A custom display project rarely goes directly from a customer’s RFQ to mass production. Before manufacturing a display at scale, you must analyze its requirements, select the right solution, and validate the design.
Depending on the project, an existing display may meet most of the requirements with little or no modification. In other cases, the display, touchscreen, cover glass, electronics, or mechanical structure may need to be customized.
A typical development path is:
RFQ Analysis → Standard or Custom Solution → Quotation → Engineering Design → Customer Confirmation → Sample Production → Sample Testing → Pilot Run → Mass Production
The exact process can vary according to the product and application, but the objective remains the same: turn a defined requirement into a display solution that can be validated and manufactured consistently.
1. RFQ Analysis: Understanding the Requirements
The RFQ is the starting point of a custom display project. At this stage, the manufacturer needs to understand not only what the customer wants to buy, but also what the display needs to do in its final application.
Typical requirements may include:
Display size and resolution
Brightness and viewing requirements
Touchscreen type and operating conditions
Cover glass dimensions and thickness
Display or touch interface
Mechanical dimensions and mounting requirements
Operating temperature
Environmental conditions
Optical requirements
Expected production volume
Application and installation environment
The application is particularly important because the same display specification can lead to very different engineering requirements.
For example, a display for an indoor control panel may have relatively straightforward brightness and environmental requirements. A display installed in outdoor equipment may need to address sunlight readability, water exposure, gloves, temperature changes, mechanical protection, or other environmental factors.
For this reason, an RFQ is not simply a request for a price. It provides the information needed to determine whether an existing solution is suitable and what level of engineering work may be required.
2. Standard or Custom Solution?
After analyzing the RFQ, the next question is whether an existing solution can satisfy the requirements.
Standard Solution
If an existing display or touch display meets the key specifications, the project can proceed with a standard solution.
RFQ Analysis → Standard Solution → Quotation
Using an existing solution can reduce development work, shorten the development cycle, and reduce the risks associated with creating a new prototype.
This does not necessarily mean that the product is completely unchanged. Minor project-specific adjustments may still be required depending on the application and integration requirements.
Custom Solution
If the available standard products cannot meet the requirements, the project moves toward a custom solution.
RFQ Analysis → Custom Solution → Quotation
Customization can occur at different levels. A project may require changes to only one part of the display assembly rather than a completely new display design.
Depending on the requirements, customization may involve:
The level of customization therefore depends on the gap between the customer's requirements and the available standard solution.
3. Quotation and Project Confirmation
Once the solution has been evaluated, the manufacturer can prepare a quotation based on the required components, customization work, production requirements, and expected volume.
The cost structure of a custom display project can differ significantly from that of a standard product. Custom components, tooling, testing requirements, minimum order quantities, and expected production volume may all affect the final project cost.
After the quotation and key commercial conditions are confirmed, the project can proceed to engineering design.
4. Engineering Design: Turning Requirements into a Buildable Solution
Engineering design is where the requirements defined during the RFQ stage are translated into an actual product configuration.
A display system may involve several interconnected elements, including the TFT display, touch sensor, touch controller, cover glass, FPC, interface, mechanical structure, and optical bonding.
Changes to one element can affect others.
For example, increasing the thickness of the cover glass can influence touch sensitivity and may require changes to touch parameters or sensor design. Increasing display brightness can improve outdoor readability, but it can also increase power consumption and thermal load. Optical bonding can improve optical performance and reduce the effects of an air gap, while also introducing additional process and cost considerations.
Similarly, requirements such as wide operating temperatures or water-resistant operation can affect component selection, mechanical design, touch performance, and validation requirements.
The goal of engineering design is therefore not simply to achieve each specification independently. The different requirements need to work together as a practical and manufacturable system.
5. Customer Confirmation
Once the engineering solution has been defined, the key specifications and design details need to be confirmed with the customer.
This may include the display configuration, touch solution, mechanical dimensions, interfaces, optical requirements, environmental requirements, and other project-specific details.
Customer confirmation provides a defined basis for sample production and subsequent validation.
6. Sample Production and Testing
After the design is confirmed, samples can be produced for evaluation.
