We are very excited to share with you that our technology has made its way over to Belgium. The product pictured is an electric vehicle charging station, one of 25 positioned along Belgium’s motorway system, linking the country’s major cities. These stations can charge two vehicles at the same time and drivers can expect to charge 80 per cent of their battery in just 30 minutes.
For this product, we have supplied a membrane switch and acrylic backing panel as the interface which, put simply, is the black part that you can see in the middle of the unit with the buttons. As you can see, the charging station is up against harsh weather conditions, in this case, snow. Worth noting is its unique liquid-cooled technology, which enables the Veefil-RT to operate in such extreme temperatures. It’s incredibly important to us that we can meet the high standards required of us by our customers. We are pleased that we can illustrate how we provide solutions for world-class technology with particularly robust specifications including the ability to withstand harsh conditions.
The charging stations within this network are easy to use and accessible to all drivers, making this project a key component of the modernisation of transport infrastructure across the EU. Being part of a project that makes it feasible for electric car drivers to travel from Scotland to Genoa in Italy or Brussels in Belgium, using public charging to support their journeys, is certainly something that we are pleased to be involved with.
Get in touch with Reid Industrial when you develop your next product
Come and visit us at the Electronex 2017 Tradeshow in Melbourne.
Where we will be showcasing our full range of Interface Products; Including Graphic Overlays, Membrane Keypads, Capacitive Sensors, Backlighting Technologies and more.
Tradeshow details:
When: Wednesday 6/9/17 – Thursday 7/9/17
Where: Melbourne Park Function Centre
Stand: C14
We’re looking forward to catching up with you at the show
One of the pleasures of being a specialist manufacturer is having the opportunity to be involved in new projects from their inception through to becoming fully functioning devices. At Reid Industrial Graphic Products we are committed to an R&D program that has over time, created new technologies that have significantly made a difference for our customers.
Over the years we have been involved in many R&D projects undertaken and brought to market; we would like to share one case study with you here.
Industry IQ, a leading electrical engineering company specialising in control systems for moving machines, required an interface device that would allow concrete truck drivers to work at the rear of the truck during darkness.
With the customer working closely with our R&D engineers, the outcome was to manufacture a flat panel membrane switch with tactile domes, backlit using SMD side shining Led’s and incorporating Reid Industrials Light Guide Film technology, for even light distribution across the panel. The project has been successfully released to market and is a win-win for both companies, developed and manufactured at our Clontarf facility.
If you have a printed electronics project that needs our R&D expertise to bring it from concept to market, don’t hesitate to contact out Account Management Team for more information on how we can help you.
For your next project, contact Reid Industrial Graphic Products for an obligation free quotation.
Why buying local is better
We have conversations quite regularly with people about buying local versus offshore suppliers and sadly, we often hear the horror stories during these conversations. Stories about incorrect products being delivered, incorrect dimensions, incorrect colours or the product not being what the person expected, and we pretty much have the same answer each time. Whilst offshore suppliers may have their benefits, in our opinion, the benefits of local supply far outweigh any benefits of using offshore suppliers. Here’s why.
Is it really local?
What we’ve found is that in many cases, people don’t actually know where their product is coming from. Just because a sales representative is based locally does not mean that their products are locally made. We’ve had too many discussions with customers where they are not properly informed, or they’re just unaware. Ask the suppliers if their product is produced locally. Make sure you know the facts.
The benefits
Local support & representation
We conduct customer visits to discuss your projects and find a solution. This means that you get to speak directly with our team, face to face, and discuss your requirements in detail. Meeting our team in person means that you know who you are talking to. After visiting your business, we have clear understanding of what you need, with no uncertainty.
Locally manufactured
We have full control over the finished product as we produce it here in our facility. This ensures that what you receive is exactly what you’re after, and if any issues arise they can be addressed quickly, easily and with a faster turnaround on delivery because we’re local. Did you know that we reinvest a minimum of 5% of our turnover into R&D Projects, allowing us to develop new products and collaborate with key customers to utilise the technology to grow their businesses.
Staff
From an ethical perspective, buying locally manufactured products supports our local community, keeping skilled Australians employed. Our staff are all highly trained, and locally based.
Cost
When buying offshore products, you need to consider the cost of freight. Furthermore, if you receive an incorrect item, or a part needs to be replaced, you’re looking at additional freight costs.
For your next project, contact Reid Industrial Graphic Products for a obligation free quotation.
