A Little Shade Goes a Long Way: Protect Your Flow Meter’s LCD

Outdoor equipment spends a lot of time facing the elements. For a digital flow meter, direct sunlight brings two distinct challenges: ultraviolet exposure and heat. They often arrive together, but they affect your meter in different ways. Here’s why a little shade matters.

UV exposure: a chemistry problem

An LCD—short for liquid crystal display—uses liquid crystals and specialized polarizing layers to control light and make the numbers visible. Materials within the display, including its polarizing films, can be vulnerable to ultraviolet radiation.

When absorbed, UV energy can trigger chemical changes that gradually alter these materials’ optical properties. Over time, that deterioration can appear as discoloration, reduced contrast, or a display that becomes difficult to read.

And don’t be fooled by cold temperatures! Here in Wisconsin, we know sunshine doesn’t always come with warmth. Cool weather doesn’t eliminate UV exposure—or its potential to damage a display.

UV damage is cumulative. You may not notice changes from day to day, but prolonged exposure can eventually leave the screen unreadable. Protecting the display before visible damage develops is the better approach.

Heat: a separate challenge

Sunlight also heats the surfaces it reaches. Think about the difference between a shaded surface and one that has been sitting in the afternoon sun: the air temperature may be the same, but the surface temperatures can be very different.

LCD performance is temperature dependent. Excessive heat can change the display’s contrast and make the numbers difficult to read. Some effects may reverse after cooling, while more severe exposure can cause lasting damage.

Heat also affects more than the screen. Sustained elevated temperatures can accelerate battery aging and place additional stress on display films, adhesives, seals, and other components.

Our meter manual specifies an ambient operating temperature range of 20°F to 130°F. Direct solar heating deserves attention even when the weather forecast is below that upper limit.

A simple solution: give the display some shade!

MIC sunshields are available for both our pipe-mounted display (PMD) and detached display (DD) meters. They shade the display from direct sunlight, helping limit direct UV exposure and solar heating.

For installations exposed to direct sunlight, our manual requires a sunshield. A sunshield does not actively cool the meter or increase its temperature rating, so proper installation and operation within the meter’s specified limits still matter.

Why we print our sunshields with ASA

We manufacture our sunshields using 3D printing and ASA filament—a material known for its resistance to UV exposure and outdoor weathering, along with good heat resistance. That makes ASA a practical choice for a part whose job is to spend time in the sun.

Printing also lets us produce purpose-built parts and refine their design in-house at MIC. It’s a useful manufacturing tool—and occasionally a source of projects that have absolutely nothing to do with measuring flow!

Check out our Mid-century Modern birdhouse, complete with its own tiny mailbox!

Do you have a 3D printer?

What have you made with it?

Business tools? Replacement parts? Household fixes? Something entirely for fun? We’d love to hear about your projects—and see a photo!

Get your meter ready for its sunny home!

Explore our PMD and DD sunshields in the Accessories section or select one as an add-on when ordering a meter. Already have a meter installed in the field? You can add a sunshield! We’ll send simple installation instructions; all you need is superglue or ABS cement. Ordering a new meter? Purchase a sunshield with it, and we can install it before shipping.

From golf courses to farms, a little shade goes a long way!