At 4D SYSTEMS, we take great pride in being a local Australian technology manufacturer that specialises in intelligent graphic solutions and embedded displays. But beyond our own borders, we are helping projects get off the ground all around the world – and across a wide range of industries.

Whether it’s working with a hobbyist on their lifelong project or partnering with some of the most advanced companies on lifesaving equipment or industrial scale solutions, our products and expertise are grounded in hard work and accountability. Here’s how we are helping to bring exceptional solutions to a global market.

A little history

No matter how big our ambitions get or how large we grow as a company, 4D SYSTEMS will always be a family-run company that emerged from humble beginnings. Founded in a garage by our CEO Atilla Aknar, what started as an idea quickly grew to become a market leader for real-world solutions.

How? Because of our unrivalled time-to-market from initial prototyping all the way through to finished product – it’s what many of our clients love most about 4D SYSTEMS. No matter the industry, we have the display solution to solve your problems.

We might be an Australian owned and operated company, but we share our skills and our innovative technologies with the world. Here are some of our most recent collaborations:

Henlo, South Africa: Henlo Premium Espresso Machine

Leonardo Bilalis, Greece: AMARYSIA ARTEMIS Advanced Anatomical Medical Mask

CEiiA, Portugal: Atena Invasive Medical Ventilator

Airinspace, France: Air Purifiers

Making Australia a market leader in technology manufacturing

As an Australian-owned and operated company producing locally made technologies, we wouldn’t be where we are today if we didn’t have the local manufacturing capabilities to support our operations. It’s incredibly exciting to see just how far the sector has grown in a few short decades, and the value of Australia right now is in its advanced manufacturing capabilities. That provides us with the competitiveness to do great things globally.

It also means we have access to everything we need even when external forces work against us, such as during the pandemic. COVID-19 caused massive disruptions across every sector, and supply-chain issues continue to impact manufacturing even today. In order to meet the demand throughout the pandemic, 4D SYSTEMS accelerated efforts to support the worldwide need for high-quality parts, particularly for the medical equipment manufacturing industry. It’s just one of the reasons why Australia is now being recognised as a valuable manufacturing partner at a global scale.

See our Sydney Facility:

Opportunity continues to call us home

Given the speed at which we have grown and the reputable and solid foundation upon which our business stands, it’s easy to wonder why we haven’t spread our wings and shifted our operations to a more marketable part of the world. But we believe that everything needed to thrive as a technology manufacturer is right here in Australia.

Ultimately, with growing supply chain disruptions around the world – we see it as imperative for Australia to invest further in modern manufacturing capability – particularly advanced components which can leverage industrial innovation, the latest software expertise and digital automation.  We see an Australian future that continues to drive effective collaboration in research and investment in building local capability that results in sustainable outcomes for our customers.

Finding our place in this future

To make this focus a reality, we have onboarded some of the worlds’ biggest electronics component distributors and continued to uphold our passion for innovation. Most importantly, we have – and will continue to – grow as a family-run business that is always searching for the next journey to embark upon.

In that respect, our technology sets itself apart through our core thos in standing for: Purpose over profits.

• Innovation over planned repetition.
• Collaboration over control.
• Networks over hierarchies.
• Environmental care over unchecked consumption.
• Humane capital over human resources.

Australia is the place to be for the best engineers

In addition to having a thriving manufacturing industry here in Australia, it’s just a fantastic place to live and do business. It’s why we are able to attract some of the finest engineers and intelligent display specialists.

Our engineering team consists of highly skilled and creative electronics and software engineers who work in close partnership with world-class production facilities. That means we are always able to deliver the highest level of quality and customer experience, plus the manufacturing of every product meets the global standards of excellence.

Ultimately, we abide by the ethos of: live locally, think globally. So while we are headquartered here in Sydney, Australia, we have representative offices all around the world and our solutions are available globally through our extensive worldwide distribution network.

Want to integrate an intelligent graphic solution or embedded display in your latest project? Explore our diverse product range and find out why 4D SYSTEMS is known around the world as a superior enterprise-grade solutions provider.

Dear Valued Customer,

Given the on-going volatility and extended delays regarding semiconductor supply shortages due to COVID-19 that are outside of our control, I write to proactively offer further clarity given the recent developments concerning our supply chain that effects the production of 4D Systems intelligent display modules.

The material shortages along with increased global demand has meant that production supply cannot meet its current obligations, and lead times extend to over 52 weeks.

