With an increase in use of touch screens in computing, some people are predicting an end to the traditional keyboard, so touch look set to replace the keyboard.

The great advantage to using touch screens is that you don’t need a separate input and output device, which is the main reason table computers have become so successful, the display, keyboard and PC are all packaged in a handy slim line system.

Despite their growing popularity and advantages over keyboards, touch screens do have some drawbacks. Firstly, they offer very little feel for those that type, namely writers; however, a similar argument was made against the computer keyboard when people began moving from typewriters to PCs, and we know what happened to the typewriter.

Will touchscreens replace keyboards/

But touch screens do have other drawbacks too. Touch screens are unresponsive to gloved hands, making their use impractical for certain industrial applications. Dusty, damp or dirty environments also cause problems for touch screens, as dirt and debris lead to false inputs.

However, different touch screens use multiple technologies to achieve the same results and each method has advantages and disadvantages, which may or may not make them suitable for differing environments.

Resistive touch screens are the most versatile, as they consist of a glass plate covered with both a conductive and a resistive metallic layers; this is the type of technology most tablet computers employ. Resistive touch screens, however, are susceptible to interference from debris and dirt so are not suitable for most industrial applications.

Capacitive touch screens, on the other hand, store electrical charges on the glass panel face, transferring to the user when touched, making them more resistant to contaminants, which makes them an ideal solution industrial applications.

Touch Screen Popularity Signals the End of the Keyboard is a post from: Armagard

Of course, industrial computers are designed to work in the rough and tumble world of the shopfloor, but they do come with several restrictions, which is often the reason so many of Armagard’s customers opt to use industrial computer enclosures instead.

Firstly, for reliability purposes, industrial computers do tend to use tried and tested components, and while this makes the solid-state devices more dependable, it does mean that the processors and chips are far older and loss proficient than more modern systems.

Secondly, most shopfloor IT systems have to communicate the office computers and this can cause problems when different hardware, operating systems and software programs try and communicate. As industrial computer enclosures allow the standard office IT to be taken into the shopfloor environment, everybody in the company can use the same hardware and software.

Finally, while industrial computers are designed to work in rugged industrial environments they can, and do fail (as all computers have finite lifespans), which can lead to downtime. With an industrial computer enclosure this is not too much of a problem as the enclosure can be opened and the PC swiftly removed or replaced, with little or no IT experience required in doing so; However, when an industrial computer fails, being solid-state, onsite repair is impossible leading to prolonged downtime as you wait for a replacement or a technician.

At Armagard we have been providing industrial computer enclosures for nearly two decades and many of our earliest sales are still functioning in the industrial environments, and have had several generations of computers installed in the same enclosure.

Industrial Computers—good but flawed.

Computer Enclosures Offers Flexibility

Computer and Touch Screen Enclosures – Flexible Shopfloor IT is a post from: Armagard

Technology has advanced exponentially over the last two decades, and Armagard have had to ensure their products match the ever-changing face of modern technologies. One of the biggest changes over the last decade or so has been the rise of the flat screen television.

Few people still use CRT monitors and TVs with LCD and plasmas now being ubiquitous in both consumer and commercial uses. For this reason, Armagard began producing their LCD enclosure range, designed to accommodate these modern screens, and come in all the major screen sizes.

LCD enclosures are incredibly popular, primarily because of the rise of outdoor digital signage and the increase in use of information screens, but all sorts of other enclosures exist in Armagard’s range too.

Computer enclosures are still a common requirement in some locations such as factory floors and industrial units. While industrial computers can operate in harsh environments, they often don’t provide enough flexibility and cooperation with IT systems already used around the office, which is why so many people turn to standard PCs and house them in an Armagard enclosure.

Printer’s too, struggle to operate in locations outside of offices and home environments, and have traditionally been unable to work in location where temperatures are close to zero. Armagard’s printer enclosure range not only allows printer use in dusty and wet environments, but heated printer enclosures mean even chillers and freezer locations can use printers.

Security is another reason people turn to an Armagard enclosure. Computer safes and anti-vandal LCD enclosures help protect valuable assets from theft and abuse.

Armagard Computer Enclosure

Armagard Computer Safe

Armagard Printer Enclosure

Types of Armagard Enclosure is a post from: Armagard

The reason for the success and widespread use of LCDs is two-fold; firstly, LCDs have plummeted in price and are now far cheaper a device than the former CRT based TVs ever were. Secondly, LCD TVs are flatter and lighter than their predecessors so they take up less space and are easier to install on walls or mounts.

Challenges

There are still many challenges to be faced when taking a device, which has been primarily designed for office and home use, into an industrial location. Factory floors and other locations are full of harmful elements that can damage, disable and even destroy an LCD screen.

Dust is a common problem in these types of areas and this can cause a myriad of problems including over-heating and short circuits. Dust can clog up air vents and as the static charge will attract it, the screen will quickly be covered in dust and be therefore dimmed.

