Condensation occurs when warm, moist air comes into contact with a surface that is colder than the air’s dew point.

Why is condensation important in relation to computer enclosures?
Humid conditions cause warmer air to hold more water vapor. If warm air on the inside of an enclosure comes into contact with a colder enclosure body, it will cool - leading to water or condensation.

Why is condensation bad for a computer enclosure?
A build-up of condensation may lead to a failure of expensive, internal electronics causing a product replacement and costly downtime.

Installing electronics outdoors, in a sealed computer enclosure, will present a series of challenges. 

If the proper thermal management is not maintained on the inside of an enclosure cabinet, humidity and high temperatures will pose serious threats to electronics. It is imperative that the enclosure provides a suitable operating environment – thus helping to extend the lifetime of the electronics.

When installing thermal management on heavy-duty computer enclosures, filters are essential in keeping particulate matter away from sensitive and expensive electronics.  

Fan filters help keep oil, dust, dirt, fibers, and lint outside and away from the enclosure system. However, it is common for filter maintenance to be overlooked after deploying a computer enclosure. Depending on the environment, filters should be checked once or twice a month (or more) to ensure that proper air flow is being circulated throughout the cabinet. 

Installing a basic rack enclosure to protect servers and related hardware is simply not enough to ensure a reliable system. 

Servers hold data that is mission critical and a component malfunction is detrimental to an IT system. Most equipment calls for operating temperatures to be maintained within 70-75°F. When deploying a rack enclosure, it is paramount to consider thermal management.

It comes as no surprise that heat has the tendency to ruin electronics! 

Proper cooling can increase the overall life of electronics and reduce capital expenses. Simply put, any type of thermal management will help a computer system run more smoothly. As a rule of thumb, the life expectancy of electronics is cut in half for every 18°F that they operate above room temperature. System integrators should always be aware that operating electronics in high or extremely elevated temperatures can void most manufacturer warranties. Thus, the correct thermal management is critical for a computer enclosure deployment in a manufacturing setting. 

Many factors affect the temperatures that electronics are exposed to on the inside of a pc enclosure. In the blog, ‘Could High Humidity be Hurting Your Electronics?,’ the author notes that “electronics are more delicate than you may think, and are susceptible to damage in high-humidity environments. It is important to keep relative humidity between 40-60% to keep electronics running efficiently.” Therefore, it is imperative to consider not only the electronics heat output, but also the environmental factors that will cause the ambient air temperature to be high.

The following are some examples of potential sources of heat: 

• Power Supplies

• Controllers, Drives, or Servers

• Computers

• Printers (Barcode or Desktop)

• Solar Gain Heat

• Ovens

• Foundry Equipment

Electronics, which are more powerful and robust than average off-the-shelf products, will most likely have a higher heat output. Because we live in a world where faster is better and processing capacity is extremely important, more powerful systems are being designed at a rapid pace. Powerful electronics will generate more heat and, as a result, will require some form of cooling, like a filtered fan system or air conditioner.

What are Common Consequences of Damaging Heat?

When deploying enclosures in a challenging environment, thermal management is critical.

Enclosure cooling is necessary for maintaining the optimum performance of electronics and for keeping a computer system protected from elevated levels of heat. Since a NEMA 4X enclosure requires a watertight seal, a unique set of challenges must be overcome when installing a NEMA 4X computer enclosure. NEMA 4X enclosures are unable to utilize an open cooling system, meaning the cabinet requires a closed loop cooling system that uses forced convection. With a closed loop system, no seal is broken. The market has several closed loop solutions that will keep your enclosure cool and protect your electronics. 

When installed inside of a server rack enclosure, there are many factors that can affect the performance of electronics.

Popular reasons for using thermal management, include: environments that are hot and dirty or electronics that produce a good amount of heat inside of an enclosure. For example, if the temperature outside an enclosure will reach 110° F or above, the internal components must be kept at a cooler temperature. However, proper cooling or ventilation is dependent on the environment and contents of the rack enclosure.

Why is cooling such an important factor in a rack enclosure solution? At the beginning of a project, if thermal management is not properly configured, several things could go wrong with the enclosed electronics. Faults in electrical components and overloads may lead to a tripped breaker, decreased life expectancy, or an unexpected equipment shutdown. According to James Stratford, in his article, ‘The Importance of Thinking Thermal Early in the Design Process’, “It is very important to consider and deal with thermal challenges early in the design process and with assistance of specialists if you don't have them in house. Doing this can lead to a better, more reliable end product with predictable performance that avoids the risk of components running at excessive temperatures that shorten their life expectancy and risk erratic performance.”

Dust-tight, waterproof enclosures protect a computer, monitor, printer, and various other peripherals from harsh elements, like splashing fluids, dust, dirt, and fibers in the air.

However, while the enclosure is keeping materials from entering, it is also preventing heat from exiting the cabinet. The build-up of heat - inside of the enclosure - can slowly damage electronics that are being protected from the exterior environment.

Thermal management will keep the overall heat load to a minimum by removing excess heat. A filter fan system generally keeps electronics cool in ambient temperatures below 90°F. Filters will ensure particulate matter is kept outside of the enclosure, away from important electronics. Depending on the installation environment, there are a few choices available for filter fan systems. What are the differences between outdoor and indoor filter fan systems?

In a perfect world, system integrators deploying computer enclosures in harsh, manufacturing environments would possess an excellent understanding of thermal management and its many intricacies.

In a realistic world, most users of the system know very little about the implications of subjecting electronics, concealed in a dust and dirt tight enclosure, in a warm environment. Making an informed decision - for the appropriate level of heating and cooling - will help maximize the lifetime of the electronics and reduce downtime on an assembly line. However, determining the proper thermal management does require a clear understanding of cooling parameters and knowledge of the operating environment.

Regular maintenance on enclosure thermal management will prevent costly breakdowns. It is necessary on even the most reliable computer enclosure system(s).

When deploying computer or printer enclosures in a factory or industrial setting, thermal management (air conditioners, filtered fan systems, heat exchangers, etc.) should be considered to extend the life of the electronics. However, it is not a simple install and forget solution. The thermal management must be checked and maintained often.