This impacts our own production supply predominantly for DIABLO-16 and PICASO based display modules in the following product categories:

gen4-uLCD – including:

• gen4-uLCD-24PT/28PT/32PT
  o inc SK, AR and Pi variants
• gen4-uLCD-24D/DT
  o inc SK, AR and Pi variants
• gen4-uLCD-28D/DT
  o inc SK, AR and Pi variants
• gen4-uLCD-32D/DT/DCT-CLB
  o inc SK, AR and Pi variants
• gen4-uLCD-35D/DT/DCT/DCT-CLB
  o inc SK, AR and Pi variants
• gen4-uLCD-43D/DT/DCT/DCT-CLB/SB
  o inc SK, AR and Pi variants
• gen4-uLCD-50D/DT/DCT/DCT-CLB/SB
  o inc SK, AR and Pi variants
• gen4-uLCD-70D/DT/DCT/DCT-CLB/SB
  o inc SK, AR and Pi variants

uLCD – including:

• uLCD-24PTU/28PTU/32PTU/43PT
  o inc SK, AR and Pi variants
• uLCD-43DT/DCT
  o inc SK, AR and Pi variants
• uLCD-70DT
  o inc SK, AR and Pi variants
• uLCD-90D/DT/DCT
  o inc SK, AR and Pi variants

4Discovery – including:

• 4Discovery-35
  o inc SK
• 4Discovery-50
  o inc SK

At this stage, for any new orders placed for the products listed above, the estimated shipment dates will start from November 2022 and into January 2023. This is based on the current information we have on hand from our supply channels. I assure you we will do our utmost best to expedite your orders as much as possible, and if there are improvements to the schedule our planning teams will continue to provide you with updates.

For all existing orders, our planning team will progressively communicate the latest updates on shipment dates. Please note that our supply allocations are currently exhausted, as such, the notified lead times are at this stage accurate based on the information on hand.

We have strongly invested in procuring the silicon that is at the heart of our technology and products. Once this temporary period of delayed supply passes, we are well placed to be back on track with supplying you the products and solutions that you have come to expect from us.

To truly understand what makes 4D Systems different as a provider of intelligent display solutions, we spoke to clients, engineers, distributors and technical support staff to find out why customers prefer us over our competitors.

Here are 10 of the most common reasons why people choose 4D Systems.

1. Quality Australian systems and ISO certification

“Peace of mind is a wonderful thing.”

Our customers never doubt our quality, and it goes without saying that quality matters every step of the way. We are committed to building state-of-the-art intelligent display solutions, and our factory in Sydney is central to bringing our solutions to life. We also have manufacturing facilities in China and the Philippines.

4D Systems is certified under ISO 9001: 2015 and our production team is made up of seasoned electronics and software engineers who work in close partnership with only ISO 9001-certified factories under our stringent Quality Assurance Procedures. All 4D Systems products are 100% lead-free and RoHS-compliant in accordance with Australian and International Restriction of Hazardous Substances regulations.

2. Tailor-made solutions

“We had a problem and you designed an actual solution for us.”

Every client has their own unique challenges. 4D Systems provides the solutions. Our customers trust us because we take the time to understand them and help design a tailored solution that speaks to their specific project and their bottom line.

Enterprise manufacturers, engineers, design houses and hobbyists all appreciate that we offer a complete package to suit a range of needs. One engineer might need a scalable solution that doesn’t require investing in new software while also keeping development time to a cost-effective minimum. For another, an off-the-shelf 4D display could bring new life to obsolete hardware and provide dynamic connectivity options for a broad range of projects and integrations.

We have a passion for scientifically exploring new ways to meet your needs.

3. We are family

“There is such a close vibe and the team is always happy.”

4D Systems is a family-run company that comes from humble beginnings. Founded in a garage by our CEO Atilla Aknar, today Sinan Aknar leads our committed team. This company started as an idea and has grown to become a market leader for engineering real-world solutions.

Having navigated our way through uncertain times, GFCs, and the recent COVID-19 pandemic, it is a testament to the resilience of our team, our community and our never-give-up attitude that we find ourselves firmly positioned as a global leader in embedded intelligent display solutions. But at our core we remain one big family and value our staff as individuals who deliver innovative solutions to the world – not as resources, but as humans.

4. Future-proofing industries

“Your systems are driving innovation across our industry.”

Our unrivalled time-to-market from initial prototyping all the way through to finished product is what many of our clients love most about 4D Systems. No matter the industry, we have the display solution to solve your problems.

