APQ ICD Series Cantilever-Mounted Industrial Displays in a Digital Food Packaging Line for MES
In the food packaging industry, production line management is being comprehensively upgraded from traditional manual records and paper work orders to MES-based digital management. The MES must collect, analyze, and feed back production progress, equipment status, quality data, and material consumption on the packaging line in real time, while the HMI terminal serves as the key interface between operators and the MES.
After multiple rounds of product selection and on-site validation, the customer chose the APQ ICD Series cantilever-mounted industrial display as the HMI terminal for its food packaging MES line.
Customer Challenge
Harsh On-Site Environment: Food packaging workshops commonly feature high temperatures, high humidity, oil contamination, dust, and frequent washdown cleaning. As a result, the HMI terminal must offer a high level of dust and water protection, while also being corrosion-resistant and easy to clean.
Flexible Installation: Equipment layouts on packaging lines are compact, and operator stations are distributed at different heights. The display must therefore support flexible multi-angle adjustment to suit different workstations and operators of different heights.
Efficient Human-Machine Interaction: Line operators frequently interact with the MES interface through touch input. The touchscreen must provide fast response and smooth operation, while remaining reliable when the operator is wearing gloves or has wet hands.
Multi-Signal Compatibility: The central control system involves multiple video signal sources, so the display must support several signal inputs such as DisplayPort (DP) and HDMI, and also allow for long-distance signal transmission.
Rugged and Durable Construction: Because the production line runs continuously 24/7, vibration and shock are unavoidable. The display therefore needs industrial-grade vibration and shock resistance, as well as secure and reliable wiring.
APQ Solution
Flexible Cantilever Mounting for Multiple Workstations:The ICD Series supports cantilever mounting and can also be configured for support-arm mounting, enabling free adjustment from multiple angles and positions. On food packaging lines, operators can flexibly adjust the display position according to workstation height and viewing requirements, helping reduce visual fatigue during long shifts and improving operating efficiency. An optional rotatable enclosure connector with a rotation range of 0-320° further expands display positioning flexibility. When combined with the AK7 cartridge-style controller and the IPC350 wall-mount industrial PC, the ICD can be flexibly placed at the optimal viewing position for the operator, while the three devices are installed in layers via DIN rail or wall mounting close to the point of use, without occupying floor space.
IP65 Front Panel Protection Against Dust and Water Mist:The ICD Series front panel is rated IP65 for effective dust and water protection. In food packaging workshops where frequent washdown cleaning and oil splashes are common, the IP65 protection helps prevent internal electronic components from being damaged and supports long-term stable operation. The all-aluminum front bezel and sheet-metal rear cover provide both a premium feel and rugged durability. Its robust all-aluminum housing, together with wide-temperature and vibration-resistant design, provides dependable support for continuous operation under demanding conditions. When deployed together with the AK7 and IPC350, the AK7 likewise supports a wide operating temperature range of -20 to 60°C and 3G vibration resistance, while the IPC350 uses a galvanized steel enclosure with intelligent fan cooling. All three devices meet the strict ruggedness requirements of food production environments.
7 ms-Class Capacitive Touch for Smooth and Efficient Operation:The ICD Series uses a projected capacitive multi-touch panel and supports finger input or capacitive stylus operation. It provides at least 85% light transmittance and 7H surface hardness for strong wear and scratch resistance. With a response time of just 7-12 ms, it delivers fast and smooth interaction for frequent industrial operation. Touch communication is handled via a USB interface for plug-and-play deployment and strong compatibility. On food packaging lines, operators can still interact reliably even when wearing gloves or with water on their hands, ensuring timely execution of production commands. When the MES uses the AK7 as an edge computing node, the ICD's touch data can be connected directly through the AK7's USB interface for real-time response and local preprocessing, reducing communication latency with the host system.
