ITSENCLOSURES Blog

There are many exciting and beneficial aspects of utilizing vibrant outdoor digital menu boards in a Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) drive-thru lane.

Menu boards are sleek, eye-catching, and persuasive by themselves, but what technologies can be used to make the menu boards even smarter and ultimately increase food and beverage sales? A QSR’s menu board is one of the most important marketing and communication tools the store has in its arsenal, so why not maximize the utility of the digital menus and make them extremely intelligent? As technology continues to advance at fast rates, there are a few new ways to make digital menu boards extra “smart!”

Many people perceive that computer enclosures are extremely expensive, but the perception could not be farther from the truth!

The initial investment may be higher than the alternative (not using a heavy-duty, tough, industrial enclosure), but the lifetime of electronics housed inside of the enclosure will be maximized when properly protected. Downtime and costly electronics replacements are never issues that a busy manufacturing facility wants to deal with, especially when problems can be prevented. Inexpensive enclosures may be appealing on the surface, but will cause problems in the future. You get what you pay for!  Expensive, vital electronics should be protected in a high quality NEMA rated enclosure to ensure the manufacturing process is up and running 24/7.

Digital displays capture over 400% more views than static displays.*

Banks and financial institutions are progressively installing digital signage to not only reinvent their brand, but to improve the overall banking experience for their loyal customers. Digital signage is an important element in modern banking and can be used to enhance communication between the customer and the bank’s ever changing message. With more and more customers banking remotely on mobile devices, it is imperative that financial institutions take advantage of the middle ground created between virtual and physical, when visiting the drive-thru lane. 

Industry standards for computer enclosures exist to promote safety, encourage design efficiency, and define minimum levels of product performance.  

If industry standards were not set in place, there would be wide variations in enclosure performance and price. More times than not, end users and system integrators do not clearly understand the difference between the standards, which leads to suppliers unable to provide products that meet necessary and vital requirements. When customers tend to focus solely on the lowest price for a product, the decision could ultimately lead to high maintenance expenses, component failures, replacement costs, and safety issues. All of this will just end up costing more money in the long run. Finding a computer enclosure that will withstand various harsh situations will actually save money, because the enclosure will last for many, many years.

Looking to deploy dynamic and vibrant outdoor digital marketing in the New Year?

The food processing industry is quite fascinating, not to mention very important! 

If you have ever watched the popular TV show “Unwrapped” on the Food Network, you were probably amazed at the amount of intricate processes involved in producing one product, like cookies or candy. Did you see the episode about producing fruit juice? The process is quite extensive and remarkable. From processing the fruit to mixing to bottling, the amount of effort that goes into making a simple drink like lemonade is more involved than one would think. 

At mental healthcare institutions, prisons and hospitals, the safety of patients and prisoners is a top priority.

Many healthcare facilities require companies to supply them with products that are rated “anti-ligature” (or
ligature resistant) to protect patients and prisoners from harming themselves and/or others. It is particularly popular for lounges and activity rooms to have LCD enclosures installed, so that individuals can watch TV and relax. However, facilities must take into consideration the area that the LCD will be used and choose the safest possible solution to avoid injury.

If you plan on installing an enclosure in a hazardous area, it is always paramount to install a ‘purge system’ that will withstand harsh surroundings and meet safety or regulatory compliance.

Purge systems are available in many different sizes and configurations, so it is wise to do the proper research and talk to a company or installer who has experience with this type of system. A poorly planned or poorly executed purge system can end up causing a disaster or explosion. But, first comes first, what is enclosure purging and how can it be used to protect computers and other essential peripherals?

How to find the best purge system for the application:

What is purging?  

Purging is the process of supplying enclosures with compressed air or inert gas at the proper flow and pressure, in order to reduce the hazardous gas inside of the enclosure to a safe or more moderate level. Pressurization is the process of bringing compressed air within an enclosure to a pressure where there is no ingress of hazardous gases or combustible dust. Both purging and pressurization are required in a Class I or gas atmosphere. However, only pressurization is required in a Class II area or dust atmosphere.

With dynamic digital menu boards, Quick Service Restaurants have the ability to quickly and efficiently update or change various aspects of the menu.

The entire chain can make a menu change with a click of a button, which saves a great amount of time, especially for large chains like Burger King, Dunkin’ Donuts, KFC, Wendy’s, McDonald’s, and Arby’s. With over 70% of the overall business accounted for in the drive-thru, why would a QSR not want to take advantage of the benefits of outdoor digital menu boards? They can save a QSR a good deal of money in the long run.

The term “custom” often gets a bad reputation for translating into expensive and lengthy lead times. 

However, this is not always the case when researching the best computer enclosure for a factory or plant deployment. The importance of choosing an enclosure provider that utilizes off-the-shelf items - to customize a solution that meets the users’ needs - is critical.

The right enclosure solution is more than just simply picking out a box. Enclosures are available in a variety of shapes, sizes and materials with numerous options for mounting, connecting and climate control. End users and system integrators can simplify the process by choosing a customized solution that ships ready to be used upon delivery.