Industrial Panel PC and HMI Touch Panel from Christ: robust solutions for machines and plants

Industrial PCs can be designed as panel PCs, or also called touch panel PCs. In this case, the PC and display are housed in the same enclosure. By combining the industrial PC and the touch display, panel PCs require significantly less space.

We offer different touch panel variants. This gives you particularly high flexibility for your specific application. They meet all industrial requirements for protection, performance and interfaces.

Application areas for touchscreen panel

Since the areas of application for panel PCs are very different, there are numerous variants of industrial touchscreen PCs. Possible industries include mechanical and plant engineering, medical technology, pharmaceuticals and food, as well as in the automotive sector, e.g. for agricultural machinery or mobile machinery. Different industries have different requirements for touch panels.

In pharmaceutical and food applications, hygiene is a crucial factor. The panel PCs must be easy to clean. In addition, the use of harsh cleaning agents must not be a problem. Christ has developed its own product line for pharmaceutical and food applications here. They meet all the requirements of the EHEDG. The touch panel housing is made entirely of stainless steel. For safe production, the special seals are designed in blue.

Device variants for different requirements

Basically, 2 variants can be distinguished: Touch panels for installation and panel PCs for mounting. The housings are different for both. The housing for mounting should be completely closed (depending on the application). In the case of the built-in devices, the rear side may be less protected, since it is not freely accessible.

Mounting on support arm or recessed solution.

A distinction is made between industrial panels for mounting arm installation and installation in control cabinets or control panels. Christ offers durable and reliable solutions for all application areas. So-called VESA panel PCs can be mounted on support arms or pedestals. In addition, there are industrial touches with integrated buttons that can also be mounted on support arms or pedestals using the VESA mount provided as standard. Mounting using Icotek or a 48-pipe adapter is possible to ensure a high degree of flexibility.

For installation, we have front panel or so-called open frame solutions. These can be integrated flush with the surface in recesses provided. Front panels are inserted into the opening from the front and are protected from mechanical influences by a narrow aluminum frame.

Display diagonals and resolutions

Once it is clear which mounting solution is the right one, it is also still important to define the size of the display. For built-in devices, the size depends on the space provided for it. In applications for machine operation, e.g. as HMI, larger display diagonals are often used. For us, it is always particularly important to offer our customers as much flexibility as possible. For this reason, we offer a whole range of display diagonals. The different aspect ratios also result in different resolutions. In the past, mainly normal screen formats (e.g. 4:3) were used. The trend is now also moving towards widescreen formats (e.g. 16:9 with 1920 x 1080 pixels) with full HD resolution.

IP protection classes

Another important aspect when choosing the right industrial touch panel variant is the protection class. Depending on the environment, the technical components must be more or less protected. Does the panel PC come into contact with water, oil or similar liquids. Is there a high dirt or dust load? There are different protection classes for this. So-called IP classes. The following protection classes are common, especially for industrial applications:

Protection class IP20:

This protection class prevents objects with a diameter of ≥ 12.5 mm from entering the interior of the devices. It does not provide protection against the ingress of water. We use this protection class for our built-in panels. By mounting in control cabinets or operator panels, the industrial PCs with touch screen display are protected against environmental influences.

Protection class IP65

Touch panels with IP65 protection are dust-tight and protected against water jets from any angle. This makes them ready for use even in demanding industrial environments. Our panel PCs are IP65 protected on the front as standard in the panel mount solution. Our panels for mounting are IP65 protected at the front. By using a rear cover extension, the protection class for the rear can easily be extended to IP65 as well.

Protection class IP69

IP69 protection is often used in pharmaceutical and food applications. Due to the high hygiene requirements in these industries, the touchscreens must withstand aggressive cleaning agents. In addition, the use of high-pressure cleaners must also have no effect on the panels. Our Hygienic Reine touch panel PCs meet the requirements for IP69 protection.