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.’

Easily and efficiently sending out a memo or a change of procedure document to ALL employees - at a company - is no small task.

Keeping a large amount of factory employees up-to-date with pertinent information is very overwhelming. Printing out hundreds of pieces of paper, for employees, becomes quite expensive. Plus, most plant floor employees do not have a computer in front of them, so that eliminates email as an effective means of communication. More and more manufacturers are turning to fresh, digital signs to improve morale, increase overall safety, and assist in productivity.

What toll will heat and humidity take on electronics in manufacturing environments?

When choosing a computer enclosure, it is always a good rule of thumb to determine the necessary thermal management. An enclosure that has an internal temperature of over 95°F generally calls for a cooling system that is more powerful than a filtered fan system. Ambient air flow, through a filtered fan system, will not provide enough cooling power to regulate temperatures inside the computer enclosure within the recommended operating temperatures. 

Looking to deploy LCD enclosures in the great outdoors?

Many factors and characteristics should be considered when making an LCD enclosure decision, including the type of enclosure material (stainless steel, aluminum, etc.), LCD size, wiring, gaskets, locks, and windows. Wait a minute… windows are windows, right? They are just a piece of glass that protects the LCD. Nothing could be farther from the truth! Many different varieties of windows exist with an assortment of different films or coating that can be added. With so many options to choose from, this blog will focus on two of the top window materials used when designing and installing an outdoor LCD enclosure.

Is preventative maintenance more of a hobby or a way of life at your manufacturing plant?

Like modern medicine, the idea of proactively taking a role in the “health” of electrical equipment will provide great value to a company. If an illness is approaching, the human body has the ability to provide early warning signs. The same can be said about electronics. While the human body has the ability to cure itself of certain illnesses, if a defect appears on the plant floor with machinery, it is just a matter of time before the electronics ultimately fail. Unfortunately, electronics do not have the ability to “heal” themselves.

The majority of workers will not exert much concern for maintenance until the process is no longer working as it should. Paying little attention to corrective maintenance, on a regular schedule, will cause electronics housed in an industrial computer enclosure to not perform as well as they did upon the original installation. According to the Library at AutomationDirect.com website, “Heat inside an enclosure can decrease the life expectancy of controlling units such as your PLC, HMI, AC drives and other items. Excessive heat can cause nuisance faults from your electrical and electronic components… Heat will also change the expected performance of circuit breakers and fuses, which can cause whole systems to shut down unexpectedly.”