By Stefano Rosato
Designing displays for industry means that we regularly fight against the elements. Environments that are too dark or too bright, operating locations that are freezing cold – or boiling hot! And the weather… oh my, the weather. Our displays must be able to handle everything from a drizzle to a blizzard. These are just your average everyday design challenges to our experts.
So, when we develop a new technology which helps us to address these issues, we get excited. And when we can go above and beyond, well, it’s time for us to dust off a word that we usually reserve for only the most exciting developments: Gamechanger.
And, you guessed it, we have one for you. Our next-generation Mini LED technology. We could say ‘it offers superior performance’ or ‘it’s been designed to meet the demanding requirements of automotive, railway, and industrial applications, while also serving as a cost-effective and robust alternative to OLED’. And both of these things would be true. But they don’t come close to capturing the energy of those little air punches that mark a truly exciting moment.
Of course, we must attend to the detail. Because at this point, you’ll no doubt be wanting more than just our favourite word and to understand why you should choose Avnet’s Mini LED technology over standard backlighting, other Mini LEDs or OLED displays. So here goes:
Backlight Uniformity: Our Mini LEDs are exceptional in this regard and their brightness is consistent across the display. Take a look at the diagram below, which explains why.
Why is this important? If your application needs precise and consistent visual output, then consistent backlighting is essential.
High Contrast and Brightness: The higher contrast ratios and brightness of our Mini LED displays is one of the reasons we introduced this new TFT technology and it can help to solve the issue of variable lighting conditions. When compared to OLED, Mini LED matches or exceeds contrast levels in brightness-critical applications, especially outdoors or in brightly lit settings.
Why is this important? It means that the display is clear and readable, and colours can be easily differentiated. This is obviously important for the safe operating of vehicles, trains and industrial machines.
Reliable and Durable: Unlike OLED displays, which are prone to burn-in and shorter lifespans, our Mini LED technology is designed to be more durable over time, particularly in high-brightness and demanding environments, and across applications which require extended product life. This durability, of course, extends to water resistance and other environmental influences, making them suitable for harsh environments.
Why is this important? We’ve certainly never met a customer that doesn’t specifically ask for a durable and long-lasting product.
Modular and Customizable: This technology can be tailored to a wide range of applications and customization is key for those sectors requiring specific configurations, such as smart surfaces, dashboards, and digital signage.
Why is this important? No two applications are the same and, across industries, displays very much vary in shape, size, functionality, cost and, naturally, the volumes required.
Heat Management: OLEDs tend to overheat in high-brightness scenarios, but our Mini LEDs are reliably consistent.
Why is this important? It prolongs the lifespan of the display, keeps it performing to an exceptional standard and, simply, is safer.
Ultra-Thin Form Factor: While OLED is also known for its slim profile, our Mini LED solution is also suitable for space-conscious applications, but without sacrificing performance, brightness, durability, and cost-effectiveness.
Why is this important? Well, besides looking great, an ultra-thin display is lighter for when every gram counts and can be customized to fit in even more spaces.
And finally…
Cost Efficiency: OLEDs are generally more expensive to produce due to their complex manufacturing processes. Whereas our Mini LED technology is a cost-effective alternative that gives high-quality performance without the associated premium costs of OLED.
Why is this important? This needs no explanation, right?
Road, rail and industry, of course, are demanding spaces for technology, always looking to push the boundaries of what’s possible. And while they have very specific challenges when it comes to displays, they share their requirements for quality, compliance, safety and value. In this regard, we tick every box for our customers, and they continue to come to us for our game changing technologies and long experience in working with the demands of their industries.
