We also have an extreme environment with high temps and dirty conditions.
We tested a couple different touch screens but realized that we still needed a keyboard for data entry, logging in, entering quantities, etc., and an optical mouse didn't have much trouble even in those conditions. We concluded that the Touch capability didn't do much for useability, you still had to use the keyboard often and reaching up to touch the screen was more of a hastle, people are already used to using a mouse.
We finally decided to just use a Wireless Wyse Thin Client connected to Windows Terminal Server 2008 via RDP.
The cost of a "standard" 19" CRT was around $100 compared to $800+ for a touchscreen. Keyboards and Optical Mice are CHEAP and easy to replace. With 40+ Kiosks this was a significant savings.
We purchased metal cabinets with plexiglass covers over the CRT, a pullout drawer for the mouse and keyboard. The Wireless Thin Client sits inside and a $100 Wireless Laser Printer sits in the lower part of the cabinet.
The beauty of this arrangement is the flexibility, if you want to move this Kiosk all you need is a power plug at the destination. With a good size UPS you could even run "unplugged" for a few hours somewhere as long as you have wireless signal.
We have been running this equipment for over a year and I have only had to replace a couple Printer Drum Units ($40 each).
Hope that helps.
Neil
We tested a couple different touch screens but realized that we still needed a keyboard for data entry, logging in, entering quantities, etc., and an optical mouse didn't have much trouble even in those conditions. We concluded that the Touch capability didn't do much for useability, you still had to use the keyboard often and reaching up to touch the screen was more of a hastle, people are already used to using a mouse.
We finally decided to just use a Wireless Wyse Thin Client connected to Windows Terminal Server 2008 via RDP.
The cost of a "standard" 19" CRT was around $100 compared to $800+ for a touchscreen. Keyboards and Optical Mice are CHEAP and easy to replace. With 40+ Kiosks this was a significant savings.
We purchased metal cabinets with plexiglass covers over the CRT, a pullout drawer for the mouse and keyboard. The Wireless Thin Client sits inside and a $100 Wireless Laser Printer sits in the lower part of the cabinet.
The beauty of this arrangement is the flexibility, if you want to move this Kiosk all you need is a power plug at the destination. With a good size UPS you could even run "unplugged" for a few hours somewhere as long as you have wireless signal.
We have been running this equipment for over a year and I have only had to replace a couple Printer Drum Units ($40 each).
Hope that helps.
Neil
--- In vantage@yahoogroups.com, "richter_clements" <richter_clements@...> wrote:
>
> What type of touch screens are used on shop floor for Data Collection? We are still using Labor Entry via job cards and I've finally convinced them to try data collection on the shop floor. I don't know what kind of touch screen to put out on the floor though.... Anybody have suggestions - based on what you are using?
>
> We have extreme temperatures on floor and LOTs of dirt....
>