There is no getting away from them computers are everywhere. No longer is the PC a bastion of the office or home they are now used in all aspects of our business and daily lives.
Computers are far more efficient at controlling processes and keeping track of stock than a human counter-part, using a computer will be far more efficient and will save time and money. However, there are certain aspects of food production areas that can cause problems for computers and other IT devices.
The main problem with food manufacturing is the liberal amount of water that is used to clean areas and equipment. Obviously water is an essential part in the hygienic running of a food production area but water and computers are not happy bed-fellows.
Even a small splashes and drips of water can permeate inside a computer and can short circuit the device leaving the machine permanently disabled and as most food production areas are regularly hosed down (often under pressure) a normal piece of electrical hardware will be completely finished.
Many food production businesses use waterproof computers designed to IP 65 (European Ingress Protection) or Nema 4 (National Electrical Manufacturers Association). These intrinsically sealed machines will be totally protected in a wash down environment such as a food production area.
Unfortunately waterproof computers are highly expensive but their cost is not just down to the price of the machine. These industrial computers need to be serviced by an engineer which means if the machine goes down so does the production line until the engineer arrives.
A far less expensive, more reliable and flexible approach to waterproof computing is to use a waterproof industrial computer enclosure. These waterproof computer cabinets are also built to IP rating and NEMA and so offer the same guarantee of protection against wash-down but these enclosures offer far greater flexibility as a normal desktop computer can be housed inside which can be repaired, upgraded or replaced without the need for an engineer of costly loss of production.
These industrial computer enclosures can also be produced in food grade stainless steel indeal for the industry.
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