5. Step By Step: Removing The TFT Panel

Our aim: to retrieve the LCD panel by carefully dismantling an old TFT monitor - pictured is a 15.1" panel from Iiyama

The difficulty of removing the LCD panel depends on the flatscreen you choose; it may prove easy or, in a few cases, nearly impossible. In our experience, the displays from Iiyama, such as our BX3814UT, make an excellent choice, because the LCD panel is adhered to the frame only lightly, and can be removed with just a little bit of care. Not all manufacturers follow this approach, and this raises the risk of breaking the panel during removal.

We must first take off the stand before disassembling the rest of the unit, ending with the entire casing. Start by removing the metal panels.

This monitor serves as a good basis: 15.1" TFT screen from Iiyama (BX3814UT)

Rear view of the flatscreen. The screws for the stand are removed first, then those for the casing.

After the inverter board and control electronics have been removed. The backlighting is at the front.

Before the next step, we advise you to pull all the cables, so the inverter board and its panel can be removed. You might want to label all the connectors to make reconnecting easier later on. Removing the panel from the frame is a little trickier, as a hairline crack can quickly appear and destroy the conductor paths. LCD panels are glass with fine conductor paths vapor-deposited onto them, and the connections to the controller are made on the margins. All paths are very thin and extremely sensitive to tensile stress. A broken conductor path can lead to missing screen lines or to total destruction of the unit. Be extremely careful: these miniature connections cannot be repaired!