MARINE

Sunlight-Readable Marine Displays Built for Harsh Seas

Marine displays are rugged, sunlight-readable screens built to survive salt spray, humidity, vibration and direct sun on open water. E3 Displays engineers custom marine displays for navigation systems, dashboards, fish finders and on-board entertainment, combining high-brightness TFT LCD panels, optical bonding and waterproof touchscreens in IP-rated enclosures.

Navigation Systems, Dashboards, Entertainment Systems for Marine Vessels

E3’s world-class marine display solutions are made for harsh maritime environments, including fish finders, navigation systems, on-board entertainment systems, and more. Each model is manufactured for longevity and high performance to meet the tough demands of the marine market. Along with the industry’s most elite waterproof display solutions, we deliver IP rated solutions with high efficiency high bright displays, sunlight readability and more to help guide you during your journey. Our elite team will supply you with high performance display solutions made to safely get you across the globe that can be easily integrated into an existing application or we can aid in the design of a completely new concept. As a marine display manufacturer with an engineering team in Phoenix, AZ, E3 handles custom display design, optical bonding, film lamination and touch integration in one place, so your bridge, helm and cabin displays share a consistent look and performance.

Primary Applications for Displays on Ships and Boats

Dashboard Information Displays
Fish Finders
Navigation Systems
On-board entertainment systems
Marine control and monitoring displays

What Makes a Marine Display Sunlight Readable?

A sunlight readable marine display stays legible in direct sun because it combines a high-brightness backlight, often 1,000 nits or more, with optical bonding that removes the reflective air gap behind the cover glass and anti-reflective or anti-glare film on top. Wide-range dimming then lets the same screen drop low enough for night navigation without hurting the crew’s night vision.

High-brightness TFT LCD or IPS panels for daylight contrast
Optical bonding to cut internal reflections and block condensation
Anti-reflective film lamination to reduce glare from water and sky
Wide-range dimming for dawn, dusk and night operation

Marine Display Features

Display companies that specialize in one particular industry often don’t offer complete customization and provide limited enhancements. We offer all of our enhancements and displays in every industry that we operate in. Your display will be designed based on your needs and desires while also maintaining industry standards. The following features are what make E3 marine displays unique.

High efficiency high bright displays
Touch screens that function in the presence of salt water, including PCAP touchscreens tuned to reject false touches from spray
Wide range dimming solutions
Optical bonding
Optical enhancements (anti-glare, anti-reflection, etc.)
Wide temperature range
High humidity
Salt fog resistant solutions
Maritime appropriate enclosures
Waterproof
IP rated solutions
EMI protection so displays coexist with radar, radios and sonar

Marine & Outdoor

TOUCHSCREEN DISPLAY SOLUTIONS FOR OUTDOOR ENVIRONMENTS

How to Choose a Marine Display Manufacturer

Displays for maritime use face a tougher duty cycle than most outdoor screens. When you compare suppliers, ask how each one handles the following:

Readability: measured brightness in nits, contrast in direct sun and the low end of the dimming range
Sealing: the ingress protection rating of the front face and enclosure, such as IP65 or IP67
Environment: salt fog, humidity, vibration and wide-temperature performance
Touch: reliable input with wet hands, gloves and spray on the glass
Customization: custom sizes, aspect ratios, cover glass and display layouts for your helm or console
Lifecycle: long-term panel availability and support for integration into an existing design

Why Choose E3 Displays for Marine Applications?

E3’s custom line of optical bonding adhesives are designed for sunlight readability, prevention of moisture intake, and ruggedization of any display solution. All of our displays are optically bonded and can be customized with optical enhancements such as anti-glare and anti-reflection. Our maritime appropriate enclosures are the highest IP rated solutions. We deliver the most reliable marine displays that deliver the sharpest accuracy so you can focus on where you’re going and not how to get there. Learn more about our optical bonding display services, anti-reflective film lamination and wide temperature displays, or browse our full range of sunlight readable displays.

Case Study: Marine

Background:

Our customer manufactures end to end boat electronics and control systems. During the redesign of a bridge mounted navigational chart and sonar solution that…

Our Experienced Team is Ready to Help

Our E3 Displays team has expertise in every type of display technology, whether big or small. We will help you choose or design the display that best fits your needs, while always keeping quality and budget in mind. Here at E3 Displays, we specialize in custom displays use our product selection guide today to get started on your project today!

Talk to an E3 Engineer Request a Custom Quote

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a marine display?

A marine display is a screen built for boats and ships that stays readable and reliable through sun, salt spray, humidity, vibration and temperature swings. Marine displays power navigation systems, chartplotters, fish finders, engine dashboards and on-board entertainment, and usually combine high brightness, optical bonding, waterproof sealing and touch that works when wet.

How bright does a marine display need to be to read in direct sunlight?

Most sunlight readable marine displays use a backlight of about 1,000 nits or more, but brightness alone is not enough. Optical bonding and anti-reflective film reduce reflected glare, which raises effective contrast in direct sun. Wide-range dimming is just as important so the same display can be turned down for night navigation.

What IP rating should a marine display have?

A marine display mounted at an open helm should typically have at least an IP65 front face, which is dust-tight and protected against water jets. Displays that may be temporarily submerged often target IP67, while IP66 covers powerful water jets. The right rating depends on where the display is mounted and how the enclosure is sealed.

Do marine touchscreens work when they are wet?

Yes, a properly designed marine touchscreen works when wet. Projected capacitive (PCAP) touchscreens can be tuned with firmware and controller settings that ignore water droplets and salt spray while still detecting real touches. Some designs also support gloved hands, which helps crews operate navigation and control systems in rough weather.

Why is optical bonding important for marine displays?

Optical bonding fills the air gap between the cover glass and the LCD with a clear adhesive. That removes internal reflections, which improves sunlight readability, and it prevents moisture from condensing behind the glass. Bonding also strengthens the display stack against shock and vibration, which matters on fast or rough-water vessels.

Can marine electronics have customizable display layouts?

Yes. A custom marine display can be built in the size, aspect ratio, resolution and cover-glass shape your console needs, which gives software teams room to design customizable display layouts for navigation, sonar and engine data. Working with a display manufacturer early helps match the screen to the helm and the user interface.

Who makes custom marine displays?

E3 Displays, based in Phoenix, AZ, designs and manufactures custom marine displays, including sunlight-readable TFT LCD modules, PCAP touchscreens, optical bonding and IP-rated enclosures. The team can integrate a display into an existing marine product or help design a new navigation, dashboard or entertainment system.