CASE STUDY
Industrial Machinery
How a Custom-Engineered, Glove-Touch HMI Solution Delivered “Zero-Failure” Reliability in the Harshest Industrial Environments and Secured a 20-Year Lifecycle.
This CNC Machine manufacturer is a global leader in high-precision industrial manufacturing equipment. For over 50 years, their CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machining centers, lathes, and mills have been the gold standard in the aerospace, automotive, and medical device industries. Their brand is built on a reputation for micron-level precision, “workhorse” reliability, and a 20+ year machine service life.
IP66-Rated, Fully-Sealed Aluminum HMI
Custom PCAP Controller (Thick Glove Tune)
EMI-Shielded Chassis & Optically Bonded Glass
15-Year "Frozen BOM" Lifecycle Guarantee
The Challenge
As they began designing their next-generation 5-Axis CNC platform, the HMI (Human-Machine Interface) became a critical point of failure and innovation. They faced three significant challenges:
Extreme Environmental Failure:
The HMI is mounted directly on the machine, exposed 24/7 to a hostile environment. It must be completely impervious to conductive metal shavings, aerosolized coolant/oil mists, high vibration, and significant electromagnetic interference (EMI) from high-voltage spindle motors.
Outdated & Unsafe Operator Interface:
Their legacy resistive touch screens were slow, had poor visibility, and critically, could not be operated with the thick safety gloves worn by machinists. This forced operators to remove safety gear to input commands, a major workflow bottleneck and a safety violation.
Catastrophic Component Obsolescence:
The 20-year lifespan of their machines was at odds with the 3-year lifecycle of their previous display supplier. An unexpected “End-of-Life” (EOL) notice forced a multi-million dollar re-engineering and re-certification of their entire control platform.
They needed a long-term HMI partner who could engineer a “glove-capable,” zero-failure display and contractually guarantee its availability for decades.
Project Highlights
Coolant, Oil & Metal Dust Ingress
SOLUTION: IP66-Rated, Fully-Sealed Aluminum HMI
OUTCOME: Zero in-field failures from contamination
Cannot Use HMI with Safety Gloves
SOLUTION: Custom PCAP Controller (Thick Glove Tune)
OUTCOME: 100% first-touch accuracy with coated safety gloves
20-Year Lifecycle / EOL Risk
SOLUTION: 15-Year “Frozen BOM” Lifecycle Guarantee
OUTCOME: Total supply chain security; re-engineering risk eliminated
EMI Interference & Vibration
SOLUTION: EMI-Shielded Chassis & Optically Bonded Glass
OUTCOME: 100% stable image, zero interference from motors
Our Solutions + Services
With Logic as their exclusive HMI partner for the entire “ProCut” platform. We delivered a complete, custom-engineered solution, not just a component.
Custom Industrial HMI (15.6” Panel-Mount)
We engineered a 15.6” Full HD panel-mount HMI built into a CNC-milled, IP66-rated front bezel. The unit is fully sealed with chemical-resistant gaskets to prevent any ingress from oils, coolants, or metallic dust.
Application-Specific "Glove-Touch" Tuning
This was the key innovation. Our engineers developed a custom firmware for the Projected Capacitive (PCAP) touch controller. It was specifically tuned to perfectly register inputs from thick-coated or leather safety gloves, while simultaneously rejecting false inputs from coolant splashes, metal shavings, or an operator’s sleeve.
Extreme Ruggedization & Shielding
The display was optically bonded to a 4mm chemically-strengthened, anti-glare glass, making it impact-resistant and perfectly readable under bright factory lighting. The entire chassis is EMI-shielded and utilizes wide-range 9-36V DC power inputs to protect against “dirty” factory power.
Long-Term Supply Chain Management
To solve their primary business risk, we provided a 15-Year “Frozen Bill of Materials (BOM)” guarantee. This legally binding agreement ensures the supply of the exact display, controller IC, and components for 15 years, with a managed transition plan for the years beyond.
The Final Outcome
With Logic as their partner, they successfully launched the “ProCut” series, which has been praised as the most reliable and operator-friendly machine on the market.
Increased Operator Productivity & Safety:
The “glove-touch” HMI was a game-changer. Machinists could now input complex G-code and machine setups without removing their safety gear. [Customer Brand Name] customers reported a 10% increase in setup-time efficiency and a 100% improvement in operator safety compliance.
Achieved “Zero-Downtime” Reliability:
In the 36 months since the first “ProCut” machines were deployed, [Customer Brand Name] has reported zero HMI field failures due to contamination, vibration, or EMI. This has dramatically reduced their warranty service calls and solidified their brand promise of reliability.
Total Lifecycle & Financial Security:
The 15-Year “Frozen BOM” guarantee completely de-risked their long-term production. This saved them millions in future re-engineering costs and gave them the confidence to sell 20-year service and support contracts to their own customers.
From Our Customer
“Our customers measure downtime in thousands of dollars per minute. The HMI is the single point of contact with our multi-million dollar machines, and it cannot fail. The team at Logic delivered an HMI that works flawlessly with safety gloves, is immune to coolant and metal dust, and is guaranteed for 15 years. They didn’t just sell us a display; they secured our product’s future.”
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