Human Machine Interfaces
Human Machine Interfaces (HMI) are critical aspects of your product design and its user experience. From mechanical elastomer buttons and membrane switches to more advanced capacitive switches and touchscreens, Boyd has the technology and design experience to support your HMI solutions needs. Leverage our switch and interface technologies to produce intuitive HMI solutions.
Elevate Customer Experience
Make your product intuitive and satisfying with an interface designed specifically for your application.
Versatility and Design Flexibility
Add unparalleled style and functionality in a broad array of applications including user interfaces, integrated displays, and product branding.
Increase Cost Efficiency
Integrate switches and user interfaces with a single vendor to reduce costs and complexity.
Improved User Experience
Augment the user experience with visual feedback and pivot users towards correct device use.
Extend Product Lifetimes
With the right technology, your interface and product can withstand the rigors of your application and outlast your competition.
What are Discrete LEDs? Backlighting Technology Explained
(View transcript)
What are Fiber Optic Lights? Backlighting Technology Explained
(View transcript)
Complete Interface Design Cycle Support with Boyd
Boyd’s extensive experience in a broad range of interface and switch styles and our manufacturing expertise make us an ideal partner in developing your HMI solutions. From initial prototyping to volume production, we elevate your product from functional to elegant.
Have a Question?
New On Demand Webinar:
Integrating Materials and Technologies for Next Generation Human Machine Interfaces.
Available through January 2024, watch now or bookmark Boyd’s latest webinar on HMI solutions hosted by our Boyd experts and GlobalSpec. Opens in new window.
What are Light Guide Films? Backlighting Technology Explained
(View transcript)
What are Electroluminescence Lamps (EL)? Backlighting Technology Explained
(View transcript)
Meet Application Requirements with the Right Switch and Interface Technology
Facilitate a streamlined user experience with customized, refined interfaces. From elastomer keypads, membrane switches, and force sensitive resistors to backlighting and advanced capacitive touch screens, Boyd offers a broad spectrum of HMI solutions to best meet your application needs.
Front Panel Integration – Complete HMI Solutions
Drive efficiency and vendor consolidation with Boyd’s one-stop-shop for all your HMI needs with many integration options, seamless development process, and a capable supplier network, saving you time and resources. By offering injection molded housing, a variety of switch technologies, backlighting options, and display integration, Boyd’s complete HMI solutions help reduce delays with substantial time and cost savings. Our HMI capabilities include:- Display bonding, enhancement and integration
- Membrane, elastomer, and capacitive switches
- Backlighting options
- Injection molded housings
- Gasketing and sealing
- Quick turn prototyping
- Switch and display performance testing
Faster Time-To-Market
Streamline your display integration for increased control, reduced delays, and substantial time and cost savings.
Consolidate Supply Chain & Bonding Operations
Drive efficiency and vendor consolidation with Boyd’s one-stop-shop for all your display and bonding needs
Elastomer Keypads
Explore Boyd’s HMI solutions with elastomer keypads offering high-profile, tactile feel with an underlying switch layer. Our elastomer keypads exhibit excellent weatherability in ruggedized environments, moisture and chemical resistance, and temperature endurance between -30° C to +80°C. Keypad interfaces provide users with an exceptional tactile response and customizable tactile feedback, tailored between 100 g to 300 g of force. Elastomer keypads are an excellent choice when three-dimensional keys are needed in high-moisture environments such as marine or defense settings. Elevate your user interface experience with Boyd’s advanced HMI solutions.
Design flexibility
Available in a wide range of design possibilities with custom colors, finishes and backlighting options
Longer Product Lifetimes
With excellent weatherability in ruggedized environments, elastomer keypads with durable Boyd construction are resistant to moisture, chemicals, and can endure temperatures ranging between -30° C to +80°C.
Enhanced user interaction
Provide users with exceptional tactile response with customizable tactile feedback with elastomer keypads that can be tailored between 100g to 300g of force.
Backlighting
Enhance your device with Boyd’s HMI solutions, incorporating industry-standard backlighting for improved functionality and aesthetics. Adding backlighting to your product improves visual appeal and defines your brand’s distinctive style. Backlighting guides users and provides feedback during device operation, especially in darker settings. From user interface assemblies to branded nameplates, Boyd helps with design considerations and provides the right integrated backlighting solution for your program.
eMobilty and Transportation
Center console controls, ambient lighting, gear shift PRNDL indicators, infotainment systems, dashboard indicators, start buttons, and more benefit from backlighting
Medical
Medical equipment interfaces for healthcare providers or for patients
Appliances and Industrial Controls
Interface panels for larger appliances, or responsive lighting for industrial control systems.
Membrane Switches and Keypads
Discover tailored HMI solutions with Boyd’s expertise in membrane switch technology. Ideal for industries such as medical and industrial equipment, our membrane switch is a micro-motion, momentary contact, flexible circuit with a printed graphic overlay. Boyd provides complete customization, including custom colors, textures, backlighting, and tactile response options with robust materials and easy cleanability, ensuring your membrane switch panel design meets your specific needs.
Superior Durability
Offering easy cleanability, membrane switches are resistant to moisture, chemicals, and abrasion.
Design Flexibility
With custom colors, textures, backlighting, and tactile response options, membrane switches offer a wide range of design configurations.
Capacitive Touch Sensors and Switches
Upgrade your user interface with Boyd’s HMI solutions by replacing mechanical buttons with elegant, non-tactile, compact user-interface with capacitive switches. This innovation streamlines traditional switch circuitry by eliminating several design layers and components. Capacitive switches are thin, non-mechanical designs applied to curved surfaces and mounted behind glass or decorated plastic. Depending on your application requirements, these sensors can also be backlit to provide a cost-effective modern design. Boyd offers a variety of printed capacitive sensors that can integrate with commonly available microcontrollers to provide capacitive touch sensing.
Sleek and Contemporary Designs
Replace mechanical buttons with elegant, non-tactile, compact user-interface
Superior Durability
Prolong switch and device life with sealed, smooth, and easily cleanable capacitive switches, which prevent ingress of moisture or dust.
Design Flexibility and Enhanced User Experience
Integrate different input methods and feedback mechanisms, adding another layer of communication with the end-user and improving usability.
User Interface Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs)
Optimize your user interface with Boyd’s HMI solutions by incorporating Printed circuit boards (PCBs). By eliminating the need for a rigid subpanel, PCBs simplify material usage and interconnects. Boyd specializes in combining PCBs with other switch solutions like keypads, backlighting, and display screens to craft the perfect user interface for your application. Our comprehensive services cover the entire spectrum of user interface PCB manufacturing, from circuit board stack-up and design support to prototyping and fabrication.
Minimize Components and Assembly
Integrate multiple features like switches, displays, and backlighting into a single interface component, reducing complexity and costs.
Enable User-Friendly Interfaces
Customize your user experience with a circuit board that reflects the interface needs of your product.
In-Mold Decoration (IMD ) and In-Mold Labeling (IML) Solutions
(View transcript)
Resources and Downloads
Have questions? We’re ready to help!
