Dust and Digital Signage – Importance of Protection

There are many challenges to digital signage, sourcing the screens, choosing a location – not to mention creating the content. And when screens are placed in an outside location the challenges increase as the outdoor digital signage needs to be protected from the elements, temperature and direct sunlight.

But outdoor digital signage displays are not the only screens that need protecting. There are harmful elements, even in indoor areas that can damage a modern LCD or plasma device.

Effects of dust

Dust is a major problem for most electronic devices. Dust can penetrate a device, clog up the circuit boards, cause over-heating; as dust can contain almost any elements, including metals, it can even short circuit devices.

Dust is also attracted to static build up and can create a film over a screen, reducing resolution and making it more difficult to read.

Another problem with dust is its prevalence. Whilst our homes are regularly hoovered and dusted, the same cannot be said for shopping malls, concourses and large retail stores where digital signage screens are commonly sited.

The result is that many digital signage installations can end up failing, resulting in the need for repair or replacement – adding additional costs and making the return on investment even more difficult to recoup.

LCD Enclosures

The most comprehensive protection against dust comes in the guise of an LCD enclosure. These protective cabinets for LCD screens are commonly manufactured to NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association) and European IP guidelines to ensure their dustproof credentials.

Commonly LCD enclosures are used for outdoor digital signage; protecting against weather elements like rainfall, but increasingly more and more installers of indoor systems are recognizing the importance of dust protection and using these enclosures in indoor environments too.

Not only do LCD enclosures prevent dust and other particles getting inside the enclosure, they also have climatic components that ensure the optimum-operating environment inside the enclosure; this means that the LCD will not overheat get too cold and will lengthen the life of the device – even past the manufacturer’s guidelines.