Category: nema

Rating Systems for Industrial Computers

Industrial computers are designed to protect against harmful elements from penetrating the enclosure to the computer and damaging the system. To help consumers select the right industrial PC with the correct computer enclosure, rating systems have been designed by both Europe and USA. Guide to IP Ratings The European system, known as ingress protection (IP), […]

Using Industrial Computers – coping with outdated technology

Industrial computers have been around almost as long as the desktop PC. Arguably the first mainstream computer designed for industrial use was the IBM 5531 released in 1985 and since then industrial PCs have become commonplace and are used throughout industry controlling processes and/or data acquisition. Industrial PCs are designed to be rugged and withstand […]

IP65 for Outdoor Digital Signage

Whilst digital signage hasn’t been with us very long the concept of putting plasma and LCD screens outside was inevitable considering the rapid growth of the new media. Outdoor digital signage does of course pose challenges as any display has to be protected from the elements. IP65 and IP66 are often used to describe the […]

Challenges in Food Manufacturing – Computerisation

Food processing is one of the most challenging sectors in manufacturing. Governed by endless laws and guidelines the difficulties in food preparation plants do not end there. Hygiene understandably plays a large part in food manufacturing with the need to keep surfaces, floors, walls and equipment spotlessly clean. For this reason nearly all equipment has […]

Industrial Computer Enclosure – A Buyers’ Guide (part 2)

Here are the numeric IP rating levels of protection for each digit: 1st Digit – Description of Protection Level: 0 Not protected 1 Protected against solid foreign objects of 50 mm diameter and greater 2 Protected against solid foreign objects of 12,5 mm diameter and greater 3 Protected against solid foreign objects of 2,5 mm […]

Nema 4 – FAQ

Who or what is NEMA? NEMA is the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (USA) and they provide a designation for enclosures, including computer enclosures as guidance to the level of protection they offer. NEMA is the United States equivalent of the International organisation IEC (International Electrotechnical Committee). The IEC issue IP ratings (Ingress Protection) that are […]

NEMA Codes Explained

When selecting an enclosure whether it is for an industrial computer or other type of electrical advice it is important to understand what protection it offers here is a list of the American NEMA codes that signify the protection the enclosures offer. Here are some of the most common NEMA codes used in the industrial […]

Industrial Computers and NEMA Codes

With industrial computers it is important to understand in what conditions the machines can be used in and what elements they offer protection against. NEMA codes are similar in effect to the European IP rating system (Ingress Protection) but are established by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) of North America. However, unlike the European […]

Industrial Computers and IP Ratings

It is commonplace in the industrial computer industry to keep coming across the term ‘IP rating,’ this article will examine the IP rating system, explaining what it means and where it is used. IP stands for ‘ingress protection’ and is usually assigned to enclosures and in industrial computers this is the enclosure that houses the […]

Computer Filth

A recent study has discovered that computer keyboards house more germs than toilet seats even harbouring potentially lethal bacteria such MRSA. Experts say there are over 3,000 microbes per square inch on the average keyboards compared to just 49 microbes on a toilet seat! With the increasing use of computers in the health professions they […]