Display protection - a comprehensive explanation and overview
What you need to know about screen protectors
What is a display film and why is it beneficial?
Display protection foils are specially manufactured films that are supposed to protect the touchscreen as a protective layer from the factory now and then. They can also be manufactured and applied afterwards in a suitable form using various manufacturing processes. The task of a display protection film, also known as a display film, touch film, touch screen film or touch protection film (no generally valid name has been established to date) is the efficient protection of the device display against display damage, such as scratches and scuffs, and even the prevention of display breakage. In addition, display films protect against chemicals, such as cleaning agents or disinfectants, dirt and grease.
Protective effect of a professional screen protector
The display of the cell phone is one of the elements that are most battered. Especially in case of drops or bumps, the screen is rapidly damaged or scratched and the function is consequently hindered or even completely impossible. A display film exerts a protective effect to protect the screen from external influences, such as scratches in particular. It thus ensures that the cell phone remains usable for a long time. Coins, keys or other hard pointed objects, such as sand, zippers can scratch a smartphone monitor. If the phone falls on the street, the screen can even crack. This is not only annoying, but a display repair can be downright salty at times. Everyone knows the cell phone spider app! Additional protection with a Neoxum anti-reflective film or Neoxum ultra-clear film is therefore highly recommended.
A broken screen, for example, makes a cell phone or digital camera completely unsuitable. An expensive repair is certainly the consequence, if not a new acquisition is sometimes the economically more sensible solution to the problem. Without question, this is incredibly annoying and expensive, and in the case of a total loss, it is also not particularly ecologically beneficial, as
- the old device accumulates as electronic scrap
- the disposal of electrical equipment, which is still not reliably solved.
Better and significantly cheaper is the preventive protection of expensive utensils with professional display protection from Neoxum.Principally, there are two essentially different types of display protection. Flexible display protection, which protects touchscreens from scratches and damage and rigid diplay protection made of pure glass.
Higher sales value for used equipment
When signing a smartphone contract with a common term of 2 to 4 years, a brand-new cell phone is usually included. When the existing contract is extended, the customer often receives a brand-new smartphone. The former phone is no longer needed and is sold. Defects, especially on the screen, reduce the resale value. With the help of high-quality display protection from Neoxum, as a display protection film, anti-reflective OnScreen Hybridglas or crystal-clear OnScreen hybrid glass, the display or display glass remains unharmed and a higher sales value is achieved.
Quality display protection
Surface hardness, material thickness, transparency and also the sensitivity change of the sensor screen are decisive for the quality of a display protection film. The harder the screen protector, the more resistant it is against scratches. Usually, the hardness of the screen protector's surface is indicated in pencil hardness H. But the elasticity also plays an important role: We know this phenomenon from nature. Trees sway in a storm and yield to the force of the wind. Even in powerful storms, healthy trees generally withstand the forces of nature by yielding to the force elastically and adaptably.
Bamboo and protection of displays - an analogy
Plastic prime example are the Asian breathtaking scaffolds made of bamboo. The natural material (bamboo is a grass!) is enormously flexible and elastic, yet very strong. Bamboo scaffolds are used to build entire skyscrapers. Rigid steel scaffolds, on the other hand, can withstand occurring forces only to a certain extent, until they undoubtedly break. Only the movable scaffolds made of bamboo are so resistant that they can withstand the enormous loads. Responsible for this extraordinary peculiarity is the modulus of elasticity.
And how does this all relate to screen protectors?
Rigid glass screen protectors (tempered glass) certainly have an outstandingly hard surface to protect the screen against scratches and scuffs. Currently very popular is the so-called bulletproof glass (bulletproof glass, real glass or tempered glass protection, tempered glass). This item is real glass. As pure protective glass, bulletproof glass is also often referred to as shockproof display protection glass or anti-shock protection glass. Sometimes it is advisable to question this advertised shock-absorbing feature. In case of an abrupt force (an impulse), for example a fall or a pointed object with a punctual load, a blow or impact with a screwdriver or the like (the device falls with the display on a hard floor), screen protectors made of pure glass break quite quickly. Unfortunately, small pointed and sharp-edged splinters often occur, which pose a not inconsiderable risk of injury.
