Industrial Touchscreens: Everything You Need to Know But Were Afraid to Ask
- cindygarland
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
Ask the Professor
The Top Layer Stack of an Industrial Touchscreen
Figure 1: Touchscreen layer stack showing cover lens glass, touch sensor, and display
Every industrial touchscreen begins with the cover lens glass. This top layer is bonded directly to the touch sensor and serves as the primary interface between the user and the system. Its role is critical: it must protect the touch sensor and display while maintaining optical clarity and consistent touch performance in demanding environments.
The touch sensor is electrically connected to a touch controller IC, which is mounted on either a rigid printed circuit board or a flexible printed circuit (FPC). Together, these components form a tightly integrated system designed for long-term reliability in industrial applications.
Not Ordinary Glass:
Engineered for strength, durability and optical performance
The glass used in UICO industrial touchscreens is a specialty aluminosilicate glass engineered specifically for strength, durability, and optical performance. Unlike standard soda-lime glass, this material is designed at the atomic level to withstand repeated impact, resist surface damage, and maintain accurate touch response over time.
These properties are essential in industrial environments where exposure to vibration, contaminants, temperature variation, and repeated use is expected.
Chemically Strengthened Touch Screen Glass
Figure 2: Chemical strengthening process (ion exchange at glass surface)
For small to mid-size industrial touchscreens, chemically strengthened glass is the most commonly used solution.
During the chemical strengthening process:
The glass is immersed in a molten salt bath
Sodium ions in the glass surface are replaced by larger potassium ions
The ion exchange creates a permanent compressive stress layer
This surface compression significantly improves impact resistance and limits crack propagation without increasing glass thickness.
Typical applications:
Touchscreens up to approximately 32 inches
Glass thicknesses from 1.1 mm to 3 mm, selected based on screen size and durability requirements.
Heat-Tempered Glass for Large Touchscreens
Figure 3: Heat-tempered glass safety break pattern
As touchscreen size increases, heat-tempered glass becomes the preferred solution.
Typical applications:
Touchscreens 32 inches and larger
Thicknesses ranging from 4 mm to 6 mm, depending on screen size and impact exposure
Key characteristics:
Comparable strength improvement to chemically strengthened glass
Predictable safety break pattern that fractures into small, blunt pieces
Improved safety for large-format industrial and public-facing installations
The safety break pattern is a key reason heat-tempered glass is selected for larger touchscreens.
Gorilla® Glass and Dragontrail™ Glass for Touch Screen Applications
Figure 4: Scratch-resistant aluminosilicate glass examples
Gorilla® Glass and Dragontrail™ Glass are premium aluminosilicate materials developed for applications requiring maximum scratch resistance and durability.
Best suited for:
Small to medium-sized touchscreens
Applications with high abrasion or surface wear
Thin, lightweight designs
While these materials offer excellent technical performance, they carry a significant cost premium and are often cost-prohibitive for many industrial applications.
Increased Thickness Using Laminated Backer Glass
Figure 5: Laminated cover lens with secondary backer glass
In applications requiring extreme durability, additional strength can be achieved by laminating a secondary backer glass to the rear of the touchscreen.
A typical configuration may include:
6 mm cover lens glass
up to 19mm backer glass
Total glass thickness up to 25mm
This approach is commonly used in demanding industrial environments, including Class I Division 1 and Class I Division 2 applications, where mechanical strength and impact resistance are critical.
Used in applications where an explosion needs to be controlled within the box. crucial for safely handling flammable gases/vapors, requiring robust, sealed systems with explosion-proof electricals (lights, outlets, conduits) designed to contain potential internal explosions and prevent external ignition.
Ask the Professor: Final Takeaway for Industrial Touch Screens
Selecting the right cover lens glass is not a matter of choosing the strongest option available. It requires a careful balance of durability, safety, optical performance, touch functionality, and cost, all evaluated within the context of the end application. Industrial touchscreens are engineered systems, not standardized products. UICO works closely with customers to ensure the glass solution selected is optimized for performance, reliability, and long-term use in the intended environment.
