lcd display freezing temperature manufacturer

Liquid crystal displays (LCD) have become an essential component to the industry of display technology. Involved in a variety of contexts beyond the indoors like LCD TVs and home/office automation devices, the LCD has expanded its usage to many environments, such as cars and digital signage, and, thus, many temperature variations as well.

As with any substance that requires a specific molecular characteristic or behavior, LCDs have an operating temperature range in which the device, if within, can continue to function properly and well. In addition to that, there is also an ideal storage temperature range to preserve the device until used.

This operating temperature range affects the electronic portion within the device, seen as falling outside the range can cause LCD technology to overheat in hot temperatures or slow down in the cold. As for the liquid crystal layer, it can deteriorate if put in high heat, rendering it and the display itself defective.

In order for the LCD panel to avoid defects, a standard commercial LCD’s operation range and storage range should be kept in mind. Without adaptive features, a typical LCD TV has an operating range from its cold limit of 0°C (32°F) to its heat limit of 50°C (122°F) (other LCD devices’ ranges may vary a bit from these numbers).

The storage range is a bit wider, from -20°C (-4°F) to 60°C (140°F). Though these ranges are quite reasonable for many indoor and even outdoor areas, there are also quite a few regions where temperatures can drop below 0°C or rise above 32°C, and in these conditions, LCDs must be adapted to ensure functionality.

Heat, can greatly affect the electronics and liquid crystals under an LCD screen. In consideration of heat, both external heat and internally generated heat must be taken into consideration.

Seen as the liquid crystals are manipulated in a device by altering their orientations and alignments, heat can disrupt this by randomizing what is meant to be controlled. If this happens, the LCD electronics cannot command a certain formation of the liquid crystal layer under a pixel, and the LED backlighting will not pass through as expected, which can often lead to dark spots, if not an entirely dark image. This inevitably disrupts the display’s readability.

Depending on the upper limit of the operation temperature range, LCD device can be permanently damaged by extreme heat. With long exposure to extreme heat, besides the destruction of the liquid crystals, battery life can shorten, hardware can crack or even melt, response time may slow to prevent even more heat generation from the device.

The LED backlight and the internal circuitry, typically TFT-based in the common TFT LCDs, are components that can generate heat that damages the device and its display. To address this concern with overheating, many devices use cooling fans paired with vents.

Some devices that are used in extremely high ambient temperatures may even require air conditioning. With air vents to carry the heat out, the device can expel it into the surroundings.

But this leads to another problem: how can moisture be prevented from entering through the vent? If moisture enters the device and high heat is present, condensation can occur, fogging the display from inside, and in some cases, short-circuiting may cause the device to turn off. In order to circumvent this issue, the shapes of the air vents are specific in a way that allows only for air movement, not forms of moisture.

In the opposite direction is extreme cold. What typically occurs in the cold is “ghosting” (the burning of an image in the screen through discoloration) and the gradual slowing and lagging of response times. Like heat-affected LCD modules, the extreme temperature can affect the liquid crystals. This layer is a medium between the liquid and solid state, so it is still susceptible to freezing.

An LCD device can be left in freezing temperatures because it will likely not be permanently damaged like in the heat, but it is important to understand the device’s limits and how to take precautions when storing the device. The standard and most common lower-bound storage range limit is -20°C, below freezing, but if possible, it would be best to keep it above that limit, or else there is still a risk of permanent damage.

If the device is not adapted for the cold, it would be good to keep it bundled up, trapping the heat within layers. However, this is only a temporary solution. Adapted, rugged devices have advantages such as screen enclosure insulation for heat level preservation and, in more extreme cases, heaters to generate extra heat to raise the internal temperature to a level above the minimum.

When selecting the appropriate module, it is necessary to understand the device’s expected primary application. The application will decide factors such as display type, environmental conditions, whether or not power consumption is a factor, and the balance between performance and cost. These factors can have an effect on the operation and storage temperature ranges for the device.

