China debuts the world's fastest 600 km/h maglev train featuring LUMINEQ's futurist transparent displays
China's new high speed 600km/h maglev train has rolled off the production line. CRRC Qingdao Sifang developed this world's fastest ground vehicle full of futurist technologies along with more than 30 companies, universities, and research institutes. LUMINEQ Displays was honorably chosen as one of the technology partners and provided transparent display solutions for dimming the cabin windows.
How fast is the 600km/h maglev train?
At 600 kph, it takes only 2.5 hours to travel from Beijing to Shanghai (more than 1 000km) by train, compared to 3 hours by plane or 5.5 hours by the existing high-speed rail. Within 1500km, this maglev train is the fastest way to travel.
How does the maglev train work?
With maglev technology, the train travels along a guideway of magnets which control the train's stability and speed. The train is not connected to the rail but floats 10mm above the ground. It is nearly “flying on the ground” due to minimum resistance. Here is a video to explain how a maglev train works.
What are the benefits of the maglev train?
There is no friction between the maglev train and the rail. The only resistance the train needs to overcome is the air resistance. Therefore, it is fast and stable and delivers a comfortable travel experience. The train speeds up fast and stops quickly. It takes only 3.5 minutes to speed up from zero to 600km/h, making it suitable for short and medium-distance commutes. A maglev train is quieter than other types of trains. The noise level can be controlled in 70-80 decibels inside the train, which is less than the city traffic you hear inside a passenger car. No friction also means less worn-out, less maintenance, and a longer product life cycle of the train. In short, a maglev train is efficient, secure, reliable, puncture, comfortable, and environmentally-friendly.
There is only one problem. It's expensive. According to the 2013 Infrastructure Australia study, the cost of the Shanghai maglev ($US 39 million / km) is twice the cost of conventional HSR. The US Federal Railroad Administration estimates that it would cost up to $100m per mile to build.
Smart cabin windows powered by LUMINEQ transparent displays
China's first 600km/h maglev train is full of innovations. One of the futurist workstechnologies CRRC Sifang chooses for the train is the LUMINEQ transparent in-glass display from Finland. By laminating a piece of transparent display in glass, they turn ordinary cabin windows into dimmable smart windows.
High-speed trains use physical visors for the cabin windows, which leaves the passengers only two options: block the sun, or let it in. It doesn't allow you to choose how much sunlight to come through.
However, the new maglev train adopts dimmable windows and uses LUMINEQ transparent display technology to digitalize the dimming process. Passengers can manually adjust the amount of coming-through sunlight by pressing the lit-up buttons “+” or “-” on the window glass. The transparent displays are embedded in glass, as rugged as the four-layer glass itself. It is also possible to set up the touch display to adjust automatically according to the travel routes.
The reasons why LUMINEQ transparent displays is chosen for the 600km/h maglev train
The in-glass embedded transparent display is the most innovative way of controlling a dimmable cabin window. It looks cool, saves space, and integrates seamlessly with any interior design. LUMINEQ has over 30 years of experience in manufacturing displays. Renowned for the ruggedness of its displays, LUMINEQ is a reliable partner for the rail industry that has high safety-related standards.
About 80% or high transparency
LUMINEQ manufactures the world's most transparent displays. The typical transparency of a TOLED is 40%, while LUMINEQ displays are over 80% transparent, or over 70% when laminated in glass. High transparency makes LUMINEQ the perfect and only transparent display type for critical automotive/transportation industry applications.
Laminated in glass
The maglev train windows are made of four layers of laminated glass. Laminated glass offers many benefits, such as increased safety, reduced sound, and solar energy. It also allows you to add other technologies like the transparent display. LUMINEQ transparent displays easily handle the lamination process pressure of 8-14 bar and temperature of roughly 140 °C. The 0.7mm display thickness works very well to be embedded into a layer of 0.76mm PVB.
In cell touch
LUMINEQ in-cell touch is made using the same ITO layers as the display. So there's no need for an additional touch layer or to work with another touch manufacturer. It's a capacitive function touch and is as robust as our display technology. They have designed the touch to work without false actuations caused by water droplets or spray, be glove compatible, and function through up to 4mm of laminated glass.
Water resistant
LUMINEQ has tested new water-resistant touch technology worldwide together with world-known brands. The company has designed the touch display to work without false actuations caused by water droplets or spray, be glove compatible, and function through up to 4mm of laminated glass. Ongoing projects include opening train and bus passenger doors, a keypad standing in the rain for locked containers, and many more for transportation applications.
Reliable performance in any environment
The inorganic solid-state design makes LUMINEQ immune to environmental factors, including temperature, vibration and shock, altitude, humidity, and solar load. LUMINEQ displays have a one-millisecond response rate across the entire gamut of temperature, from -100℃ to +105. Lifetime is 100,000 hours to 85% brightness, and that's also independent of temperature. They are not susceptible to humidity or UV and have no degradation from sun exposure. That's what makes it perfect for any exterior glass application.
For more information about the Lumineq solutions, please contact Nijkerk Electronics.
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