Our modules are used in a variety of applications – from high-value, low-mix end products and mid-volume industrial applications, to high-volume mass market applications. We are also regularly engaged in developing custom design solutions to help our clients future-proof themselves against a rapidly evolving market.

5. Dedicated purpose

“It’s obvious that creating a fantastic solution is more important than the transaction itself.”

Above all things, we stand for purpose over profits. We utilise our resources to generate solutions to problems, and our innovations help unleash creativity in everyone who uses our products. Ultimately, we are committed to finding true purpose in everything we do, from helping customers to developing sustainable solutions that last the test of time.

Click here to learn more about our Purpose and Values.

6. Winning software

“Workshop4 Integrated Development Environment (IDE) – it’s amazing!”

Having a feature-packed graphic display is one thing, but putting it to good use is quite another. So we came up with Workshop4 IDE, a tool that lets users design smart graphical user interfaces (GUIs) quickly and easily.

It’s now the tool of choice for programming modules as it features multiple development environments, from text-based to visual programming. Together, they allow the user to have a GUI up and running in minutes rather than days – benefiting a range of users from the pro-maker to the most demanding engineer. The result? Projects are finished faster, look better and open up more possibilities.

7. Rapid prototyping

“You work efficiently and communicate rapidly, which is refreshing.”

Speed is king. We exist to jump-start development times with products designed specifically for ease of integration and swift application development. Customers are often surprised by our responsiveness, exceeding expectations to expediting development, while allowing for exceptionally fast prototyping and deployment. This is testament to our team and agile work culture.

As product-development lifecycles diminish, we’ve seen increased pressure on time-to-market. Even larger organisations with seemingly unlimited resources are delighted by our flexible and scalable display solutions.

8. Partnering with leaders of industry

“The best in the business choose 4D Systems because you are the best at what you do.”

Our projects run the gamut across almost every industry, and we are proud to have supported countless businesses, multinationals and entrepreneurs achieve their ambitions with the help of our systems. We have shipped more than 1 million units to clients operating in medical, industrial, automotive and commercial spaces. Some of our products have even been to space!

Click here to view our global case studies.

We take great honour in seeing our products saving lives through medical ventilators, cancer treatment and research, vitals monitoring and many other applications. We want to continue empowering forward-thinking engineers, designers and organisations who, by partnering with us, also help to solve real-world problems and make a positive impact – one display solution at a time.

9. Untarnished reputation for quality

“Proven products and frequent innovation.”

Since the very beginning, we have forged our place as a global leader for intelligent displays and graphics processors. We’re known for consistently providing superior, state-of-the-art, commercially-ready embedded graphics solutions – sold directly to customers or through our global network of distribution partners.

We have the innovative graphics display solution for virtually any application requiring a graphics display – with or without touch. Plus, with world-class manufacturing facilities around the globe and growing, our engineers are always investing time and energy into researching the most innovative solutions our clients have ever seen.

10. Relationships that last a lifetime

“The relationship didn’t end once we had the hardware. That meant a lot.”

We are committed to delivering a lifetime of live, competent, responsible and personal technical support. Our engineers take the time to actively listen to your needs before deep-diving into your specific goals and problems. That allows us to develop the best possible solutions for you over the life of your business.

With 4D Systems, you’re never alone. Our in-house team of seasoned electronics and software engineers are on stand-by supporting fast implementation, impeccable problem-solving and ongoing advice. The conversations we have with our clients also fuel our investments in R&D and our core technology. It’s a cycle of information and support that leads to win-win scenarios all-round.

We are redefining what customers should expect when it comes to meaningful relationships and world-class customer support.

Defining our ethos and ongoing mission

Up until a few years ago, we never really had articulated a defined purpose for our business. We had core objectives, KPIs and strategic frameworks which drive our company forward, but really delving into why  we exist – that’s another question entirely.

As a business, we sometimes get caught up in the day-to-day routine. We have to support our customers, we have to liaise with our suppliers, and we have to take care of our internal people. But building a company that is important and lives out its values is about so much more than just the routine. Purpose has to be the beating heart of everything.

4D SYSTEMS can’t just be a business; we need to have a purpose that drives us. Without that purpose, what is the point of doing what we do? I believe that purpose is how successful companies define themselves. So we are putting purpose at the core of our strategy.

Until now, we had never really taken the time to sit down and think about clarifying that ‘purpose’. That’s why we made the decision to define the purpose of not only 4D SYSTEMS, but for the people who are its collective driving force.

The statements below reflect a little bit of all of us. Not just our staff, but all our stakeholders as well – everyone who is involved in our ecosystem as part of this journey, for which we live and breathe.