Display types have a lot of variation. Choices like alphanumeric or graphic LCD, human-machine interactive LCD modules and touchscreen panels capabilities, the width of the viewing angle, level of contrast ratios, types of backlighting, and liquid crystal alignment methods are often considered. For example, the twisted nematic LCD provides for the fastest response time at the lowest cost, but cannot offer the highest contrast ratio or widest viewing angle.

Environment-based factors must consider things besides the obvious temperature like UV exposure and humidity/moisture, as they all are necessary in finding the perfect fit extreme temperature LCD module.

Besides the LCD modules, recent new products have opened doors in wide temperature range displays, such as OLED displays. OLED displays offer better displays in regard to contrast, brightness, response times, viewing angles, and even power consumption in comparison to traditional LCD displays.

These benefits, in addition to its ability to achieve a wide temperature range, provide more options for consumers in search of high quality displays for extreme climates.

Every new motorhome and most new 5th wheel and travel trailers have at least one LCD TV. Many have 2 or more.  The bigger LCD TVs on board RVs and motorhomes have 40-inch screens (or larger).

Today’s technology has come to the point where, for the most part, you will find LCD (or Liquid Crystal Display televisions) being installed almost exclusively in new recreational vehicles.

LCDs are a great choice inside RVs for a number of reasons.  For one, the picture quality is very good.  Plus, they’re not big and bulky like the TVs of yesterday. In fact, some are so thin you can actually mount them on the wall like a picture. LCD flat-screen TVs are even being mounted on motorized bases that retract up flush to the ceiling when not in use.

There is a liquid-based material within the screen of LCD TVs.  Will it be damaged overnight in freezing weather?  Worse yet, if left in storage through the winter in the northern states where temperatures can get bitterly cold, will an LCD flat-screen TV survive?

This means that if your LCD TV is kept in an environment below this range, you must allow it at least 24 hours to acclimate to the proper operating range before you plug it in or turn it on.

When something cold is brought into a warm environment, condensation (or moisture) will be present throughout the device.  Plugging it in or turning it on could result in short circuits, shock, or other catastrophic failure of the unit. If the LCD screen is chilled, even though not frozen, it could fail as well.

Manufacturer limitations on cold storage of their LCD TVs varies all over the map.  Some are rated to handle temps as low as -15F to -20F below zero, while others are barely rated to be stored anywhere near the zero mark.

I was unable to find a single supplier of LCD televisions that would stand behind their product when stored in temperatures lower then the -20F below zero mark.

I live in Minnesota. International Falls, MN is well known as “the ice box of the nation.”  During the very long winter months, temperatures drop to a -40F below quite often. I’ve personally experienced -60F below temperatures, though admittedly only once in my lifetime.

You can remove your LCD televisions from the RV (and I would consider removing VCRs, DVDs, and satellite receivers too), and store them indoors in warmer temperatures.

There are several industrial applications that require LCD displays to operate in extreme temperature environments such as in military, food processing, gas/fuel pumps, medical, manufacturing, and non-climate-controlled facilities, among others. Take note that typical monitors can only be used in environments with 0�C~50�C temperature range. UV exposure, moisture, and humidity also affect the overall temperature within a specific environment. iTech Company offers a range of LCD monitors that can function properly in a wide working temperature range from -30℃ to +80℃. These products are already proven and tested to maintain its original luminance under such temperatures.

While the range of operating temperature is a relevant consideration for the device to withstand extreme hot or cold environments, other factors must also be taken into account for the overall performance of the device. These includethe clarity of the image, environmental protection, LED backlighting, quality of the components, andvarious options available.

iTech Company’s products are equipped with these useful features to deliver great performance even in harsh working conditions. These are available in different monitor sizes and resolutions. It offers superior image quality with wide viewing angle. Some of the optional features include the touch screen functionality for interactive application and the level of brightness to ensure that the screen content is highly visible in all lighting conditions. Moreover, these wide operating temperature LCD displays are available in different types including open frame, panel mount, andchassis mount.