Multiple Signal Inputs Compatible with New and Legacy Equipment:The ICD Series supports DP and HDMI inputs and can also be optionally equipped with remote VGA signal transmission to meet long-distance transmission requirements. Whether the system uses newly purchased digital equipment or existing legacy equipment, both can be connected seamlessly to the MES. The front panel includes four standard controls: an emergency-stop button, green and blue momentary pushbuttons, and a key-operated latching switch, providing more on-site control options. In the complete solution, the ICD receives display output from the AK7 or IPC350 through DP/HDMI for clear MES visualization. The AK7 handles data acquisition and lightweight computing at the production-edge side, while the IPC350 hosts the MES main system and database. The ICD then presents the results from both platforms to the operator through an intuitive graphical interface, forming a complete 'acquisition - computing - visualization' data loop.
Industrial-Grade Reliability for High-Intensity Dynamic Operations:The ICD Series also features solid industrial-grade design. It supports an operating temperature range of -20 to 60°C and a storage temperature range of -20 to 70°C, making it suitable for high-temperature food workshop environments. It has passed 1.5 Grms random vibration and 10G shock testing, allowing stable operation on packaging lines with frequent vibration. Powered by 12 VDC and equipped with industrial screw-lock terminals, it offers secure wiring that helps prevent loosening under vibration, matching the typical power environment of food workshops. Its 18 mm ultra-slim front panel design is clean and compact, balancing appearance and space efficiency. Supporting products in the solution include the AK7, with an all-aluminum housing and PWM fan cooling, 12-28 V wide-voltage input, and 3G vibration and 30G shock certification, and the IPC350, which comes standard with two 3.5-inch expansion drive bays and a tool-less PCIe retention bracket. Together, the three products form a highly reliable end-to-end hardware loop spanning data acquisition, edge computing, core control, and human-machine interaction.
Multiple Sizes and Options for Application-Specific Customization:The ICD Series is available in multiple sizes from 15.6 inches to 21.5 inches, with resolutions including 1920×1080 Full HD and 1280×1024. Brightness is available up to 400 cd/m², with a contrast ratio of 1000:1, ensuring clear visibility even under complex industrial lighting conditions. Optional accessories such as handles, keyboard trays, and keyboard-and-mouse tray kits are also available to meet different application requirements.
Value Achievements:
Stable operation in harsh environments: The IP65-rated front panel effectively resists water mist from frequent washdown cleaning, corrosion from cleaning agents, and dust ingress in food workshops, significantly reducing equipment failure rates and ensuring 24/7 MES operation. The matching AK7 also supports a -20 to 60°C operating range and 3G vibration resistance, while the IPC350 adopts a galvanized steel enclosure with intelligent fan cooling. All three meet strict ruggedness requirements for food production environments.
Flexible deployment and strong adaptability: The integrated cantilever/support-arm mounting design with free multi-angle adjustment allows one hardware set to suit different operator stations and operators of different heights. Compatibility with DP, HDMI, and remote VGA transmission enables flexible connection to various host systems. The AK7 supports desktop, wall-mount, and DIN-rail installation and can be deployed close to the ICD; the compact 4U-class IPC350 supports wall mounting and can be flexibly integrated into production cabinets. The three can be combined as needed and installed in layers without occupying floor space, giving more flexibility for layout optimization in food packaging workshops.
Significantly improved operating efficiency: With a 7-12 ms responsive capacitive touchscreen and an intuitive graphical interface, operators can quickly complete work-order confirmation, exception reporting, and parameter adjustment, while data is synchronized with the MES backend in real time, effectively shortening on-site response time. As an edge computing node, the AK7 performs data preprocessing and lightweight computing directly on the line, reducing host-system communication latency and making MES operation smoother.
Reliable long-term operation: The -20 to 60°C operating range, 1.5 Grms vibration resistance, and 10G shock resistance help ensure long-term stable operation of the display under hot summer workshop conditions and equipment vibration, greatly reducing maintenance frequency. The IPC350 supports 4× SATA 3.0 interfaces and RAID 0/1/5/10 arrays, helping prevent production data loss caused by single-drive failure and providing a solid data security foundation for batch traceability, quality compliance, and persistent storage of MES data.