The purpose of a sample is not only to demonstrate that the display can be assembled. It is an opportunity to verify whether the actual product meets the agreed requirements.
Depending on the project, sample testing may cover areas such as:
Display performance
Touch response and accuracy
Mechanical fit
Interface operation
Optical performance
Temperature performance
Glove operation
Water touch performance
Environmental or reliability requirements
Not every project requires the same tests. The validation plan should reflect the product specifications, application environment, and customer's requirements.
7. What Happens If the Sample Does Not Pass?
A custom display project does not necessarily end when a sample fails a test.
If the sample does not meet an agreed requirement, the result is fed back into the engineering process.
The required adjustment depends on the failure. It may involve the touch sensor, controller settings, mechanical structure, optical configuration, display parameters, or another part of the system.
This iterative process is a normal part of engineering validation. The purpose of the sample stage is precisely to identify and resolve issues before the project reaches higher-volume production.
When the sample meets the required specifications, the project can move to the next stage.
8. Pilot Run Before Mass Production
Passing sample validation does not always mean that the project should immediately enter full-scale production.
For many custom projects, a pilot run provides an additional step between prototype validation and mass production.
The purpose of a pilot run is to verify that the validated design can also be produced consistently under actual manufacturing conditions.
This can help identify issues related to:
Production processes
Assembly consistency
Material handling
Quality control
Process parameters
Yield and production stability
The pilot run therefore helps bridge the gap between a working prototype and a repeatable manufacturing process.
9. Mass Production
Once the design has been validated and the production process has been verified, the project can proceed to mass production.
At this stage, the focus shifts from proving the design to producing the product consistently according to the approved specifications.
Production quality depends on factors such as material control, process control, inspection, assembly consistency, and final quality verification.
For a custom display, maintaining consistency is particularly important because the production product needs to remain aligned with the design that was validated during the sample stage.
From RFQ to Mass Production
A custom display project can be summarized as:
RFQ Analysis → Standard or Custom Solution → Quotation → Engineering Design → Customer Confirmation → Sample Production → Sample Testing → Pilot Run → Mass Production
If a standard solution is suitable, the project can avoid unnecessary development work. If customization is required, engineering design and validation provide a controlled path for developing the required solution.
If a sample does not meet the requirements, the project returns to engineering for adjustment and re-validation. Once the design passes validation and the manufacturing process is verified through a pilot run, the project can move into mass production.
A successful custom display project is therefore more than selecting a screen from a catalog. It involves requirement analysis, solution selection, engineering design, validation, and manufacturing verification before reaching mass production.
For FANNAL, this process provides a structured path from an initial RFQ to a validated and manufacturable custom display solution.
FAQ
1. Can standard products reduce development costs?
Yes. When a standard product meets the project requirements, additional product development may not be necessary. This can reduce development work, prototype risk, and associated development costs compared with a fully customized solution.
2. Do you have your own R&D and engineering team?
Yes. FANNAL has an in-house engineering team covering display, touchscreen, and optical bonding technologies. Our engineers support projects from solution evaluation and design through sample validation, pilot production, and mass production.
3. How can I find the right display solution for my project?
Start by providing the key requirements for your application, such as display size, resolution, brightness, interface, touch requirements, operating temperature, mechanical constraints, and expected volume. FANNAL can then evaluate whether a standard product is suitable or whether a custom solution is required.
4. Do you offer OEM and ODM touch display solutions?
Yes. FANNAL provides OEM and ODM display and touchscreen solutions for B2B applications. Depending on the project requirements, we can support customization of display size, touch sensors, cover glass, FPC, interfaces, optical bonding, and other components from engineering through mass production.
5. How do you ensure quality during the transition from sample to mass production?
FANNAL uses sample validation and pilot production to verify the design and manufacturing process before mass production. Depending on the project, validation may include electrical, display, touch, environmental, and reliability testing to confirm that the production solution meets the agreed requirements.
6. Do you ensure long-term supply for custom display projects?
FANNAL understands that product continuity is important after a custom display has completed development and validation. Long-term supply planning can be discussed according to the product, components, expected volume, and project requirements.
