The Allen Bradley Panelview 550 is a very common controller, sold throughout the world. While it has enjoyed success and heavy use throughout the entire planet, it has one fatal flaw. The back light bulb produces too much heat, and as a result causes the display to fail. This is not an isolated or rare case; we get hundreds of calls asking us to repair a damaged panelview 550. Seeing a problem with the design, we engineered and manufactured our own replacement bulb. This LED bulb is a direct replacement for the original incandescent bulb; it is simple to install, and guaranteed to prolong the life of your Panelview unit. Our LED replacement bulb is a lifesaver for companies relying on 550's. A failed display can cause costly downtime, halt productions, and even cause an entire company to grind to a halt. Finding a replacement takes time; shipping takes even longer. Monitech has already done the hard work for you- we have found a solution, and are ready and waiting to fix your problem! Often, a product can be sent out the same day it is ordered. Having a failed monitor today means a call to Monitech. A call to Monitech means a working monitor tomorrow!
What exactly is the problem with my screen?
The way that the screen works is simple. To make the screen readable, light must be shone though it. The component that does this is called a back light. The back light works by using a regular incandescent light bulb (albeit a very small one), very similar to the one found in an old lamp. This light shines directly into a fiber optic bundle, which is a collection of very pure plastic strands, each approximately the width of a strand of hair. The fiber optic goes in behind the screen, carrying the light along its length, making it viewable. The most common problem we see is the fiber optic melting close to the incandescent bulb because of the tremendous amount of heat being produced. This leads to uneven light distribution, shadowing, and, if it deteriorates enough, complete lack of view-ability.
Below, you can see the damage caused. On the left, the browning is burning. On the right, you can see the melted and split ends on the fiber optic. In the middle, the black plastic clips that hold the heat shield have melted, and the shield has fallen out.