Water is another problem for LCDs in factory location, especially wash down areas where water is hosed or pressure washed about. A normal, unprotected LCD won’t last long in an area where water and liquids are used liberally.

Impacts too are common in industrial locations. Accidents with forklifts, pallet trucks and other heavy machinery are commonplace and if a screen gets clouted then it probably won’t survive.

Protection

While some LCD devices are rugged, or designed to be waterproof, often this is not enough for many factory locations – not to mention the fact that these types of screens are incredibly expensive.

For true all round protection in harsh environments like these, an LCD enclosure is by far the best option. They are usually made from steel, so can withstand impacts; are waterproof and dustproof, have climatic controls to ensure the correct operating temperature inside the enclosure; and best of all, an LCD enclosure housing a standard TV device will be far more cost effective than expensive rugged, waterproof or outdoor televisions.

Using LCD Screens and Displays in Industrial Locations is a post from: Armagard

Protecting devices, whether it is a computer, touch screen, printer or LCD TV requires creating a total environment where the optimum conditions that the device can operate in.

These protective environments often come in the guise of protective enclosures. LCD enclosures, industrial computer enclosures and enclosures for printers and touch screens house conventional, off-the-shelf devices that fit snugly into the enclosures.

These computer, printer or LCD enclosures are usually manufactured from mild or stainless steel. Stainless steel is more-often-than-not used in food manufacturing or washdown areas as it is none corrosive and can withstand repeated hose down or cleaning.

Inside every enclosure, whether it’s a computer enclosure or a display or printer enclosure, should contain air flow systems. Cool air is required by nearly every electronic device to help prevent overheating and transport heat away. Normally airflow of a computer of LCD comes via an air vent which allows air from the outside to run through the device.

However, with devices operating in wet or outdoor locations then it is not feasible to have an open vent to the outside as water can seep through. Specially designed plenum chambers that allow air and not water through are often used to counter this problem.

Heating elements are also used inside enclosures as are air condition systems for use in extremely hot environments.

Other hazards such as direct sunlight damaging an LCD screen can be countered too using anti-glass or even an air curtain (cool hair blown across the screen to prevent hotspots).]

Enclosures are built to current guidance advice such as those issued by the EU or the National Electrical Manufacturers Association so IP65 and NEMA 4 enclosures are not hard to find.

But perhaps the biggest advantage of using enclosures rather than specific outdoor or weatherproof devices is they house standard equipment and more often than not this means that the combined cost of say a display device plus the outdoor LCD enclosure is often a lot less than a specific outdoor TV. The same can also be said for industrial computers versus computer enclosures and also printer enclosures.

The Manufacturing of Protective Environments…Part 2 is a post from: Armagard

Computers, printers, monitors and LCD screens are as useful a tool for the shopfloor environment as they are in offices and the home. IT systems can save a fortune when production lines are automated and can increase efficiency and cut down dramatically on waste.

Using computer technology on shopfloor environments does come with its problems, mainly due to the fact that most PC’s, printers and monitors are designed to operate in home or office environments and not the dusty, greasy and wet confines of a factory or shopfloor.

Industrial standard computers and industrial PCs are available for these types of areas but there are downsides to industrial computers. Firstly, industrial computer systems are quite expensive. They are often designed to be solid state (no moving parts) which causes certain problems, primarily with upgrade and repair in that the units can only be refurbished by trained engineers. They quite often use outdated components too this is because they need to be as stable and reliable as possible so only proven hardware makes its way into an industrial computer.

Unfortunately with the fast moving pace of computers that often means that the industrial computer will have to run outdated software too and this could impinge on the efficiency of the system.

However, there is both a cost effective and practical alternative to using industrial computers and that is to use standard off-the shelf computer equipment, containing the specification and software you require and then protect the device with an industrial computer enclosure.

Industrial computer enclosures are not just protective cabinets they are entire micro-environments that ensure the enclosed PC is not just protected from the harmful elements of a shop floor environment but they are also heated and cooled using thermostatic controls to ensure the optimum temperature inside the enclosure.

Industrial PC enclosures can allow the safe use of standard computers in not just industrial areas but also areas of hose down (even jet washing) and locations with extreme heat or cold such as chillers and ovens.

Protecting Shopfloor Computers is a post from: Armagard

http://www.armagard.co.uk have been providing industrial protection for computers, printers and screens for nearly two decades, but have seen a surge in recent months for their new LCD enclosure and outdoor digital signage systems so have launched a brand new website to ensure their customers can find exactly what they are looking for.

Our new webiste has more detailed information on their wide range of computer enclosures, printer enclosures, industrial computers, touch screens and LCD enclosures.

Managing Director Mark Neal said of the new website: ‘We have had a presence on the Internet for 15 years and while we have always constantly improved our website we thought with such a range of new products it was time for a fresh approach.’

He added that the website will provide better navigation for visitors allowing any potential customers to be able to easily find the exact product they are looking for.

