Jan
22
2025
Custom touch tables have become a ubiquitous part of the work we do at Ideum, from those designed and built by our in-house fabrication team to those created by our valued partners, collaborators, and integrators. Despite their major use today, they weren’t always such a common option. Of course, this doesn’t mean custom tables and enclosures weren’t being built, they were just using different hardware, the Presenter touchscreen display being the typical choice. While this method worked, it was not without its challenges. So we sought to produce a display that was designed specifically for integration into custom enclosures, and in the spring of 2018, the open frame Inline touch display was released. As we approach its 7th birthday (which will be in March if you’d like to send a card), we wanted to introduce some new additions to the product, which has remained largely unchanged since it was first added to our lineup.
When designing and building a custom touch table, one of the most important concerns is how heat is managed. While the Inline has a number of integrated fans that push the heat away from the screen, if there is an enclosed cavity behind the display, temperatures can rise and eventually lead to overheating, which at best, reduces the life of the display, and at worst, damages it beyond repair. Heat can accumulate even faster in systems where a computer is mounted to the display or housed inside the same enclosed cavity. This can be mitigated with a design that includes proper ventilation and active cooling, both of which are an integral part of each and every build we do in-house, whether bespoke or a standard all-in-one table.
Since the Inline open frame touchscreen display can be integrated into an infinite number of different enclosures for any number of use cases, we wanted to add more heat protection to help account for just about any type of situation. We have improved the insulating foam that lines the screen with one that can withstand higher temperatures before failure, allowing several degrees of extra protection. This is especially useful for those who regularly run resource-heavy content that causes higher computer temperatures. This improved insulation, when paired with proper ventilation, can extend the life of a screen that experiences heavy use, be it in a busy museum or a first responder control center.
For those who are building custom enclosures for the Inline, we have an integration guide where you can learn best practices and tips for design and integration. In addition to the guide, our fabrication and hardware teams are available to offer support if there are questions during any step of the process, from initial designs to final integration.
While originally designed with custom tables in mind, the open frame Inline has found life in the walls of some very interesting places. While the aforementioned Presenter is a great option for a wall-mounted interactive, oftentimes the design of a space calls for something more seamless, which is where a flush-mounted Inline comes into play. As it becomes more commonplace for this sort of installation, our team developed a new, easy-to-use bracket that greatly reduces installation time while still achieving a smooth and flush finish.
The bracket can be ordered to fit any of our standard sizes, from the ultrawide 34” to the extra large 86”, and is available with two different options. The first option is designed for integration in an enclosure that has rear access and external ventilation, such as a custom cabinet with a maintenance door. The second option includes built in ventilation grates that allow air to circulate through the back, and is for use in a space that has no rear access, such as inside of a wall. To reduce noise and heat accumulation, these brackets are designed for use with an Inline that does not include a rear-mounted computer; computers controlling these displays should reside in a nearby access panel or IT closet.
While the Inline is still new when compared to other staples of our lineup, it has become an important part of custom exhibit design and fabrication. We love to see the ways in which people integrate them, and are always impressed by the ingenuity and creativity of those in the exhibit design world. If you’d like to use the open frame Inline in your next project, send an email to sales@ideum.com, or call (505) 792-1110 ext 1, and someone from our team will give you more information.
.png)