Display protection for industrial quality requirements
Particularly in the field of industrial display protection, bulletproof glass, also known as armored glass, flexo glass, or protective glass, has not prevailed because occupational safety plays an extremely important role here. Neoxum offers the solution with OnScreen OnScreen Hybrid Glas: the hybrid material has a surface as hard as glass up to 9H and is still flexible like a display film. The combination of glass with an intermediate layer of protective film does not break and behaves more like safety glass or laminated glass.Obviously, the protective films for touchscreens available on the market differ in their quality. An inferior film does not withstand sharp-edged objects.
For example, display protection films, bulletproof glass and hybrid glass are currently being used successfully in the following commercial segments:
- Clinics, hospitals, nursing homes and colleges that need to anti-reflect and incidentally protect and disinfect displays of medical and veterinary examination equipment and patient displays
- Public transport companies that use display protection films, respectively glass hard display protection on conductor devices, ticket machines, ticket vending machines and information terminals to protect them from wear and tear and destruction
- Agricultural machines such as combine harvesters, tractors, milk milking machines, which are now operated with touch functionality on control panels
- Touch panels on CNC milling machines, lasers, NC controlled punching machines
Adhesive effect of screen protector through adhesion
Adhesive force on smooth surfaces
High-quality screen protectors in general, and glass screen protectors like the OnScreen Hybridglas, adhere purely through adhesion forces to the display surface. By utilizing forces at the nanometer level, without the use of adhesives, an exceptionally strong adhesive effect is achieved, completely preventing slipping or falling off. Nevertheless, adhesive films and OnScreen Hybridglas can be easily removed from a display without leaving any residue. In this case, you simply need to lift the screen protector at one corner with a fingernail and then peel it off diagonally. The relation between the adhesive force and the forces needed for removal can be practically imagined as follows: If you place two flat glass plates directly on top of each other, the air gap between them is completely eliminated. The surrounding air pressure pushes the plates together with great force. If you try to separate them, it cannot be done with human strength. However, if you use a trick and slide the plates apart, the separation is very easy.
Physical Chemical Forces
Several factors play an important role in the adhesion of high-quality screen protectors to screen surfaces. Adhesion is a decisive phenomenon in the molecular range that arises from polar interactions at interfaces, in our case the interface between the display surface and the silicone adhesive layer of the display protector. In particular, so-called van der Waals bonds in the area of molecules of the display surface and molecules of the adhesion layer (the very thin silicone adhesive layer) are decisively responsible for the strong adhesion to smooth surfaces. The decisive condition of adhesion is the spatial proximity of the two surfaces. The silicone adhesion layer of the Neoxum display protection or surface protection is such that Neoxum display films, as well as the OnScreen Hybrid Glass adhere extremely well to numerous smooth materials, such as plastic, metal, but also glass. The adhesive film and the hybrid glass can be removed from all materials without leaving any residue.
Construction of a display film
Display protection films consist of different layers that are specially adapted for their purpose. A silicone adhesive layer allows the films to stick to the screen surface. A simple and bubble-free installation is indispensable. The essential protective layer, made of PET high-performance film, pure glass (= very brittle, risk of breakage) or a hybrid material consisting of a glass-hard surface and elastic special polymer (=OnScreen ® Hybridglas), ensures that the monitor is protected from damage. The operation of the touch display is not restricted by the additional high-performance protective layer. Displays made of tempered glass (often referred to as Gorilla Glass, bulletproof glass or armored glass) are also not insensitive to scratches or other signs of use when they are hit with very hard objects. The following is a short excursion into the assessment of surface hardness degrees.
Transparent, clear, and anti-reflective screen protector
Transparent display protection
In a completely crystal-clear design, the screen protector is almost invisible. The clear screen protector protects the display like a second skin. Colors are reproduced naturally. The transparent protection of the display is no longer noticeable in high-quality products. Most of the time, the untrained eye does not notice at all that there is a transparent screen protector on the display. However, the film does not affect the properties of the touchscreen in any way. The touch-sensitive function of the touchscreen works just as well with the applied screen protector as it should. Neoxum ultra-clear screen protectors are coated with a repellent anti-fingerprint layer that noticeably reduces unsightly fingerprints.
Anti-glare screen protector
As an anti-reflective display protector, reflections on the display surface are efficiently reduced: The screen is anti-glare and additionally protected from damage by the extra protective layer. The anti-glare surface provides excellent service in bright environments, especially when working outdoors. The display is much easier to read. No more annoying and obstructive reflections.
How hard is screen protection actually?
