Hey everyone, Tom here — AFS Product Manager for Banner Engineering. I get to spend a lot of time on plant floors watching operators interact with machines, and honestly, one of the most common complaints I hear is about clunky operator stations: rows of push buttons, pilot lights that are hard to read from a few feet away, and panels that get more confusing every time a new feature gets bolted on.
That's exactly the problem we set out to solve with the S100 Multi-Touch Display, and it's quickly become one of my favorite products to talk about.
Here are my top 5 reasons why.
1. It Replaces a Panel Full of Buttons with One Smart Interface
The S100 packs up to five touch zones, an alphanumeric display, and a ring of 16 RGB LEDs into a single 100 mm housing. Instead of wiring up a cluster of separate pilot lights and push buttons, you get one drop-in device with a discrete I/O interface that you configure entirely in Pro Editor. Fewer components, fewer points of failure, and a cleaner-looking operator station. My favorite part? Watching an integrator realize they just eliminated half their panel real estate.
2. It Talks Back — Literally
Touchscreens are great until an operator in gloves or a noisy environment isn't sure if their input registered. The S100 solves that with haptic feedback and audible alerts built right in, so every touch is confirmed two ways beyond just a visual change. In my experience, that little bit of tactile confirmation makes a real difference in reducing mis-presses and re-do's on the line.
3. Configurable Without Custom Programming
This is the part I'm most proud of. Using our free Pro Editor software, you can set the S100 up in minutes with pre-built modes like:
- Sequence Mode – step operators through a process, one touch or input at a time
- Timer Mode – takt timers with thresholds and color changes
- Counter Mode – count up or down with visual thresholds
- Measure Mode – display live PWM/PFM-based measurements
No custom firmware, no ladder logic gymnastics — just point-and-click configuration that a controls engineer can have running before lunch.
Want to see it in action? Banner's Video Library has walkthroughs of Pro Editor and our Pro Series-enabled devices — worth a look if you want to see the configuration flow before you get one on your bench.
4. Built for the Real World (Including Washdown)
I've had plenty of customers ask, "will this survive on our line?" The S100 is rated IP69K, so it's built to handle washdown environments, and its low-profile design still fits where a bulkier HMI wouldn't. Add in a wide 12–30 V DC supply range and an operating range down to -40°C, and it holds up in the kind of environments that chew through less rugged interfaces.
Five touch zones and a reference mark, plus the RGB LED ring, all in a 100 mm housing.
5. At-a-Glance Status, From Across the Room
The 16-LED RGB ring isn't just decoration, it's configurable with custom colors and animations tied to machine state, so operators (and supervisors walking the floor) can tell what's happening without walking up to the machine. Combine that with the alphanumeric display for direct instructions, and you've got a station that communicates status and gives direction at the same time.
That's my list. If you're rethinking an operator station design — whether it's for part-picking, process sequencing, or just cleaning up a panel that's grown out of control over the years — I'd love to hear what you're working on. Feel free to reach out, or check out the full technical documentation and accessories on the Banner site.
— Tom, AFS Banner Engineering Product Manager