Typically, standard LCD modules provide a temperature range of -20°C to +70°C. To meet the need of customers, EVERVISION has developed a series of wide temperature TFT LCD modules with operating temperatures ranging from -30°C to +80°C, and the maximum for some models can reach 85°C.

EVERVISION developed LCD Heater to integrate with our TFT Display Module so that can show optimal view even in low temperature. For materials, heaters can be used with transparent resins, such as glass and poly-carbonate. Our LCD Transparent Heater is made of glass substrate, so we name it “Glass Heater”. It can not only improve the LCD image sticking issue efficiently, but also have heat and humidity resistance advantage.

As the result, it shows 4.3 inch TFT LCD Module display functionally under normal operating conditions. However, there is an overlapping at low temperature, because of LC"s physical characteristics. From this experiment, we know that overlapping can be solved by turning on Glass Heater.

The use of liquid crystal displays (LCDs) in user interface assemblies is widespread across nearly all industries, locations, and operating environments. Over the last 20 years, the cost of LCD displays has significantly dropped, allowing for this technology to be incorporated into many of the everyday devices we rely on.

The odds are high you are reading this blog post on a laptop or tablet, and it’s likely the actual screen uses LCD technology to render the image onto a low-profile pane of glass. Reach into your pocket. Yes, that smartphone likely uses LCD technology for the screen. As you enter your car, does your dashboard come alive with a complex user interface? What about the menu at your favorite local drive-thru restaurant? These are some everyday examples of the widespread use of LCD technology.

But did you know that the U.S. military is using LCD displays to improve the ability of our warfighters to interact with their equipment? In hospitals around the world, lifesaving medical devices are monitored and controlled by an LCD touchscreen interface. Maritime GPS and navigation systems provide real-time location, heading, and speed information to captains while on the high seas. It’s clear that people’s lives depend on these devices operating in a range of environments.

As the use of LCDs continues to expand, and larger screen sizes become even less expensive, one inherent flaw of LCDs remains: LCD pixels behave poorly at low temperatures. For some applications, LCD displays will not operate whatsoever at low temperatures. This is important because for mil-aero applications, outdoor consumer products, automobiles, or anywhere the temperature is below freezing, the LCD crystal’s performance will begin to deteriorate. If the LCD display exhibits poor color viewing, sluggish resolution, or even worse, permanently damaged pixels, this will limit the ability to use LCD technologies in frigid environments. To address this, there are several design measures that can be explored to minimize the impact of low temperatures on LCDs.

Most LCD displays utilize pixels known as TFT (Thin-Film-Transistor) Color Liquid Crystals, which are the backbone to the billions of LCD screens in use today. Since the individual pixels utilize a fluid-like crystal material as the ambient temperature is reduced, this fluid will become more viscous compromising performance. For many LCD displays, temperatures below 0°C represent the point where performance degrades.

Have you tried to use your smartphone while skiing or ice fishing? What about those of you living in the northern latitudes - have you accidently left your phone in your car overnight where the temperatures drop well below freezing? You may have noticed a sluggish screen response, poor contrast with certain colors, or even worse permanent damage to your screen. While this is normal, it’s certainly a nuisance. As a design engineer, the goal is to select an LCD technology that offers the best performance at the desired temperature range. If your LCD display is required to operate at temperatures below freezing, review the manufacturer’s data sheets for both the operating and storage temperature ranges. Listed below are two different off-the-shelf LCD displays, each with different temperature ratings. It should be noted that there are limited options for off-the-shelf displays with resilience to extreme low temperatures.

For many military applications, in order to comply with the various mil standards a product must be rated for -30°C operational temperature and -51°C storage temperature. The question remains: how can you operate an LCD display at -30°C if the product is only rated for -20°C operating temperature? The answer is to use a heat source to raise the display temperature to an acceptable range. If there is an adjacent motor or another device that generates heat, this alone may be enough to warm the display. If not, a dedicated low-profile heater is an excellent option to consider.

