MicroTouch introduces ruggedized, rack-mount touch monitor.

METHUEN, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 28, 1995--MicroTouch Systems, Inc. today introduced the TruePoint IC-20 ruggedized touch monitor designed specifically for harsh, industrial environments.

The monitor combines MicroTouch's capacitive touchscreen technology with the 20-inch Intecolor rackmount monitor. The touch monitor is optically-bonded for added strength, gasket-sealed for water tightness, and has a protective glass overcoat for scratch and wear protection. The TruePoint IC-20 will be on display in MicroTouch's booth (#2448) at the ISA show in New Orleans, La., October 2-5, 1995.

Ease of Use

Touchscreens, combined with menu-driven software, provide an intuitive interface that helps simplify the increasingly complex operations of today's industrial systems. Because of the direct and simple interaction between operators and the touch system, reactions are quicker and easier than with other input devices. In addition, operator errors are minimized, since only allowable options are displayed, permitting operators to keep their eyes on the screen at all times. Training times are also reduced by the use of menus and the availability of help screens.

Ideal for Hostile Environments

The unique construction of the TruePoint IC-20 involves three steps which provide both the ease-of-use and extreme durability needed for industrial applications.

First, each touch sensor comes with the proprietary ClearTek overcoat -- a layer of glass applied over the sensor to ensure against scratches and wear from heavy usage.

Second, the sensor is optically bonded, an exclusive process offered by MicroTouch which involves laminating the sensor to the CRT with a proprietary transparent bonding material. With optical bonding the MicroTouch screen is virtually impossible to break and will pass the UL ball test #544, a steel ball impact test required for many applications.

Finally, the TruePoint IC-20 monitor is gasket-sealed, a procedure which seals the touchscreen to the monitor's bezel preventing liquids or other contaminates from getting behind the screen. The capacitive sensor offered with the TruePoint IC-20 uses the only type of touch technology that can be gasket-sealed effectively.

"The factory floor and industrial markets demand a durable, rugged, and reliable touchscreen monitor," said Steve Kreindler, MicroTouch product manager. "The TruePoint IC-20, with its optically bonded touchscreen, all-glass scratch-resistant surface, and ruggedized video monitor, meets these demands. We expect it to be used in a wide number of industrial settings, including process control, machine control, and factory floor applications."

In addition to the high level of ruggedness offered in the TruePoint IC-20, the monitor's touch performance benefits from the use of a uniquely robust touch technology -- analog capacitive, which involves the sensing of electrical signals generated on a conductive coating. Capacitive sensing is immune to interference from factors such as dirt, moisture, grease, vibration, and ambient light -- all elements which adversely effect other touch technologies. In addition, this technology is the only one to use a solid state sensor with no moving or active parts such as the infrared emittors or ultrasonic transducers found in other touchscreen technologies.

Easy to Use Solution

The TruePoint IC-20 package includes a 20-inch Intecolor rackmount monitor, a completely integrated optically-bonded and gasket-sealed ClearTek touchscreen, controller, and mouse emulation drivers for DOS, Windows, and OS/2. These mouse emulation drivers make it simple for developers to add touch capability to either a new or existing application, including those from Wonderware, Intellution, Interact, and ICOM. Additional software tools are provided for handling graphic screens and touch zones.

Touch Monitor Display Specifications

The TruePoint IC-20 Touch monitor is based on the high-quality Intecolor E02154 monitor. This 20-inch monitor comes in a 16 gauge cold rolled steel frame with an optional rackmount that fits standard 19-inch EIA mountings. It has a maximum video resolution of 1,024 x 864, a video bandwidth of 75 MHz, a vertical scan frequency of 45-90 Hz, a horizontal scan frequency of 30-56 kHz, a touchscreen resolution of 1,024 x 1,024, a touch-down speed of 8-15 ms, and includes dual coils for manual and auto degaussing for optimal magnetic correction.

Pricing, Availability, and Warranty

The MicroTouch TruePoint IC-20 is available immediately, direct from MicroTouch by calling 1-800-MicroTouch (1-800-642-7686). The single piece price is $3,850 each; volume discounts are available. MicroTouch provides a five-year warranty on the touchscreen components and a one-year warranty for the touch monitor.

MicroTouch Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: MTSI) is the world's leading manufacturer of touchscreens with products incorporating the two most popular touch technologies, analog capacitive and resistive membrane. MicroTouch touchscreens based on these technologies are used in a wide range of applications including POS cash registers, multimedia kiosks, gaming machines, industrial control hardware, and many other computer-based systems.

MicroTouch also includes among its alternative touch technology and product offerings such innovations as TouchPen(R), the world's first touch and pen-sensitive digitizer used for pen-based applications; ThruGlass(R), a product that can sense a touch through up to two inches of glass, allowing kiosks to be placed behind a store window for 24-hour access; and TouchMate(R), a pressure-sensitive pad that makes any monitor placed on it touch-sensitive.

MicroTouch's recently-acquired kiosk division, Factura Kiosks, Inc., is the largest kiosk manufacturer in the U.S., offering both off-the-shelf standard kiosks and concept-to-completion custom kiosks. Factura has produced an estimated 30% of the kiosks installed in the U.S., for customers including IBM, Digital, Unisys, Kraft, General Foods, JC Penney, and Pepsi Co.

Founded in 1982, MicroTouch reported sales of $58.9 million in 1994. With its headquarters and main factory in Methuen, Mass., MicroTouch also maintains manufacturing facilities in New York, Texas, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Australia, along with sales offices and distributors in numerous other countries.

Photos available, contact: Annette Burak 508-659-9000.

CONTACT: Annette Burak Mirena Reilly/Rebecca Behenna

MicroTouch Systems, Inc. The Weber Group, Inc.

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