Industrial touchscreen applications in outdoor environments: anti-glare and high brightness requirements

Outdoor working environments differ significantly from indoor environments, directly impacting the performance and lifespan of industrial touchscreens. Firstly, outdoor lighting conditions are complex and variable, ranging from intense direct sunlight to diffused light on cloudy days; displays must remain clearly readable under these extreme conditions. Secondly, temperature fluctuations are wide, ranging from frigid winters to scorching summers, requiring equipment to withstand temperature changes from -30°C to 70°C. Furthermore, environmental factors such as rain, dust, and vibration place higher demands on the equipment’s protective performance.

Among these challenges, the decrease in screen visibility due to direct sunlight is particularly prominent. When ambient light intensity exceeds 100,000 lux (typical value under direct sunlight on a sunny day), the content displayed on ordinary LCD screens becomes almost illegible. This directly affects operator efficiency and may even lead to misoperation and production accidents. Therefore, improving display visibility in outdoor environments has become a primary task in industrial touchscreen design.

The key role of anti-glare technology

Anti-glare technology is one of the core solutions to outdoor visibility problems. Glare mainly originates from the specular reflection of ambient light on the screen surface. This reflection reduces display contrast and makes images blurry. Industrial touchscreens primarily achieve anti-glare technology through the following three methods:

Surface Treatment Technology

Adding a special anti-glare coating or etching treatment to the screen surface converts specular reflection into diffuse reflection. This treatment effectively disperses incident light and reduces reflection interference in strong light environments. Advanced anti-glare treatment can reduce reflectivity to below 2%, significantly improving outdoor visibility. For example, using nanoscale surface texture technology achieves optimal anti-glare performance without affecting touch sensitivity.

Optical Lamination Technology

Eliminating the air layer between the display and the protective glass through a full lamination process reduces interface reflection. Traditional non-laminated screens have multiple reflective interfaces, each causing approximately 4% light loss. Full lamination technology minimizes these reflections while improving overall light transmittance. Industrial-grade touchscreens typically use optical adhesive (OCA) or optical color refraction (OCR) for complete bonding, ensuring no bubbles or delamination occur even in harsh environments.

Polarization and filtering technology

Through special polarizer and filter designs, incident light at specific angles is selectively filtered. Some high-end industrial screens employ circular polarization technology, combined with UV-resistant treatment, which not only reduces glare but also protects the screen from long-term UV damage. This technology is particularly suitable for applications exposed to sunlight for extended periods, such as oilfield monitoring and port machinery.

Implementation methods for high-brightness displays

In bright sunlight, anti-glare technology alone is insufficient to guarantee clear visibility of displayed content; increasing the screen’s own brightness is another key solution. Ordinary LCD screens typically have a brightness between 250-500 cd/m², while outdoor industrial touchscreens need to reach over 1000 cd/m², and in extreme environments, even ultra-high brightness of 1500-2000 cd/m² is required.

High-brightness backlight module

The core of achieving high-brightness display lies in the innovation of the backlight system. Industrial touchscreens employ a multi-LED array design, combined with a high-efficiency light guide plate, to ensure uniform brightness distribution. Unlike consumer-grade products, industrial screen backlight systems require special heat dissipation designs to prevent overheating under high brightness operation. Some products use metal substrates or active cooling technology to ensure long-term stable operation.

Automatic brightness adjustment technology

To balance visibility and energy consumption, advanced outdoor industrial screens are equipped with ambient light sensors and automatic brightness adjustment systems. This system can monitor ambient light intensity in real time and dynamically adjust the screen brightness to the optimal level. This not only ensures visibility under various lighting conditions but also effectively extends LED lifespan and reduces energy consumption. This adaptive characteristic is particularly important in applications such as intelligent transportation and power line inspection.

Sunlight Readable Enhancement Technology

Combining high brightness with special pixel designs, some manufacturers have developed proprietary sunlight-readable technologies. For example, Pixelworks’ Sunlight Readable technology optimizes contrast and color saturation through real-time image processing, significantly improving visibility under strong light. Industrial touchscreens also employ low-reflectivity glass and UV-resistant treatments to comprehensively enhance outdoor performance.

Industrial Application Case Analysis

Intelligent Transportation Systems: Industrial touchscreens in urban traffic control centers and outdoor information screens require 24/7 operation. One city’s outdoor traffic control terminal is equipped with a 1500 cd/m² high-brightness screen and AG anti-glare glass, ensuring clear display of traffic flow data even under midday sunlight. The system integrates IP65 protection and a wide-temperature design, adapting to operating environments from -20℃ to 60℃, with an annual failure rate of less than 0.5%.

Oilfield Monitoring Equipment

In automated monitoring systems in desert oilfields, industrial touchscreens face challenges from extreme temperatures and strong sandstorms. One oilfield uses explosion-proof touchscreens that not only boast an ultra-high brightness of 2000 cd/m² but also resist sand abrasion through special surface treatment. The screen operates continuously for 12 hours at 50℃ without brightness decay, meeting the stringent requirements of the industrial environment.

Port Crane Operation

The operator’s cab of a port container crane requires a large-size touchscreen for precise control. A port uses a 21-inch industrial screen that combines projected capacitive touch technology and optical bonding technology, maintaining sensitive touch response even in environments with strong sea winds and salt spray corrosion. The screen’s anti-salt spray coating and IP67 protection rating ensure the device’s long-term reliability in humid marine environments.

Conclusion

The application of industrial touchscreens in outdoor environments faces the dual challenges of anti-glare and high brightness. These challenges have been effectively addressed through surface treatment technology, optical bonding processes, and high-performance backlight systems.