There is no need for me to tell you the advantages the computer has on business. Despite the Internet still being a teenager and networked systems having only been around for a couple of decades, vey few of us could go back to working without them. And why would you? Computers save time, money and can cut down on waste which makes the vital tools for most businesses.
And even in industry, computer systems are hugely advantageous, nearly all industrial processes from manufacturing to food production can benefit from computer automation but using computers in industrial, shop-floor or factory locations has its problems.
Firstly, there is the problem of airborne debris, namely dust, which can be generated by all sorts of industrial processes or can have just accumulated over the years (not many shop floors get vacuumed).
Secondly, in some industries, particularly in food production, there is also a prevalence of water which is often used to wash down equipment and surfaces.
There are other issues too with using computers in industrial environments too. Risk of damage from heavy impacts such as a clout from a forklift and often there are extreme temperatures such as near furnaces or in chill rooms.
All of these elements are hostile to standard computer systems and mean that any standard IT equipment can’t be used as most PCs and computers are designed for office and home use only. You could of course use and industrial PC, however, these two come with their downsides – often containing outdated technology for the sake of reliability, yet there is another method, which not only means you can use standard equipment in almost any environment – even explosive atmospheres (ATEX).
The trick is to house the conventional IT equipment in an industrial computer enclosure. These protective cabinets for computers allow the safe use of standard IT equipment in industrial areas as the industrial computer enclosure protects against all the harmful elements – they are waterproof, dustproof, contain additional heating and cooling systems and mostly they are built in solid or stainless steel (ideal for food production) and even when the combined cost of the enclosure and the standard PC is taken into account – they are often far more cost effective than standard industrial computer systems.
