Replacing screen protector

I posted this in the Tablet PC Review Forum, but maybe someone here has an idea. Keep in mind that this is for a Tablet PC WITHOUT touch capability, so I just need a piece of plastic that will hold up under normal stylus use.


"This isn't a request for how this should be done (I'm pretty sure I can do it) but rather if anyone has any plastics experience. I want to use a scratch resistant plastic, but do not know which direction to go in. After doing some google research it looks like a 1/8" Lexan MR panel may suit my needs but I was wondering if any of you had any better suggestions. If any of you know of a product that is superior I would appreciate it, and if you know of a scratch resistant plastic with a matte front that still has decent optics I would love you forever (maybe not). Also, my budget is less than $40 shipped so a diamond coated high tech plastic may be out of my financial reach."

 

Unless you're going to replace a protective piece that already covers the lcd, I would think that 1/8" is going to be too thick. You need something in the mil range. Some of those UV and privacy blockers attach themselves with static others have different ways of affixing themselves.

Polycarbonates are fairly scratch resistant and clear but they're stiff. PETG is pliable which may be necessary for your stylus to work, but I wonder about it's visual consistency. PETG is what they use for those clear container tubes. Then there's simple mylar which you can get at around 5 mil. It scratches but it's cheap and something you may be able to cut down and easily slip under the frame for a quick replacement.

BTW, mylar sheets are readily obtainable at a graphic arts supply store.

Some things to throw out for starters...

 

Noterev,
Thanks, but the piece actually serves as protection for the LCD underneath. This is more than a simple plastic adhesive covering that you see sold, and thus the plastic cannot be too thin (needs it to be stiff enough to prevent the protector from actually touching the LCD). I will actually be removing a piece of plastic (polycarbonate I presume) from the LCD bezel that is about the same thickness for this replacement.

 

Are you sure it will fit anyways? It seems really thick!

 

Is the original solid plastic damaged?
Would the plastic film sheet on top of your original work?

 

yes, my screen assembly is a bit thicker to accomadate the digitizer, lcd, and protector.

 

Yes, I forgot to mention that in the original post. I scratched the original protector. Due to the type of scratch (edges are raised) I don't think a simple film will work.

 

Lexan is not very scratch resistant
I think is is more prone to scratching than other plastics
Make sure you put a scratch sheet on top of your replacement screen cover to prevent the stylus from marking it up

 

I see. That seems like a really thick LCD then, but that's good then


Oh and yeah, i'd agree with Tomcat, lexan doesn't handle scratches any good, i have lexan-windows on my porsche track-car, and they're already scratched after minor touches really.

 

That's the information I was looking for. Do you have any suggestions for a more scratch resistant plastic then?

(BTW my LCD assembly is about 1/2" thick)

 

My experience is limited on this
The touchscreen panels are like a glass sandwich ( the ones that I have had apart)
I have not had a digitizer apart, but I know its plastic
Can you find a used replacement?

 

Not for an M700 or M750 (no one has broken theirs yet I suppose). This sounds like something different than what you have dealt with then (you may be thinking about something like a PDA digitizer setup). In the Toshiba tablets you have the LCD and digitizer combination that is put together with a weak adhesive. On top, but not touching is the plastic panel.

The setup looks like this:


And what I am trying to replace is just the clear plastic portion.

 

I am not thinking of a pda
The laptop that I am using as I type this is in my signature (cf-19 digitizer)
It’s the same setup as your picture but adds a removable scratch protector on top of the plastic cover

How did the plastic on yours get damaged?

 

In that case, where the sensor electronics are behind the lcd, then a scratch resistant polycarbonate sheet should do the trick. Make two while you're at it. These are used to protect lcd's in the digital camera industry.