Why In-House Touchscreen Panel Repair Is Often Impractical
Automation powers much of today’s advanced machinery, meaning operators can program major functions and leave machinery to execute these functions on demand. The convenience of touchscreen displays simplifies this process tremendously and enables better information relay between operators and machines. Unfortunately, an unresponsive touchscreen panel can easily hinder the entire machine function, causing downtime.
Barriers to in-house touchscreen repair
Typically, a major problem with unresponsive touchscreen panels is a lack of knowledgeable in-house repair technicians or troubleshooting equipment. Not every electrical repair bench includes diagnostic tools specific to touchscreen panels, and training for touchscreen repairs is usually a specialty beyond general electrical component repair.
To complicate matters, touchscreens rely on several critical components, each of which may contribute to touchscreen failure if faulty. If the main board, LCD screen, or any individual electrical components (capacitors, switches, etc.) are in any way damaged, the screen will not work. Getting to the bottom of an unresponsive touchscreen panel means individually checking each part for failure.
Finally, few manufacturers stock touchscreen repair parts. The cost of stocking these parts is rarely justified by tying up that cost in inventory, since touchscreens experience a very low failure rate compared with mechanical components. Sourcing the right replacement components could take weeks if done in-house.
Approaches to touchscreen repair
With these variables accounted for, you can follow three different repair pathways to restore your touchscreen panel functionality:
1. Contact the manufacturer. Many companies with industrial touchscreen products — such as Allen Bradley, Xycom, Square D, Fanuc Quickpanel, Cutler Hammer, and Automation Direct — can send out repair techs or walk your in-house techs through troubleshooting. The pros of this approach include being able to control the repair process and saving money on repair costs; the cons are a long lead time for replacement parts and the prospect of not having all essential repair or diagnostic tools in-house.
2. Attempt in-house repairs. Your touchscreen panel’s demise could be a learning opportunity for a savvy electrical repair tech. Evaluating the device’s manual, speaking with the manufacturer, and applying general technical know-how could result in repairs done totally in-house. The pros are a new level of expertise for your repair staff and the ability to fix the same issue in the future; the cons are extended repair times as unfamiliar techs learn, as well as long lead times and higher costs for parts, required or not.
3. Contract the repair out. Contracting touchscreen repair out to a company like Global Electronic Services (GES) means getting the right repair, quickly. The pros are rapid, reliable, guaranteed repairs with a shorter lead time on parts; the con is not being able to keep the repair strictly in-house.
As evidenced by these repair options’ pros and cons, the smart solution is to contract out touchscreen repairs to a company like GES. Being able to rely on specialists with the right tools and access to the right repair parts is the quickest and easiest way to get your equipment back up and running.
Dealing with a damaged touchscreen device that’s backing up your operations? If you need repairs, you can always count on the professionals at Global Electronic Services. Contact us for all your industrial electronic, servo motor, AC and DC motor, hydraulic, and pneumatic needs — and don’t forget to like and follow us on Facebook!
