“Tough and Private” - New Touch Screens Aimed at Ruggedized Self-Service and ATM Applications

METHUEN, Mass. - 3M Touch Systems, Inc. has announced the availability of MicroTouch ToughTouch II capacitive touch screens for ruggedized self-service kiosks and ATM applications – specifically, environments where impact strength, shatter resistance, brighter displays, superior surface wear, and viewer privacy are a requirement.

ToughTouch II is the successor to the MicroTouch ToughTouch product, which has been field-tested in vandal-prone environments for more than a decade, and now offers product enhancements in optical clarity, surface durability, electronics compatibility, and RoHS compliance. Like the 3M MicroTouch ClearTek II capacitive product, ToughTouch II is a highly responsive, reliable touch screen, but with a much higher level of impact resistance against breakage from accidental or malicious activity.

ToughTouch II is 3M’s most rugged capacitive touch product and its construction combines a MicroTouch ClearTek II capacitive touch screen with a 4mm glass layer optically laminated to the back. With an overall thickness of 8mm, ToughTouch II is an ideal touch product for unsupervised, vandal-prone environments where ruggedized ATMs and self-service kiosks are used.

“The ToughTouch II touch screen is 3M’s most recent enhancement to the MicroTouch capacitive product line, which continues a development effort started nearly 20 years ago when 3M invented surface capacitive technology,” stated Ty Silberhorn, general manager, 3M Touch Systems. “ToughTouch II is yet another indicator that 3M will continue to be one of the world’s leading providers of capacitive touch screen solutions.

ToughTouch II touch screens comply with UL 60950 safety standards (impact breakage) and are IP66 / NEMA 4 sealable against liquids and other contaminants. These two capabilities, plus the sophisticated electronics of the MicroTouch EX II touch controller, help ensure continuous touch screen operation over extended periods, in a wide range of operating (-15°C to +70°C) and storage (-50ºC to + 80ºC) temperatures, in some of the harshest user environments.

In addition to these ruggedized features, 3M’s optical expertise provides ToughTouch II with an enhanced light transmission value of 86.5% to help ensure improved visibility under varying lighting conditions and, by integrating 3M Vikuiti Light Control Film between the glass layers, can provide a reliable on-screen, viewer privacy option for financial transactions.

MicroTouch ToughTouch II touch screens are now available in 12.1”, 15”, 17” and 19” standard sizes and integrated with Vikuiti Light Control Film (viewer privacy feature) in 12.1”, 15”, and 17” standard sizes. ToughTouch II can also be provided in a custom size to accommodate wide-aspect ratios for the new generation of displays and up to 32” for large-format applications.