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WATCHING THE DETECTIVES
Over the years, technological developments have led to new methods of detecting crime and catching the offenders. One such development has been the use of the police helicopter to monitor, detect and assist at crime scenes. With officers on the ground in constant communication with the ‘eye-in-the-sky’, criminal activities can now be monitored from all angles. This system is now to be enhanced by the addition of equipment for control and data transfer between the ground and the air. GPS Developments, the company responsible for the design and manufacture of the membrane switch panels used on this system recently commissioned by the Metropolitan Police, is a key supplier. Steve Steward, Managing Director of GPS Developments, says: 'The Met’s system was quite complex - it contained many tactile switches and built-in LEDs that had to fit into relatively small panels'. GPS Developments, a manufacturer of membrane switch panels fascias and touch screens for a range of commercial and industrial users, selected Autotype’s Autotex high-quality, textured polyester film to form the overlay for the panel, in conjunction with Autostat heat stabilised clear polyester for the circuit layer within the panels. Steve Steward points out that, 'Historically, textured polycarbonate had been used for overlays simply because textured polyester films did not exist. The problem with polycarbonate, however, is that when embossed the switch life is much reduced. Autotex does not suffer from this loss of performance when embossed and offers many other advantages as well'. The month-long project resulted in a series of three state-of-the-art panels, each approximately 130mm x 70mm. Although small, the panels represented the culmination of a number of intricate processes that demanded high levels of accuracy and extremely tough materials. Steve Steward says the Autotex film had a very specific purpose, 'Autotex is extremely tough and is used as an overlay to resist damage and ensure maximum switch life when embossed'. Two of the panels included both switches and LEDs, while the third acted simply as a display panel with 32 single-colour diodes. Twenty membrane switches and 25 tricolour LEDs were incorporated into the two switch & display panels which meant there was no room for display windows; 'It’s all done through diode displays', Steve Steward explained. The panels were made up of a number of layers including two circuits of Autostat heat-stabilised film printed with conductive ink. Autotex was used for the graphic overlays that were printed before embossing; Steve Steward stresses that, 'In production Autotex is easy both to handle and process, giving good results without special treatment'. Autotex has been an important factor in supporting the growth of the ISO 9001:2000 accredited company. The material is extremely durable and is excellent for applications where clarity is as important as toughness. These characteristics, along with the film’s ability to extend switch life, have revolutionised the company’s production process, so much so that as Steve Steward says 'Autotex has now become the norm'. The company is now looking to enlarge its manufacturing facility by moving to a purpose-built factory. 'Once we expand and turnover is up, there’ll be more panels to print and even more need for Autotype’s films'.
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