilities such as VGA and DVI
only. Most VarTech products offer a comprehensive
selection of video (NTSC/PAL/SECAM) and computer
input capabilities from HD15 (VGA), Mini Din 4-way
(S-Video), Composite (BNC), DVI, Component YPbPr,
SD Component YCbCr, and even sync-on-green. Additionally,
VarTech's unique OSD 8-button control system allows
the client one-touch setting, including single-button
toggle selection through each input, dedicated
single function hot-buttons settings for brightness
control, contrast, and many others. Many models
offer selectable aspect ratios and image scaling
as well.
"Budget"
models are generally only offered with set 110/220
V AC power capabilities. With VarTech units, a
client will have the choice of wide ranges of
AC and DC configurations, from fixed 12V DC to
unregulated 9 to 36 VDC to universal 90-264VAC.
Additional
Modifications as a Total Solution Provider
VarTech
understands the challenges of meeting exact application
requirements.
LCD
Enhancements Include:
-
High-Luminance (both CCFL & LED)
- Optical Film Stack Integration
- Optical Bonding (VBOND)
- Touch Screen Options
- EMI/RFI Filter Integration
- Hydrophobic Topcoating
- ITO & Mesh Heaters
- Vandal Shields
Other
Available Options Include:
- Conformal Coating of all Electronics
- Private Labeling
- Mechanical and/or Electrical Customizations
- Environmental & Compliance Testing
Quality
Control & System Testing
VarTech
designs a wide range of rugged displays for various
harsh applications. At all stages of the production
process, VarTech’s display solutions are rigorously
tested to ensure compliance with various Industrial,
Marine and Military standards for application
in hostile environments.
Additionally,
as an ISO-registered manufacturer, VarTech Systems
has adopted stringent quality standards. When
you purchase a product or service from VarTech
Systems, you have important assurances that the
quality of what you receive will be as you expect.
Additionally, we adhere to set standards, quality
objectives, continual improvement, and monitoring
of customer satisfaction that provides our customers
with increased assurances that their needs and
expectations will be met.
We
have implemented plans for:
- Policy
- Procedures
- Work Instructions
- Corrective Action
- Preventive Action
- Design Control
- Document Control
- Statistical Process
- Management Review
Since
adopting these procedures, we have experienced
significant reductions in operating costs and
increased demand for our products and services.
Other benefits include better working conditions,
increased market share and increased profits.
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Conclusion
With
its continuous and focused R&D efforts, VarTech
Systems is always breaking new ground in the field
of rugged display technology. VarTech combines
its proven and low-risk rugged components with
the latest advancements in display technology,
such as LED backlight technology and VarTech’s
unique thermal management systems, to provide
the most trusted displays for harsh environmental
conditions, mission critical applications, and
real-world needs.
So,
would you rather a “Repackaged” Product or a VarTech
solution? A difference you can see.
A
“Repackaged” Consumer Grade Product
or
The
VarTech Solution
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