Made of an etched layer of steel and enveloped in an electrically insulating material, a flat flexible polyimide heater is an excellent option where space and power are limited. These devices behave as resistive heaters and can operate off a wide range of voltages all the way up to 120V. These heaters can also function with both AC and DC power sources. Their heat output is typically characterized by watts per unit area and must be sized to the product specifications. These heaters can also be affixed with a pressure sensitive adhesive on the rear, allowing them to be “glued” to any surface. The flying leads off the heater can be further customized to support any type of custom interconnect. A full-service manufacturing partner like Epec can help develop a custom solution for any LCD application that requires a custom low-profile heater.

With no thermal mass to dissipate the heat, polyimide heaters can reach temperatures in excess of 100°C in less than a few minutes of operation. Incorporating a heater by itself is not enough to manage the low temperature effects on an LCD display. What if the heater is improperly sized and damages the LCD display? What happens if the heater remains on too long and damages other components in your system? Just like the thermostat in your home, it’s important to incorporate a real-temp temperature sensing feedback loop to control the on/off function of the heater.

The first step is to select temperature sensors that can be affixed to the display while being small enough to fit within a restricted envelope. Thermistors, thermocouples, or RTDs are all options to consider since they represent relatively low-cost and high-reliability ways to measure the display’s surface temperature. These types of sensors also provide an electrical output that can be calibrated for the desired temperature range.

The next step is to determine the number of temperature sensors and their approximate location on the display. It’s recommended that a minimum of two temperature sensors be used to control the heater. By using multiple sensors, this provides the circuit redundancy and allows for a weighted average of the temperature measurement to mitigate non-uniform heating. Depending on the temperature sensors location, and the thermal mass of the materials involved, the control loop can be optimized to properly control the on/off function of the heater.

Another important consideration when selecting a temperature sensor is how to mount the individual sensors onto the display. Most LCD displays are designed with a sheet metal backer that serves as an ideal surface to mount the temperature sensors. There are several types of thermally conductive epoxies that provide a robust and cost-effective way to affix the delicate items onto the display. Since there are several types of epoxies to choose from, it’s important to use a compound with the appropriate working life and cure time.

For example, if you are kitting 20 LCD displays and the working life of the thermal epoxy is 8 minutes, you may find yourself struggling to complete the project before the epoxy begins to harden.

Before building any type of prototype LCD heater assembly, it’s important to carefully study the heat transfer of the system. Heat will be generated by the flexible polyimide heater and then will transfer to the LCD display and other parts of the system. Although heat will radiate, convect, and be conducted away from the heater, the primary type of heat transfer will be through conduction. This is important because if your heater is touching a large heat sink (ex. aluminum chassis), this will impact the ability of the heater to warm your LCD display as heat will be drawn toward the heat sink.

Insulating materials, air gaps, or other means can be incorporated in the design to manage the way heat travels throughout your system on the way toward an eventual “steady state” condition. During development, prototypes can be built with numerous temperature sensors to map the heat transfer, allowing for the optimal placement of temperature sensors, an adequately sized heater, and a properly controlled feedback loop.

Before freezing the design (no pun intended) on any project that requires an LCD display to operate at low temperatures, it’s critical to perform low temperature first. This type of testing usually involves a thermal chamber, a way to operate the system, and a means to measure the temperature vs time. Most thermal chambers provide an access port or other means to snake wires into the chamber without compromising performance. This way, power can be supplied to the heater and display, while data can be captured from the temperature sensors.

The first objective of the low-temperature testing is to determine the actual effects of cold exposure on the LCD display itself. Does the LCD display function at cold? Are certain colors more impacted by the cold than others? How sluggish is the screen? Does the LCD display performance improve once the system is returned to ambient conditions? These are all significant and appropriate questions and nearly impossible to answer without actual testing.

As LCD displays continue to be a critical part of our society, their use will become even more widespread. Costs will continue to decrease with larger and larger screens being launched into production every year. This means there will be more applications that require their operation in extreme environments, including the low-temperature regions of the world. By incorporating design measures to mitigate the effects of cold on LCD displays, they can be used virtually anywhere. But this doesn’t come easy. Engineers must understand the design limitations and ways to address the overarching design challenges.

