A good bit of thought goes into selecting the correct computer enclosure for a harsh manufacturing floor.

When looking for an enclosure that will withstand a wet, dirty, humid or wash down environment, have you considered how the cables will enter and exit the cabinet? Do not allow cable penetrations to be a weak link in the enclosure solution. If running conduit is not an option for cable entry, the next best solution is using a sealed gland that meets NEMA 12, NEMA 4, and NEMA 4X standards.

When visiting a college campus, large healthcare/hospital facility, or amusement park, using digital signage, in the form of wayfinding kiosks, to figure out your current location or destination is extremely important.

When planning a large outdoor wayfinding project, it is critical to keep the message simple. With the rise in outdoor digital signage, it may be tempting ‘to make a big splash’ by incorporating fancy technology or overloading the signage with flashy and stimulating content. However, including too many elements can be overwhelming to those who are just trying to find their way around an unfamiliar place. According to Irfan Khan’s blog, ‘7 Digital Signage Trends for 2016,’ digital offers a better experience for the end user, “Digital signs are inherently more attention-grabbing than a traditional static sign. Thanks to recent technologies, digital signs can be even more engaging to customers and viewers—in fact, they can be interactive, turning viewing them into a personal experience.”

When deploying computer enclosures in a hot, harsh environment, thermal management considerations should be at the top of the project list.

Thermal management is an important item to contemplate. Electronics always generate heat and that heat needs to be abated. An overheated enclosure can be detrimental to vital equipment. In many instances, filtered fan systems are the perfect way to cool the enclosure.

As you might imagine, many sizes of fans and filters are available on the market and should be carefully analyzed, including the air performance rating. In addition, some fans are designed to run continuously, while others can be efficiently combined with a thermostat to only turn on when needed. It is also important to take into account the location of the fan and/or fans on the pc or computer enclosure. Location could be the difference between cooling and just blowing hot and harmful air! 

Gasketing is used on computer enclosures to provide a leak-tight seal between the enclosure body and its doors and other accessories.

There is more to selecting the correct computer enclosure than just a low price.

To the untrained eye, various computer enclosures may look exactly the same. However, not all enclosures are created equal! A high-quality, tough, industrial enclosure maintains a better appearance in a manufacturing environment over time and will protect vital electronic components better than subpar enclosure products. When a customer makes a decision based solely on the lowest price, they fail to consider the reliability of electronics. Electrical components housed inside of a dependable, protective enclosure will have a longer life and will continue to work, even in the harshest of environments.

From wayfinding to transportation hubs to sports stadiums to Quick Service Restaurant drive-thru’s, dazzling, outdoor digital signage is popping up everywhere.

Looking to spice up your drive-thru? 

Consider installing presell digital menu boards. They can help draw attention away from the wait itself. An effective or entertaining marketing message can help reduce the perceived wait time in a drive-thru. Richard Ventura, in his article ‘EDS in Drive-Through Service,’ describes the benefit of digital, “By replacing static menu boards with digital signage, QSRs have the ability to create new marketing opportunities that reinforce brand loyalty and help drive additional sales.” For Quick Service Restaurants, approximately 70% of all business comes through the drive-thru. It is imperative to provide an exceptional customer experience and one that will be remembered after the customer drives away with their meal. People frequent a QSR, not only because they enjoy the delicious food, but because the restaurant delivers what they want, how they want it, and when they want it.  Precisely why Burger King has had much success with its popular slogan, “Have It Your Way®.”

As an integrator, it is often difficult to narrow down a request from an end customer.

It is not uncommon for a customer to say “I want to put an LCD outdoors. Can you please help me find a way to protect it from the elements?” Unfortunately, there is not a “one for all” enclosure solution that will work anywhere and at an affordable price. It is simply not that easy.  

There is a bit of a science to allow an LCD to work outdoors properly, where it is not originally intended to be used. Many companies claim to provide LCD enclosures that can be used outdoors, but many variables cannot be ignored. A number of questions should be posed, by an integrator to the end customer, prior to providing an outdoor LCD enclosure recommendation. 

When it comes to electronics in enclosures, heat can be very damaging in many ways!

Looking for the top thermal management for your next enclosure purchase? There are a few options that might be a worthy solution, such as air conditioners, vortex cooling units, heat exchangers, and various fan systems. Simply put, a filtered fan system can be the most cost effective method of cooling electronics in a NEMA 12 computer enclosure. This statement assumes that the ambient temperatures are not too extreme based on the recommended operating temperatures for the electronics. The website, Electronics Cooling, sums up how a filtered fan system operates, “filter fans cool enclosures… [using] the ambient temperature outside the cabinet by drawing filtered ambient air into the cabinet. At the same time, the heated air within the cabinet is blown out an exhaust vent. The exhaust is also filtered, which creates airflow resistance and a slightly higher pressure inside the enclosure.”

3D printers have been around for some time (as early as 1980), “but it wasn’t until January 2009 that the first commercially available 3D printer… was offered for sale. This was the BfB RapMan 3D printer… Since 2009, a host of similar deposition printers have emerged with marginal unique selling points (USPs) and they continue to do so,” as described in the article, ‘History of 3D Printing: The Free Beginner’s Guide.’