‘With the outdoor digital signage market providing us with new opportunities we hope our new website will enable customers to easily find the product that exactly fits the demand of their future projects,’ added Mr Neal.

Thousands of European Companies such as Nestle, Ford and Heinz rely on enclosures from Armagard trusting in their vast experience in producing protective environments for computer equipment. No other manufacturer of industrial enclosures for computers, printers and screens has been around as long as Armagard and as 87% of other customers re-order from them we Armagard say they are confident their products continue to deliver performance, year-after-year.

Armagard Launch New UK Website is a post from: Armagard

The industrial computer has been around since the early eighties when it was recognised that computing could be as advantageous for the factory floor as it was for offices. Industrial computers are mostly based around the same technology as standard desktop computers but are built to be more rugged and durable.

The industrial computer comes in several forms such as rack-mountable industrial computers that can slot in server racks, panel PC’s that integrate a PC and screen together to solid state industrial computers that contain few or no moving parts.

Industrial PC’s are designed fro the factory floor and all different types of industrial computer share a similar philosophy of providing a controlled environment for the installed electronics to survive the rigors of the plant floor.

There are many advantages of running industrial PCs on the factory floor, they are reliable and can withstand excessive water and dust. However, industrial PC’s do pay a price for this durability in that they are not very flexible.

Most industrial PC’s are built with reliability as a prerequisite, for this reason they need to use tried and tested components, while this makes them extremely reliable it does mean that often industrial computers lack the processing and memory capabilities of standard desktop PC’s.

Another disadvantage of industrial computers is that most are virtually impossible to upgrade. If additional processing or memory is required then a new industrial PC will have to be purchased. They can also prove problematic when they fail and need repairing, particularly solid state machines, the only option is to call a service engineer but if the machine is operationally critical then this could mean vital production time lost.

An alternative solution to the industrial is to use a standard desktop machine and protect it in a waterproof and dustproof computer enclosure. Industrial computer enclosures offer all the protection of a standard industrial PC but with the added bonus of flexibility. With an industrial PC enclosure you can:

*Choose what specification of PC to use in your industrial environment

*Upgrade the PC at will

*PC can be repaired by your standard IT support worker or the entire computer replaced within minutes

*Can be budgetary cost effective when compared to an industrial PC

*Computer enclosures can be reused with different machines

*Industrial computer enclosure will lengthen the life of you IT

Industrial Computers – Pros and Cons is a post from: Armagard

However, there is more to protecting computer equipment in hostile areas than just placing them in a metal box. Keeping computers, printers and display devices protected means creating the perfect environment not just protecting them from water splashes and dust.

Computer enclosures have long been built to European and US guidelines. The IP65 and IP54 (NEMA 4) standards describe the types of protection any enclosure offers against airborne particles and water. However, the IP and NEMA ratings are self-certified guidelines and are not any guarantee or certainty the enclosure is suitable for the environment it is required to work in.

Computers, printers and LCD or plasma displays are designed to operate in the home or office environment and are not suited for any of the hostile elements found in industrial or outdoor locations.

However, there are other harsh environmental factors to consider than just airborne particles and water splashes. For instance temperature extremes are something that is not included in the IP and NEMA rating systems. However, there are many industrial locations not to mention outdoor areas where temperatures can be either extremely hot or cold (or both in the case of outdoors where summer heat and winter freeze have to be countered).

To cope with extreme temperatures additional heating and cooling facilities have to be installed in the computer, printer or LCD enclosure ensuring the device is operating in the perfect environment.

Industrial computer cabinets, printer protection and LCD enclosures are not just metal boxes but should represent the perfect environment that sensitive electronic devices need to operate in.

Creating the Perfect Environment for Computers is a post from: Armagard

From factory floors, wet rooms, on ships and even outdoor locations are now areas where computers are being used. Whether its controlling processes or maintaining stock levels the benefits of computer use in industry is obvious; computers are faster, more efficient and can help reduce waste when they are implemented n factory processes.

Industrial computers have been a mainstay of industry for many years but they do come with their disadvantages. To begin with industrial computers can be quite expensive but the purchase price is only the tip of the iceberg.

The main problem with industrial PCs is that while their designs are incredibly robust and their technology solid state and reliable if they do go down and they are critical to your operations then the downtime could be crippling as a service engineer has to be called to repair the unit.

Another problem with industrial computers is the technology they implement. As these devices are solid state they are built using reliable but often outdated technology, leaving the industrial computer many generations behind its desktop alternatives. However, desktop computers offer little of no protection against the harmful elements of the industrial sector such as dust, dirt and liquids.

Fortunately PC enclosures and industrial computer enclosures allow standard computers to be used in industrial environments protecting the enclosed PC from all the harmful elements.   PC enclosures not only allow the latest technology to be implemented on your factory floor but also if there are any problems with the computer this can be fixed by your normal IT staff or the PC can simply be replaced without waiting for the service engineer and accumulating downtime.

PC Enclosures Suitable for any Environment is a post from: Armagard