Zytronic provides touch functionality to APC Technology

The installation of electrical equipment in heavy processing facilities, such as oil refineries and chemical plants, can be very hazardous. In such demanding settings, flammable gases are likely to be present, so it is vital that every possible precaution is taken to ensure any sparks caused by electrical switching activity or fault conditions do not ignite these gases. To address this problem, APC Technology has developed an industrial PC with an enclosure which ensures that there is no possibility of an internal spark triggering an external explosion. The resultant enclosure/touchscreen design was then certified to the Exd (flameproof/explosion proof) standard. “The design of this anti-explosion enclosure required a customised touchscreen which could perform to the highest standards while still enduring subjection to the uncompromising and potentially dangerous conditions found in industrial locations,” Ian Crosby, Sales & Marketing Director at Zytronic explains. “This project has shown Zytronic’s ability to push the envelope in terms of touch performance - consolidating our lead in providing sensor solutions in self-service, public access and industrial sectors.” “We have worked successfully with Zytronic on the fulfilment of a number of customised designs in the past. They have delivered technology to us that we were not able to get anywhere else and were therefore the natural choice for this latest, highly ambitious venture,” states Scott Begbie, Managing Director of APC Technology. “During the design and prototyping phases our two companies worked closely together to give the enclosure a heavy duty user interface that could deal with the most of exacting performance demands. Zytronic’s engineering team provided all the support we required to achieve our goals.”