In our previous blog post about Lumineq displays, we told that one of the three cornerstones of our display business strategy for 2017 are in-glass laminated transparent displays, which improve safety and ergonomics in cockpits and other driver environments. Today, we will take a closer look at this interesting opportunity and growth area.
Interview with Olli Pekonen, product manager for Lumineq in-glass
Our guide will be Dr Olli Pekonen, who is the product manager for our laminated windshield displays. Olli will answer for us a couple of the frequently asked questions about lamination and transparent displays.
Beneq Marketing: What exactly is an in-glass-laminated Lumineq display?
Olli: An in-glass laminated TASEL® display is basically “just” a transparent display, which is based on the proven Thin Film Electroluminescent (TFEL) technology of Lumineq, adapted for lamination purposes. With a casual glance, a non-laminated TASEL display looks just like a sheet of thin glass with a flexible printed circuit cable bonded to it. In a normal glass lamination process, the display is sandwiched between two glass sheets, usually involving a PVB (polyvinyl butural) adhesive interlayer. The lamination process is very demanding and harsh for any electrical component, but luckily Lumineq displays have a long heritage of withstanding completely inhumane conditions.
Product Manager Olli Pekonen with the Lumineq Lamination Introduction Package.
An in-glass laminated display offers many benefits in cockpits
Beneq Marketing: What are the benefits of laminating the display in-glass e.g. in a cockpit?
Olli: The benefits are numerous. Consider the following, for example: The operator of the vehicle (be it a ship, a crane or a tractor) naturally observes the outside world through the windshield. If the operator has to change the line of sight every time something needs to be checked from the instrument panel (like the speed of the vehicle, distance to a target, or any other important measurement), the operator gets distracted. By placing the display in the immediate vicinity of the line of sight, distractions are minimized.
Beneq Marketing: Can you give another example why transparent displays are being laminated in windshields?
Olli: There is usually a lot of free space in the windshield, but inside the cockpit, things are getting cluttered and confined. Placing a display in the windshield maximizes the utilization of space. The laminated glass also serves as good mechanical protection for the display, the perfect “cocoon”. Inside the glass, the display can withstand more or less anything the windshield can. You can safely wipe the display clean with the windshield wipers!
Technical details of Lumineq displays for in-glass lamination
Beneq Marketing: Can you give us any numerical performance characteristics of the displays?
Olli: Sure! The display is currently manufactured of glass that is 0,7 mm thin. This creates a virtually invisible display, including the glass edges. The maximum size of one display is 240 x 160 mm (approximately), but the displays can usually be stacked side-by-side, creating a larger display. The brightness of the display is usually around 100-1000cd/m2, depending on the frame rate, the complexity of the display, etc. The power consumption depends on the brightness and size of the display, but is usually from some watts to some tens of watts.
Beneq Marketing: Is there also an on-glass laminated alternative?
Olli: Shortly, yes. An on-glass laminated, optically bonded, display is basically a glued-on alternative to the in-glass version. The biggest difference when attaching the display on glass is that you have to design a small frame or similar to cover the tiny 1-2mm threshold around the edges of the display.
The lamination process starts with the Lumineq Lamination Introduction Package
Beneq Marketing: What do you think is the most special characteristic of a Lumineq display in glass?
Olli: The most striking feature of an in-glass laminated Lumineq display is simply its transparency. With good optical matching and a quality windscreen, transmission of over 70 % is easily achievable for the overall structure, enabling the usage of the displays in places previously not thought possible. In many countries, the minimum requirement for the light transmission of vehicle windshields is 70 %.
Beneq Marketing: Thank you, Olli, for the brief overview of in-glass laminated Lumineq displays. One final question: If a new customer is interested in the details, how do you get started?
Olli: My pleasure. There are a couple of alternatives. You can contact your local Lumineq distributor or directly us at Beneq Lumineq Display to get more information and to discuss your requirements. The contact information is easiest to find from the contact pages of our website. You can also contact your lamination or glass partner, who may already be in contact with us. The lamination endeavor usually starts with a pilot using what we at Lumineq Displays call the “LIP”, short for Lamination Introduction Package.
Or you can simply read more about the benefits of Lumineq displays as HUDs, the improved safety and ergonomics, and better situational awareness of in-glass laminated transparent displays from our earlier blog posts. From our website you will also find more information about the Lumineq Lamination Introduction Package.
