Using a vibrant and interactive touchscreen on a manufacturing floor is quickly becoming the norm in factory environments. A touchscreen can completely eliminate the need for a mouse and keyboard. For industrial users, it creates an efficient source for quickly finding a necessary solution or simply keeping track of inventory.  

Looking to purchase a new enclosure to protect electronics? Ask the right questions.

There are many things that one must consider before placing a purchase order. For example, what is the temperature of the environment that the enclosure will be stationed? Is it a dry area? Will dust and dirt be in abundance? These are just some of the items one should consider when planning for a deployment.

As technology progresses, it is more and more vital to have computers on the factory or plant floor.  However, if they are not properly protected in a computer enclosure, the shelf life of the computer could be very short. Dirt, dust, and even liquids can ruin a tower rather quickly and it will cost time and money to repair or completely replace.  

Some applications may not require an "all-in-one" industrial enclosure that has enough space for the PC, monitor, keyboard or printer.  If all you need is to keep the PC safe, a desktop or tower pc enclosure will be your most efficient and cost effective solution.

If you don't know where or what to look for, finding the right enclosure protection can be rather difficult.

A number of challenges exist when deploying computer equipment in a manufacturing environment.

Extreme temperature fluctuations, dirt, grease and splashing fluids are problematic for electronics.  Prior to implementing on the plant floor, the system designer has the option of specifying an industrially hardened computer or an appropriately sealed industrial enclosure to be used with a general-purpose computer.  Either solution can perform admirably but over time the choice between the two will be an investment decision that will balance lifetime costs, operational stability and versatility.

In general, the higher initial purchase price of an industrial computer will offset the cost of a less expensive general-purpose computer and PC enclosure.  It is important to understand the differences between the two solutions after the system is deployed into production.

Computer Enclosures: Consider the Need

What is the secret to manufacturing uptime?

It’s safe to say, computers have come a long way since the early 1980’s. Electronics are ever-changing.  As the PC footprint shrinks, monitor sizes grow.  One trend that has not changed over the years is the need for NEMA-rated enclosures in manufacturing environments. 

The secret to uptime is simply well-protected electronics contained in a computer enclosure. When you rely on computers to drive your manufacturing process, proper protection is critical.

How many times have unprotected electronics failed because of dust, grease or water in the air?