A full-service manufacturing partner like Epec offers a high-value solution to be able to design, develop, and manufacture systems that push the limits of off-the-shelf hardware like LCD displays. This fact helps lower the effective program cost and decreases the time to market for any high-risk development project.

LCD stands for “liquid crystal display,” but this is a bit of a misnomer. In reality, the technology has no liquid components, so it isn’t susceptible to freezing and expansion in extreme cold. (Remember, many vehicles nowadays have LCD displays on their in-dash radios and CD players, and these have not been known to crack in freezing climates.)

An LED (light-emitting diode) TV is nothing more than an LCD TV that uses LED backlighting. Compared to the LCD’s fluorescent-style backlighting, LEDs are more energy-efficient, but they don’t respond to cold temperatures much differently. One exception is that LED lights may actually shine brighter in cooler temperatures, as long as it is not too cold. But what is too cold?

When it comes to durability in cold temperatures, there is no real difference between LCD and LED TVs. An LCD or LED TV may not perform well under extreme temperature conditions. In the cold, the response time of an HDTV picture may lag. For this reason, many LCD and LED television manuals will specify a safe-operating-temperature range. In most HDTVs, this range is about 50–90°F.

The temperature range for safe storage is typically even wider. Most LCD and LED sets are rated for storage in temps as low as -4°F. Always refer to your television’s manual for actual safe-temperature ranges.

If your cabin gets colder than this in the winter, you may want to consider erring on the side of caution. Cover the set in a soft blanket to protect it from dust and direct sunlight, and then store it in a dry place with above-freezing temperatures for the season, or for however long you plan to be away.

If you decide to leave the TV at the cabin for impromptu winter visits, exercise caution when turning it on in a cold room. Allow time for the cabin to warm up before turning on the TV, otherwise the extreme change in temperature may result in condensation inside the set and subsequent damage to the screen.

So, when you arrive at the cottage and fire up the woodstove, fireplace or heater, wait at least an hour (longer is better) for the screen to reach a temperature within the safe operating range. Sounds like a long time to wait, we know. But just think – you’ll have more time for card games and conversation!

To understand what happens to the LCD in cold temperatures, we"ll need to go back to the basics of LCD technology. Liquid crystal displays are just like their name suggests... they contain a liquid that is housed between two layers of glass. Liquids begin to freeze as the temperature drops. As the liquid in the display freezes the response time slows down. In other words, it takes longer for the numbers and letters on the display to change (Turn ON or Turn OFF).

The best way I can think to explain the response time of the LCD in cold temperatures is a ceiling fan. When you turn OFF the ceiling fan the blades continue to turn for a few minutes, even though the power if OFF. When you turn ON a ceiling fan the blades will be at full speed in a shorter period of time. At most the blades will be at their max speed within 30 seconds. When talking about an LCD, we talk about when the display is ON (the characters can be seen) or OFF (the characters cannot be seen).

Line ‘A’ (image above) displays the amount of time it takes for a character or segment on the display to turn OFF. That is, once you turn OFF the segment, how long does it take before it disappears? The graph above shows that the character actually ‘disappears’ 3500 milliseconds (3.5 seconds) after the display is turned OFF.

Line ‘B’ (image above) displays the amount of time it takes for the character or segment to turn ON. In the above graph the segment is only 55% ‘ON’ at 8000 milliseconds (8 seconds). That means the character is only ½ (half) ON. It will look grey and not very dark. It requires more time for the display to turn ON than to turn OFF… just the opposite of a ceiling fan.

We do not recommend operating our wide temperature (extended temperature) displays below -20°C (-4°F). This is true for all segment displays (static displays or glass displays), 7 (seven) segment, 14 (fourteen) segment, and 16 (sixteen) segment LCD’s.