I like to believe that when Atilla, our CEO, started 4D in his garage a long time ago, that these statements in 2022 really do reflect the initial DNA of the company we established back in 2005/06. Only now, they have been clarified and are out there for all the world to see.

We had some great minds come together to articulate our PVMV statements (Purpose, Vision, Mission and Values). A special thanks to Alexandra, Afroz, Dev, James, Markku and Yema for helping us put these statements together for 4D SYSTEMS. I believe we have really defined ourselves with clarity, and what we stand for.

A sincere thank you for being a part of our journey along the way, whether it was in 2005 or 2022.

Here are our PVMV statements:

1. Purpose

“We help engineer solutions that unleash human creativity.”

4D SYSTEMS believes in the importance of intuitive technology that helps solve human needs and problems. We passionately believe that technology cannot just be a tool that is autonomous of people, but rather exists to make our choices more efficient, smarter and sustainable.

Amongst the most intuitive ways we interact with technology is through display and touch. We therefore design technology to shape the way humanity interacts with the world, and which makes complex computing stylish, simple and smart – right at our fingertips.

2. Vision

“To be the primary interface provider for human interaction and smart technology.”

Industry 3.0 witnessed the transformation of production from mechanical to computerised automation. Today, Industry 4.0 is taking automation to the next dimension with advances in computerised decision-making, increasingly interconnected devices, and artificial intelligence.

We are acutely aware of this transformative shift in technology and recognise that a connection to human endeavours needs to be preserved. The fourth dimension of the future is to continue to utilise technology that makes human intelligence smarter.

4D SYSTEMS is making human intelligence smarter today and into the future.

3. Mission

“We empower forward-thinking engineers, designers, and organisations with the ability to achieve their objectives using our intelligent display solutions.”

4D SYSTEMS provides commercially-ready embedded graphics display solutions for virtually any application. With IOS:9001-certified manufacturing facilities, we focus on delivering the highest level of quality and customer experience.

We recognise the growing importance of human-intuitive and intelligent technologies. We, therefore, offer technology that meets the needs of a diverse range of users, applications, and industries. Our mission to produce creative display solutions of the highest standards is backed by 4D SYSTEMS’ commitment to greater environmental responsibility and a proactive responsiveness to human needs.

4. Values

• Courage in creativity: Every light-bulb moment comes from the audacity to dream of possibilities untold. Innovation is our passion, driven by a rigorous methodology in creating products and solutions for ourselves and others.
• Driven by solutions: Tailored, customised, and cost-effective solutions can only be developed when we dig deep and truly understand the objectives of our customers to solve problems and meet needs. We thrive on this passion to explore new options to meet a variety of needs as technology progresses.
• Human-first: For over 15 years, our team has forged its reputation as a global leader through relationships and understanding the people we work with. We treat our partners the way we would like to be treated, and we create products that are intuitively human. From all of us at 4D SYSTEMS, we believe this is the only way forward.
• Shared performance outcomes: We believe in closely aligning our goals, and sharing our achievements. These shared outcomes are between our staff, our engineers, and our customers. We are always determined to meet challenges together: from time-to-market, creative goals, quality benchmarks, to commercial objectives.
• Our principles do not bend: As an ISO:9001-certified entity, we have relentless focus on quality across everything we do. This is reflected not only in how we exceed our customers’ expectations, but also through living and breathing our commitment to environmental responsibility and humane capital practices.

As a global leader in the engineering of intelligent graphics solutions, 4D SYSTEMS has always been true believers in the power of collaboration and partnerships to drive forward innovation. Revolutionary hardware technology venture, Breadboard Mates, approached 4D SYSTEMS with an entrepreneurial idea that will open the door for the next generation of tools and design aids for speedy project development and experiment.

Breadboard Mates was established in October 2020, with the aim to bring breadboard-friendly products to the market, cutting down the time and components required to develop or experiment with electronics – a step forward in addressing the changing needs of the market.

Breadboard Mates Products

Breadboard Mates cutting edge products allow for seamless development with the help of revolutionary products like TIMI-96 and Mates Studio, the software development suite for all Breadboard Mates products offering four different programming methods with a library of hundreds of pre-designed pages and widgets.

BreadBoard Mates products use the powerful PIXXI range of embedded graphics processors from 4D Labs, the semiconductor arm of 4D Systems, to make innovative never-seen-before products.

The result is an unprecedented increase in development speed for stand-alone, host driven or PC testing applications.