Reid Industrial Graphics Product’s Capacitive Switches can be used as more than just switches. The team at Reid Industrial can help with your next project, integrate other technologies to enable the sensor to become a multi faceted product with capabilities that will stand out from you competitors. Our recent project with Australia’s largest air conditioner manufacturer, Actron Air, has enabled them to increase their product offering to reflect the growing demand for automated controls in the home air conditioning.
- Can be set to sense when your product has been picked up or moved
- Can have Built-in noise detection and filtering
- Multi-touch (Can be used for multiple touch points at the same time).
- Can be set for single tap, double tap, slide touch or rotor
- Very durable as it can be housed behind up to 6mm thick glass or other materials
- Can be combined with a buzzer or LED light for user feedback
- Incorporate proximity sensors
- Incorporate Reid Industrial Backlighting Technologies
Applications:
- Remote Control touch pads
- Gaming devices
- Security control keypads
- Home automation control panels
- Human-machine interfaces with configurable button, keypad or scrolling functions
- Single finger gesture interfaces to swipe, scroll, or double tap controls
For your next project, contact Reid Industrial Graphic Products for an obligation free quotation.
With a successful Electronex 2017 Tradeshow wrapped up, we would like to send a big thanks to the long list of customers who visited us at the stand during the two days. To those of you who are new to Reid, we will be following up with you over the next week or so to talk in more detail about your upcoming projects. In the meantime don’t hesitate to call us if you didn’t get all the information about the product you are interested in.
As usual, we showcased the full range of Reid Interface products, with the Capacitive Switches and Backlighting technologies being the most popular.
Reid Industrial Graphic Products can produce antimicrobial Graphic Overlays and Membrane Keypads, these products are suitable for environments where cleanliness is essential.
The material used is Autotex AM, which is a hardcoated Polyester that has a built-in Microban® antimicrobial protection that inhibits the growth of mold, mildew and bacteria.
The material can withstand harsh cleaning chemicals typically used in the medical industry.
Some applications where these products can be used include medical environments (Hospitals and Nursing Homes) and areas of high traffic (Shopping Centres, Airports, Hotels and Fitness Centres).
Badging Solutions. Domed Labels are a great way of branding your product. The ‘domed’ resin finish is extremely tough and enhances the printed image.
Some of the applications for these labels are:
Clubs (RSL Clubs, Surf Clubs, Sport Clubs)
Retailers
Service Station Chains
Hospitals and Health Care Industry
Fast Food Chains
Transportation (Airlines, Trains)
The features and benefits of Membrane Switches make them the most common construction for custom flexible Membrane Keypads.
When compared to costly electromechanical switch assemblies, Membrane Switches or Keypads stand out for a host of features and benefits:
Extremely thin construction saves the all-important design space
Cost, especially when compared to electromechanical switch assemblies
Low-profile surface is cleaned easily
An easy, one-piece, one-operation assembly
Offer a variety of design options
Design Options offered by Membrane Switches
Tactile and non-tactile with either Metal Domes, Polydomes or Capacitive
Pillow or rim-embossed custom Graphic Overlays
Embedded LED’s
Sealed Construction depending on custom designs with wide variety of adhesives.
Backlighting options; EL Electro Luminescence, Fiber Optic Mat, LED backlighting
Rigid backing can be added such as aluminum, PETG or acrylic
EMI/RFI and Antistatic shielding options
Graphic Overlays that can be digitally printed, screen printed, or a combination of both methods
The graphic overlays can incorporate transparent and tinted display windows, as well as selective textures these can also incorporate custom and corporate colours as needed.
Standard 2.54mm Nicomatic connectors or an array of ZIF connection options.
Chemical, Fire resistant, Stainless Steel Textured or Antimicrobial materials can be used.
Choice of adhesive is important when designing a Membrane Keypad. There are many factors to consider including material type and surface finish and the operating environment of the product.
Typical applications for Membrane Keypads use 3M 467, however, many different adhesives are available which meet a variety of application specifications.
- Adhesive options include:
- 3M 467 (standard applications) – For general industrial bonding between substrates and typical surfaces
- 3M 468 (double thickness 467) – For general industrial bonding that need a
slightly thicker adhesive than normal nameplates etc - 3M LSE (low surface energy applications) – Excellent bond to low surface energy
plastics, such as polypropylene, powder coatings or lightly oiled surfaces - 3M VHB (very high bond) – VHB adhesive is suited for when high bonding
strength is needed for industrial bonding with high shear or pull force
Of course with any adhesive that you may choose, the most important step to maintain
adhesive, is to ensure that the bonding surface has been thoroughly prepared by
cleaning and making sure it is dry and well unified. Typical cleaning solvents are Isopropyl alcohol/water mixture (rubbing alcohol) or Heptane.
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