OEM & Lieferant - Ausgabe 1/2021

70 Engineering Partner S H A R E While panels in household electronics are be- coming thinner and lighter, this poses a grea- ter problem for vehicles. There, the sensitive sensor technology is subject to stricter requi- rements in terms of service life and environ- mental influences, which is why more robust displays have been developed. Though a high rigidity of components is important, touch displays should still be flexible enough in an accident to reduce the risk of injury in a col- lision. It is therefore important to protect the sensors and the driver on the one hand, but also to bring familiar features into the pass- enger cell on the other. Evolution des Displays – Outcell, Oncell, Incell This is achieved by integrating the indivi- dual components into the display. When the electronics are applied to the outer layers (Outcell Technology), they are more expo- sed to temperature fluctuations, vibrations and electromagnetic fields. As a result, the sensor and the microcontroller were built deeper and deeper into the panel (Oncell technology). The advantage of such a design is the basic structure of a touch component: The heart of every touch LCD display is the so-called cell, which essentially consists of a protective TFT glass layer (Thin Film Tran- sistor) on which TFT circuits are mounted. Above this is a layer of liquid crystals, which is closed at the top by a color filter and the corresponding glass layer. This entire ele- ment is enclosed by the polarization filter. Touch technologies for the automotive industry How features of interactive displays find their way into the passenger cell of the future By Dipl.-Ing. Sebastian Masi, Senior Engineer Display & Instruments at ARRK Engineering Smartphones, tablets, televisions: touch displays are ubiquitous and are increasingly being used in modern vehicles – whether for buttonless operation of the air conditioning or infotainment system. In contrast to consumer elec- tronics, these functions have to face special challenges in vehicles: Strong vibrations, changing temperatures and electromagnetic fields are the rule in road traffic. To ensure that drivers can enjoy the benefits of touch displays not only at home but also in their cars, the technology must therefore be adapted to the requirements of the automotive industry. This is achieved, for example, by integrating state-of-the-art technologies with TDDI or OLED components, but also by means of an extensive testing and validation process with regard to resistance and function. In this way, it can be ensured that the driving experience is actually enhanced and not diminished by advanced touch displays. Image: © metamorworks/shutterstock.com Touch displays are increasingly being used in modern vehicles as well - whether for operating an air conditioning system or in the form of an infotainment system.