‘Metal Touch’ technology that implements touch function on top of a metal surface with 2 mm thickness has been developed.
It is a technology that can provide a freer touch interface while variety of home appliances including kitchen appliances with metal materials is emerging as a mainstream. It also seems that this technology will reduce manufacturing cost due to a simpler module structure than current piezo-touch method.
Touch technology that is applied on variety of home appliances and IT equipment usually uses electrostatic capacity method. Because it operates by measuring a difference of electrostatic capacity values that are found on a surface of a material, it is hard to apply it on metal-like materials.
Although piezo-touch method that uses ceramics had been applied on certain metal home appliances other than electrostatic capacity method, manufacturing cost is very expensive due to complicated module structure. There is also limitation in implementing this function since it is weak against vibration and abnormal outside signal and impossible to operate multi-key and others.
Wujung Hightech’s metal-touch technology is able to implement a touch function like electrostatic capacity method on top of a metal by sensing changes in strain and impedance in ultrasonic wave (Combined resistance in AC circuits) at the same time while using a current piezo effect and combining finished values. According to products’ specifications, it variously provides touch stability, response speed, and sensitivity by modifying major applied values between changes in strain and impedance.
Its technology is able to provide variety of functions such as multi-key, long-key (function that maintains a push-motion for certain amount of time), drag, and wheel that piezo method cannot provide. It provides most of touch functions that can be experienced on Smartphones’ touch displays on top of a metal surface and reduces processing cost since a structure of sensor modules are relatively simple.
Not only is touch function can also be applied on metals, but it also can be applied on regular mirrors and a curved surface since it is based on piezo film. If Wujung Hightech decreases the size of sensor modules and reduces power consumption even more, touch input will also be possible on Smartphones’ metal cases.
Wujung Hightech, which has been mainly providing touch buttons to home appliances such as refrigerators, air conditioners, dehumidifiers, rice cookers and others, is expanding its business by recently releasing new products such as metal-touch, humidity sensors, water level sensors and others.
“Wujung Hightech’s TOS is the only technology in the world that can implement touch function on a metal plate with 2 mm thickness and a curved surface.” said CEO Kim Soo Ho of Wujung Hightech. “Its usage rate will be high on variety of fields such as IT equipment and home appliances that require more and more of metal materials.”
Staff Reporter Park, Jungeun | jepark@etnews.com