See TIMI-96 in action

With 4D SYSTEMS backing, the partnership is predicted to be the catalyst for a new wave of unleashed creativity that puts the Breadboard Mates engineering team on the competitive vanguard of the ever-changing hardware and software technology space.

If you’d like to learn more about Breadboard Mates you can visit their website, otherwise get in touch with us at 4D SYSTEMS for further discussion.

To our valued stakeholders, as we close out the year, I wanted to take this opportunity to share my reflections on what 2021 meant for us as an organisation and provide a preview of what to expect from us in 2022.

A Uniquely Challenging Year

Like most if not all industries, we’ve had to endure a challenging year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, not only as a manufacturer, but also as an organisation and team facing the same unique challenges. We underwent a few difficult months of lockdown in our part of Sydney, which meant we had to spread more of our team apart and work remotely. Remote working is nothing new for us; we’ve had remote team members since 2009 and so adopting to the new normal was a relatively easy transition for our team.

We’ve always been an agile team, and when disruption occurs, we are quick to react to new challenges that confront us. To be able to get product to customers, there is a lot of effort that goes on in the background that isn’t seen. Production planning, sourcing of hundreds of different components, managing lead times, global transporting and importing from all around the world, being mindful of the emissions that come with a lot of this logistics movement. Most significantly, being carbon-neutral with DHL, we successfully offset carbon emissions for all our import and export transportation. In this sense, we aim to tread as lightly as possible.

An Ambitious Goal

Every company committed to innovation has a Wishlist; we are no different! Earlier this year prior to the COVID-19 lock down, we had, and still have ambitions to introduce and implement a total line solution with a fully automated SMT line, that is IoT connected, with the addition of robots as part of our smart factory setup. This would triple our daily production output but requires a multi-million dollar investment and larger premises as the line itself is 25 metres long.

Here it is in all its glory the total line solution that we are looking to implement.

Yamaha YSP10 printer/Yamaha SPI/ 2 X YSM20R + Feeders + Tray Tower/Yamaha AOI/Yamaha YST15 storage tower + Nutek board handling for full automation along with Laser marker for barcoding product and a N2 Heller oven with 13 zones top and bottom + the Yamaha YFACT/YSUP programming and Factory management SW.

We are committed to making this happen, so that our customers experience an even superior standard of 4D product, with world class machinery and tech, driven by our determination for excellence.

Our Staff: The Driving Force of Our Company

In the coming weeks we will be releasing our refreshed logo, Purpose, Vision, Mission, and Values statements to the world. I wanted to have this articulated for many years and a great deal of collaborative effort went in to putting these together. I am delighted with the result. These statements are a genuine reflection of what we at 4D believe in, and aspire for.

What’s most satisfying is that these statements have been developed organically from the hearts of our team members across manufacturing, marketing, operations, sales, and engineering.

This inspiration comes from the realisation that the products we deliver, and everything our team does  – from the design, development, manufacture and marketing –  for it to be used on a medical ventilator that assists in saving someone’s life. That’s what really inspires us.

Ultimately, we serve many different industries, and whenever we see the successful and beneficial use of our products all over the world, we cannot always find the words to truly state the appreciation we have as a team to support these initiatives.

From what started as an idea in 2005, our organisation grew to be one of the global leaders in the embedded display space, with clients and distribution partners across many different countries. Feels like yesterday of October 2008,  I walked in the doors of the small garage operation of my brother and our company founder Atilla. We were a team of a few people, struggling to make ends meet, working 7 days a week, long into the early hours of the morning to build something he and I strongly believed in. Fast forward to the end of 2021, we are truly honoured and grateful for how far we have come. We’re still actively and directly involved after all these years, doing our best to deliver on the passion, and care, needed to support the true heroes at 4D SYSTEMS who are driving the business forward day in and day out– our team.

The Next Chapter

In 2022, we will be launching some very exciting projects that have had a lot of focus over the last 12 months.

• Enterprise sub-domain which will focus on smartSOLUTIONS we have been developing for the medical, building and lifestyle segments.
• Purpose, Vision, Mission and Values statements to be officially released to the world.
• Organisational ecosystem – Our leadership and business philosophy that is embedded in our organisation.
• Tree planting day at our headquarters’ office garden, and a commitment to planting 1000 trees a year in local regions.
• GEN5 – Our newest and most powerful graphics processor and product development expected to be release later in 2022.
• OLED as well as E-paper displays to play a more prominent role in our 2022 product line up.

We can’t wait to share these all with you.

Warm Regards,

Sinan Aknar

Managing Director