The classification of how hard a screen protector is measured in the world of surface and screen protection is done using the Mohs scale of surface hardness. The following table lists the different hardness levels of screen protector surfaces and compares them to a naturally occurring material and an everyday object:
Hardness grades of materials
| Degree of hardness H | as hard as | Description Hardness Level |
|---|---|---|
| 1H | Talc Mg3[(OH)2/Si4O10] | Material can be easily indented with a fingernail, film made of polypropylene or polyethylene. |
| 2H | Gypsum CaSO₄·2H₂O | The material can just barely be indented with a fingernail. |
| 3H | Calcite CaCO3 (Calcite) | high-quality display protective film made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) |
| 4H | Fluorite CaF2 | High-quality display film made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) |
| 5H | Apatit Ca5[(F,Cl,OH)/(PO4)2] | simple window glass |
| 6H | Feldspar KAlSi₃O₈ | The material can be scratched with a simple kitchen knife. |
| 7H | Quarz SiO2 | As hard as tempered glass, simple safety glass. |
| 8H | Topaz Al2[F2/SiO4] | |
| 9H | Corundum Al2O3 | as hard as sapphire crystal, e.g., watch glass for high-quality watches; jewelry |
| 10H | Diamond C (carbon modification) | The hardest widely known material, diamond can only be ground or cut with diamond. |
As can be seen from the above table, statements like "screen protector has 9H" should be taken with caution. Corundum or sapphire (an Al2O3 (aluminum oxide) doped with chromium (III); also referred to as ruby and colored pink to red) are extremely expensive and can only be applied as a very thin layer using special, extraordinarily costly processes, such as PVD (physical vapor deposition) or CVD (chemical vapor deposition). A protective glass with a 9H hardness for 5.99 EUR can hardly be true! Reputable suppliers and manufacturers refer to 9H as the hardness (see the above table) for glass screen protectors or glass-hard screen protectors.
Curved displays - 2D - 2.5D - 3D protective glass
In addition to the distinction between transparent and anti-reflective display films and protective layers made of glass or a glass-plastic composite (OnScreen Hybrid Glass), there are other differences that can be indicated with D-data: 2D films only cover the monitor, 2.5D films also protect the screen edges in strongly curved displays, and 3D films reach beyond the screen.
Protective films applied by the device manufacturer
Factory-installed protective films are usually made of polypropylene (PP) or PE (polyethylene) or PVC (polyvinyl chloride) and act more as a transport protection film than a real display protector. These transport protection films, most of which are not cut to fit exactly, are supposed to protect the screen from display damage during final assembly and packing. After this functionality is fulfilled, the particularly easy-to-adhere protective film can simply be removed from the display after the device is purchased. However, there are now exceptions where primarily cell phone manufacturers pre-mount good protective films on the monitors.
Inexpensive display film set
Display films are small useful helpers against the damage of screens and sensitive surfaces. The protection of the display or screen in inexpensive display films is usually made of PE (polyethylene), PP (polypropylene) or PVC (polyvinyl chloride). Adhesion to surfaces is usually achieved by using adhesives (acrylates or modified acrylate adhesives), which are applied in very thin layers (usually less than 10-20 g of adhesive per square meter of film). Alternatively, for somewhat better protection of displays made of the above-mentioned materials, an adhesive silicone layer is used as an adhesive (adherent but not adhesive) layer.
Cheap protective films
What all three inexpensive to very inexpensive display films have in common is the fact that they are comparatively thin. As a rule, the thickness of inexpensive display films is no more than 60 microns, which corresponds to 0.06 mm. In addition, protective films made of PE and PP are very soft and flexible. This means that the sensitive polymer can be deformed very easily with a small amount of force (better: pressure = force per area). If the applied force (e.g. a zipper scratches the thin protective film) exceeds a certain maximum value, which is very low for simple protective films, an object (key, pen, coin, ballpoint pen, rivet on jeans, stone, zipper, etc.) breaks through the thin polymer protective layer in an instant. The display underneath will certainly be damaged. On top of that, inexpensive protective films defy horizontal shear forces marginally: they can be stretched out extremely effortlessly. When stretched, film material thins out until it tears off when the stretching capacity is exceeded. The low durability and resilience is the reason why cheap suppliers usually offer packs of 3, 6, 9 or even 12 for little money. The protective films are broken relatively quickly and must then be replaced.
Plain display protectors are mostly die-cut in Asia in multiple layers using contour cutting dies. This can sometimes lead to bruising at the cut edges. This not only affects the fit, but also the adhesive layer. In the worst case, the inexpensive screen protector film does not adhere to the edges of the touch display and sticks out. This kind of screen protector does not meet industrial quality standards. According to our advice, displays should be equipped with high-quality and professional screen protectors.
