A few months back an existing customer came to us with the desire to turn their device control into a device similar in feel and function to an “iPhone.” When we originally heard about their interest we were surprised this was being considered. We knew the price points for their entry controls were very competitive and we were unsure how they could afford a device like this. Our original discussion with our customer revealed a target price of around $20. This was high enough for what they wanted, but this still seemed unlikely for this particular product type. We informed them the full capacitive touch/LCD solution could be achieved for around $15 but we thought they might be interested in a couple of alternative, lower cost solutions.
The customer was very excited to hear about these and we presented a lower cost idea that used a resistive touch screen with a graphic layer behind the screen.
This is used in certain remote control applications and we felt this idea could be achieved for around $6. We also told them about a recent customer win that used a reverse silver shorting pad concept and a dead fronted overlay and very thin spacers to achieve a membrane that was very light force that would appear very elegant when lit and could be done for around $3.
At this point the customer was very excited and asked for samples of the two lower cost solutions. We had parts used in other applications that showed the concepts of the two lower cost solutions. These were sent to the customer for review. After a few weeks we received word that the original touch screen idea was too expensive for their application. A few days later we received word that the “low cost” concept and sample we provided was perfect for their application and they are ready to move forward with samples and intend to use this as their main interface on their 2014 line.
What cost effective solutions have you come across and have accomplished in the face of “it is not possible with that budget”?
If you find yourself in a situation where you are not sure how to make your project work with a given budget and what solutions are available out there, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our engineers. We are committed to supporting you with the ideal interface solution for your price point and application.