Alphanumeric LCD displays such as: 8x1 LCD display, 8x2 LCD display, 16x1 LCD display, 16x2 LCD display, 16x4 LCD display, 20x2 LCD display, 20x4 LCD display, 24x2 LCD display, 40x1 LCD display, 40x2 LCD display, and 40x4 LCD display will react the same way.

One of UCF"s most prolific inventors has solved a stubborn problem: How to keep the electronic displays in your car working, whether you"re driving in the frigid depths of winter or under the broiling desert sun.

LCD screens are everywhere—our smartphones, televisions, laptops and more. Increasingly, they"re now popping up in automobiles, where it"s now common to find liquid crystal displays showing speed, distance, fuel consumption and other information, as well as GPS mapping, rearview cameras and audio systems.

"Liquid crystals exist only in a certain temperature range. In order to work in extreme environments, we need to widen that temperature range," said researcher Shin-Tson Wu of the University of Central Florida.

As reported recently in the scholarly journal Optical Materials Express, Wu and his collaborators formulated several new liquid crystal mixtures that don"t have the temperature limitations of those now in use. The liquid crystals should maintain their speed and viscosity in temperatures as high as 212 degrees Fahrenheit and as low as minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Wu, who holds UCF"s highest faculty honor as a Pegasus Professor, is no stranger to new discoveries with practical uses in the real world. He previously played a key role in developing LCDs for smartphones and other devices that are readable in sunlight.

Through his work with advanced LCDs, adaptive optics, laser- beam steering, biophotonics and new materials, Wu has registered about 84 patents. In 2014, he was one of the first inductees to the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame.

I remember once reading that common LCD displays shouldnt be put into freezing condidtions as they would distroy the liquid in the display. It appears now that a couple of yellow etrex"s may have been improperly stored for the winter months at a summer camp I was working at.

LCDs can actually be damaged when exposed to cold. A few years ago a new type of LCD screen was introduced in Japan (it used a different class of crystals than conventional screens). It was a good screen (back then) but it was never sold abroad because it was too expensive to transport since it had to kept warm at all time or the crystal would be destroyed (due to an irreversible phase transition), you could for example not send it by air since the cargo-hold in airplanes would get too cold. Later the production was shut down (not only because of this).

so have iMac in my office where temperature is very low at night. low then 0. today noticed very little white lines on the screen. so think cold will damage screen layer. anyone have same experience? thanks

Just like when your glasses will fog up when you come in from cold weather, moisture will build on surfaces inside the plant when temperatures go from very cold to very warm. Electronics that suffer this build-up of moisture can have failures related to corrosion. One way to prevent a moisture related failure is waiting a few hours before powering on electronics that have been kept in cold weather after a warm up has occurred. This will allow any condensation to dry before electricity is conducted.

While normally a cool environment is preferable to a warm one when it comes to keeping your electronics up and running, if it gets too cold, certain components can suffer sudden failure. For instance, LCD screens contain fluid and at extreme temperatures can freeze. If you live in the extreme north where temperatures can get into the negatives, it is important to understand the failure limits of your devices which should be available in the manual when you purchase the device. In addition, any electronics that rely on movement such as motors, disk drives, servo valves etc., can suffer failure from the cold. As the temperature drops, metal contracts making moving parts run under higher load stress which can cause the part to fail.

The Waygate Technologies Kraukramer USN 60L ultrasonic flaw detector series, a Baker Hughes business product (formerly GE Inspection Technologies), is optimized for use in direct sunlight and operation at extreme outdoor temperatures. These new characteristics make the instruments ideal for outdoor use, with increased long battery operation time of up to 11 hours. The USN 60L features a PRF (pulse repetition frequency) in spike mode of 15 Hz to 2 kHz.

The USN 60L"s rugged/durable design, 11 hours of battery operation, fast rotary knob operation, outstanding ultrasonic performance, and the "square wave pulser" form a powerful portable ultrasonic inspection tool. Vibrant colors of the high-resolution LCD screen produce an analog look and performance echo dynamics. The USN 60L"s four selectable color schemes will complement the outdoor lighting conditions no matter the time of day.