Reduced Reflections – Surface reflections can be a minor nuisance to a safety hazard depending on the application. When operating any vehicle, watercraft, or aircraft instrument panels and navigation displays must be glare free and easy to read. Environments with high ambient lighting can cause internal and external reflections that impair the visual quality of the screen. External light reflections decrease with anti-glare and anti-reflective top surface enhancements without additional power consumption. Air gaps cause internal reflections between the display and touch panel. Optical bonding fills the gap and eliminates the inner light reflection.
Dust, Moisture, and Condensation – Air gaps are also susceptible to contaminants such as dirt, dust, moisture, and condensation. Chances of environmental contamination increase in rugged-use instrumentation such as agricultural equipment or military devices. Presence of contaminants increases the risk of failure in the adhesive tape or other material used in the perimeter bond. Optical bonding eliminates the potential of contamination and condensation, protecting and extending product life.
Parallax – Parallax is a displacement or difference in the apparent position of an object viewed along two different lines of sight. It is measured by the angle or semi-angle of inclination between those two lines. Displays with an air gap have a noticeable amount of parallax that increases with variations of mounting tape thickness or cover lens specifications. In an optical bond, light passes through a single index of refraction, eliminating parallax. Total stack height is reduced compared to using foam mounting tapes, an additional benefit to a touch display product.