Insufficient surface hardness of cheap display protection films
The low surface hardness of cheap films also very quickly leads to the surface of the inexpensive display film itself becoming noticeably scratched and you can hardly see anything on the display.
Professional Screen and Surface Protection
Professionelle Displayschutzfolien bestehen normalerweise aus PET (Polyethylenterephthalat) einem Polyestermaterial. PET verfügt über herausragende optische Eigenschaften, hohe Reißfestigkeit, ein E-Modul 4500 N·mm2 längs und quer, d.h. bei einer für einen professionellen Bildschirmschutz qualifizierten Stärke des Materials von etwa 0,1-0,13 mm ist ein äußerst leistungsfähiger und harter Schutz des Displays gegeben. Scharfe spitze Gegenstände können nicht ohne weiteres bis zum Gerätedisplay vordringen. Der unter dem Displayschutz befindliche Bildschirm wird mit hohem Wirkungsgrad geschützt. Schutzfolien aus hochwertigen PET sind sehr beständig gegen Chemikalien. Des Weiteren sind Displayschutzfolien aus PET Material sehr temperaturbeständig. Wir haben in unserem technischen Datenblatt die maßgeblichen Merkmale der Neoxum Displayfolien zusammengefasst. Professionelle Displayfolien von Neoxum werden beispielsweise im Umfeld der Lebensmittelindustrie oder aber auch im Medizinischen Sektor eingesetzt, bei dem die Displays regelmäßig mit Desinfektionsmittel von Keimen befreit werden müssen. Die Desinfektion der Bildschirme schadet den Touchdisplays durch den Schutz der Displayfolie, respektive des OnScreen Hybridglases, überhaupt nicht. Die Oberfläche guter Displayfolien weist eine Oberflächenhärte von 3H-4H auf. Kratzer auf der Schutzfolie bleiben bei massiver und intensiver Belastung bei industriellem oder kommerziellem Einsatz nicht aus. Jedoch schützt ein professioneller Displayschutz von Neoxum Touchdisplays und Displays vor Kratzern, Beschädigung, Chemikalien, inkl. Reinigungsmitteln ohne überdies selbst die Toucheigenschaft negativ zu verändern.
Why is a good screen protector fit essential?
High-quality display films and OnScreen hybrid glass from Neoxum are produced in Germany on modern precision laser machines. The small recesses and cutouts on the device display are different sensors of the device. On a smartphone, for example, there are light sensors, proximity sensors, in some cases several camera lenses on modern smartphones, microphone, speaker outputs and several more cutouts. In order not to prevent the function even with a screen protector, all cutouts for the detectors of the device are taken into account. This is especially relevant for light and proximity sensors. The light-sensitive sensors are used to regulate the automatic shutdown of the display during a phone call and the automatic brightness of the display. For Neoxum display films as well as OnScreen Hybrid Glass, the dimensions are always taken from the original device. As already explained, all cut-outs are important for the dimensions. But also the dimensions have to be measured precisely digitally. There are manufacturers who use dummy devices (without electronics, only device housing and display) for measuring. Nevertheless, there can be significant differences to the real display. For curved displays, Neoxum display protection products are laser-cut so that neither the Neoxum protective film nor the Neoxum OnScreen Hybrid Glass protrude beyond the edges. Basically, hybrid glass adheres even stronger to the screen surface and is therefore very well suited for curved displays. An adhesive layer made of very thin silicone is responsible for the adhesive effect on the monitor surface. The adhesive effect is based on the physical principle of adhesion. We have already explained the adhesive effect based on forces in the nanometer range in more detail in another article.
Environmental balance of display protection
Avoidance of electronic waste through high-quality display protection
As expected, a high-quality screen protector extends the life of a device because the control unit, the display, is well protected. Broken or damaged device screens inevitably lead to costly repairs or even complete replacement of the device. Often, it is not worth spending a lot of money to repair the display because new devices cost almost as much. Consequently, broken displays or screens that have become unusable due to wear and tear or a display defect are extremely detrimental ecologically. Preventive screen protection reduces the risk of display damage due to significant impact, such as a display break. Scratches and damage to the monitor are avoided, and in the event of a fall, the likelihood is significantly higher that a display equipped with a screen protector will remain undamaged when it collides with the ground. Therefore, the environmental balance is better with a screen protector than without.
