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10 Advantages of PC Enclosures Compared to Industrial Computers
Category: Uncategorized
This article explores the advantages of using
industrial computer enclosures.
The demands
on computers in industry are a lot higher than the demands of a conventional
desktop PC.
Often environments
in industry are the exact opposite of the optimum conditions an off-the-shelf
computer is designed to run in. There can be large quantities of dust, dirt,
grease and grime. It can be too hot or too cold and there could be many
processes and cleaning that requires water, not forgetting the forklift trucks
and pallet trucks that could completely destroy a PC if it got clouted.
The
solution in industry and manufacturing has, for many years, been to use
specialist solid state industrial computers. These machines are often
intrinsically sealed, rugged and tough. They are often designed to be resistant
to dust, dirt and grime and can also be completely waterproof.
These machines are also very expensive, not
just to buy but also to maintain. Industrial computers have to be maintained by
service engineer, often forcing shutdown of production lines they also have to
be replaced periodically as the hardware and software will eventually become
obsolete. All computers eventually fail but an industrial computer enclosure
means that over three generations of computers can use the same enclosure.
Industrial PC enclosures are a more efficient,
affordable and reliable alternative to these expensive machines. The main
benefits of an industrial computer enclosure are:
1. Withstand
the same environments as an industrial computer, whether that is dust
(including explosive atmospheres), dirt, grime, oil, grease and water (even
completely doused). Enclosures are rated using European IP ratings that give a
clear indication to the types of environments the enclosure can operate in, for
example IP 65 totally protects dust whilst protecting against strong jets of
water, (the first digit, 6, represents the dust protection the second digit, 5,
the water) while IP 66 offers the same dust protection but the enclosure can be
completely immersed in water.
2. Enclosures
can also withstand the same shocks, vibrations and tampering as the enclosure
can be built from robust materials and the enclosed PC can be fitted snugly and
secured with shock absorbing bolts. Enclosures can also be securely locked and
bolted to floors or walls to protect against theft.
3. For
computing in extreme temperatures, computer enclosures can in fact work to a
better standard than industrial machines as the extra cooling and heating units
can be replaced if they are not working as efficiently as they should (a sealed
industrial computer that is running too hot or cold would need to be replaced
or returned for an upgrade).
4. Computer
enclosures can enable a PC to run equally as reliable as an industrial computer
as the desktop PC housed in the enclosure can be any conventional machine, from
a trusted office workhorse to the latest all singing, all dancing off-the shelf
PC.
5. A
computer housed in an enclosure is also far cheaper than an industrial
computer. Apart from the initial outlay for the expensive bespoke industrial
computer, enclosures can out live an
industrial machine by over a decade as an industrial computer will eventually
have an internal failure (as all computers do) or become completely obsolete
and will need replacing. However, an enclosure can be reused to house another
machine and will in general house three generations of machines.
6. A
computer enclosure can house monitors, printers, touch-screens and all manner
of computing equipment (including the peripherals such as mouse and keyboard )
or they can be combined with water/dust proof sealed keyboards and mouse.
7. As
an enclosure houses a conventional PC, any repairs or upgrades can be carried
out in-house in minutes rather than have to wait for an engineer and have to
shutdown the production.
8. Enclosures can be manufactured from a
range of material including food grade stainless steel.
9. Enclosures can be lockable and secured
to walls or floors to prevent theft or tampering.
10. Enclosures
allow you to choose which software or hardware to run inside the enclosure
rather than suffer out-dated technology.
With the demands of industrial computing so
variable and extreme , industrial PC enclosures offer a flexibility that even
conventional industrial computers fail to match whilst also offering the same
protection and reliability for a fraction of the cost. PC enclosures are ideal
for even the most hostile industrial environment and while specialist PCs will
always be required for certain tasks the majority of uses for an industrial
computer can be achieved using a conventional PC housed in an industrial PC
enclosure.
About the author
Richard N Williams is a technical author and a
specialist in the industrial computer industry helping to develop industrial computer
enclosures and protection for all environments.
Please visit us for more information about computer enclosure
solutions.
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