Established specifically to help purchasers and designers source human machine interface (HMI) products, RS Components has added new products to its portfolio to create the HMI Technology Solutions range.
The range includes new products from manufacturers such as Omron, Nikkai NKK, Apem, EAO, Arcolectric and Osram. It includes over 400 keypads, joysticks, switches, encoders, indicators, touchscreen monitors, OLED displays, printers and cardreaders to ensure that RS can provide that crucial link between man and machine. Applications include industrial control, waterproof or public-domain machinery, medical equipment and portable hand-held devices.
RS predicts growth in this mature market over the coming years with capacitive touch sensing technology, for example, growing in white goods, building control and consumer electronics. They offer a durable replacement for mechanical switches with no moving parts for a reliable and trouble-free service lifetime. Matching this trend, Omron’s new touch sensor IC family, B6TS, enables touch keys to be produced using any non-conductive panel material including wood, rubber, plastic, marble and glass.
This shift away from pushbuttons and knob systems to more flexible solutions that can be connected into communication networks is projected to expand. With its full range including displays, solid state lighting, wireless, power supplies, embedded computing and now HMI, RS aims to advise on the best technologies for emerging applications.