Plastic recycling of display films
Display films, on the other hand, are made of plastic. Cost-effective display films made of PP, PE, or PVC are not particularly durable and therefore need to be replaced regularly. This repeatedly causes avoidable plastic waste. PP and PE can be recycled. Thermal recycling is also possible, leaving only water and carbon dioxide. Nevertheless, we all produce far too much (cheap) plastic waste. Better are high-quality display films made of PET, which are very robust and durable. Additionally, PET display films can be collected in a pure form and recycled, for example, into beverage bottles. PVC display films perform the worst. PVC contains chloride (PVC=polyvinyl chloride), which reacts during thermal recycling (waste incineration) to form toxic dioxins, furans, and hydrochloric acid. Therefore, PVC-contaminated exhaust gases must be detoxified using complex processes. In the long run, it is more sensible to avoid cheap PVC films.
Apply the screen protector to the display.
Low-dust environment
The most important rule when installing screen protectors or glass display protectors is to take your time and set up a low-dust environment. You can easily create such an environment at home in the bathroom. After showering or bathing, the air tends to be humid, and there is generally little dust in the air. These are optimal conditions for the installation of screen protectors (excluding professional installation under cleanroom conditions).
Cleaning the touchscreen
How a protective film or even tempered glass, hybrid glass, or a glass film is properly applied to the respective device display should be explained in detail in the instructions for high-quality screen protectors. The most important prerequisite is that the screen is free of grease and dust. Normally, branded products also include a cleaning cloth. Neoxum provides a cloth soaked with screen cleaning fluid for display cleaning and a dry cloth for finishing, for both Neoxum screen films and OnScreen hybrid glasses. A microfiber cloth alone is not very suitable for removing fingerprints or grease. Using only a microfiber cloth tends to smear fingerprints on the display. In such cases, an appropriate screen cleaner fluid should be used. Additionally, it is advisable to clean the display from dust with the included cleaning accessories. Cheap microfiber cloths, or the screen itself, can become statically charged, attracting even more dust particles to the display. In such cases, an antistatic screen cleaner should also be used to remove dust particles.
Individual steps for screen protector installation
Does the screen protector fit?
First, place the screen protector product, whether transparent or anti-reflective, on the display to be protected to check the dimensional accuracy. Do all the cutouts fit? Are there cutouts for the camera, microphone, speaker, etc.? Do the length and width fit? The backing film must not be removed yet! IMPORTANT: Usually, the screen protector is cut slightly smaller than the dimensions from edge to edge of the display to make application easier. The screen protector should be approximately 0.1-0.2 mm smaller all around than the display itself.
Partial removal of the backing film
In the next step, a partial (about 2-4 cm) removal of the screen protector from the backing film follows. Different manufacturers have developed more or less straightforward methods to facilitate the removal of the actual screen protector from the backing film. All Neoxum products, screen protection films, as well as OnScreen hybrid glass, are manufactured using the so-called kiss-cut process. In this process, all cutouts are laser-cut. However, the outer contour is only laser-cut deep enough so that the laser beam cleanly cuts through the screen protection material without also cutting through the underlying backing film. The screen protector can then be easily removed like a label. Care should be taken to touch the now exposed silicone adhesive layer as little as possible with your fingers.
Applying the screen protector
The silicone-coated adhesive side of the screen protector is now applied to the cleaned, dust- and grease-free display surface at an angle of roughly 30-45° along one edge, and the adhesive layer is carefully applied piece by piece to the touchscreen. For a screen protector larger than 15 inches diagonally, it is recommended to start at a long edge. At the same time, the backing film is gradually removed. In this way, the screen protector, which is made of glass, is applied to the surface without creating air bubbles. Air bubbles can be smoothed out toward the edge with a fingernail or a plastic card, such as a debit card. If, despite all precautions, a dust particle gets between the screen surface and the screen protector, it can be easily removed with a trick: Cut a piece of tape about 5-7 cm long (e.g., from TESA or SCOTCH) and stick it on the edge closest to the dust particle, only half on the screen protector. You can now easily lift the already applied screen protector by the other unattached end. With a second piece of tape made into a ring with the sticky side facing out, the dust particle can be removed.
English 
German 
Swedish 
Italian 
Dutch 
. A strong 256-bit encryption secures the data transfer. With our externally issued SSL certificate, we are transparent and compliant. In addition to the SSL-secured website, we take data protection very seriously.