Choosing The Best Food Manufacturing Digital Display For Your Plant

A food manufacturing digital display can improve shop-floor productivity and communication. The right solution allows you to install a TV in any washdown environment. Learn how to choose a waterproof screen solution that delivers maximum reliability, longevity and hygiene in your plant.

Food Manufacturing Digital Displays: Enclosures Vs. Waterproof Screens

You have two options when choosing a food processing TV. The first is a purpose-built, all-in-one unit that integrates a screen and a sealed, waterproof body. The second is an enclosure-screen combination, which keeps the protective housing and screen separate. Here are four reasons why you're better off with an enclosure:

1. Save Money By Using The Screen Of Your Choice

A food manufacturing digital signage enclosure allows you to install virtually any VESA-compatible screen of a given size. The enclosure provides complete washdown protection, so you can save money by using an ordinary TV on your shop floor.

Enclosures give you the flexibility to use a screen with the brightness rating, connectivity and other features you want. This is in contrast to purpose-built, waterproof TVs, which limit your choices to whatever screen has been built into the protective body.

2. Maximise Uptime Thanks To Easy Maintenance

An enclosure provides easy and immediate access to the screen. This eliminates the need for a specialist engineer. You can quickly install, remove and replace the display and content management system whenever you want, which maximises uptime and reduces your reliance on third parties.

3. Benefit From A Lower Total Cost of Ownership

An Armagard food manufacturing information display has an expected 10-year lifespan. You can use the same enclosure to protect multiple screens over several years, making it a great long-term investment.

An enclosure's longevity can make it significantly more cost-effective than a waterproof TV, which will need to be replaced entirely if it breaks beyond repair.

4. Get Greater Impact Protection And Security

A TV enclosure gives you peace of mind about the security of your screen in production environments. Key-operated locks prevent unauthorised access, and the steel body protects against physical impact.

Compared to a waterproof TV, which might only protect against liquid, an enclosure-screen combination provides greater overall protection.

What To Look For In A Food Manufacturing Digital Display Enclosure

The right TV enclosure for your plant will reflect your concerns as a food processor: hygiene, washdown protection, 24/7 reliability and maximum productivity.

Here's how to find an enclosure that ticks all these boxes:

Choose 316 Stainless Steel

Boost shop-floor hygiene by choosing waterproof LCD enclosures made from 316 stainless steel. This food-grade material is antibacterial, corrosion resistant and easy to clean, so it's ideal for hygienic industries.

Avoid enclosures made from lower grades of steel. These are more likely to harbour bacteria and could rust under washdown. Plastic is also a bad choice. Plastic enclosures don't offer the same heating and cooling options as steel units, and they can't withstand high-temperature cleaning.

Enclosures like these can compromise hygiene on your production line. They might also need to be replaced sooner. 316 enclosures, on the other hand, provide years of safe, clean and reliable use, which makes them more cost-effective in the long run.

Look For IP-Rated Washdown Protection

Choose an enclosure that guarantees washdown protection according to IP standards. Avoid any manufacturer that uses vague terms, like waterproof or watertight, without any certification to back them up.

IP ratings guarantee a product's ability to withstand certain environmental conditions. IP56/65 enclosures protect against most washdown procedures, and they've been popular in food processing for years. More recently, the IP69K standard has been introduced. This standard protects a screen from steam cleaning and high-pressure, high-temperature jets.

Either standard could be right for your production line. Both give you peace of mind that your food manufacturing digital display will operate reliably in wet conditions.

Ensure Adequate Temperature Protection

Check the enclosure provides the right level of temperature protection for the display. This is especially important if you're installing a digital screen in a refrigerated environment.

For maximum screen longevity, choose an LCD/LED display cabinet with automatic climate controls. These enclosures use a controller board to automatically manage internal heating and cooling functions. The screen operates in safe, efficient conditions when external temperatures range from -30°C to 35°C, depending on the model you choose.

Favour Polycarbonate Over Glass

Choose a food manufacturing TV protector that uses shatterproof polycarbonate for the viewing window. This material is 20-times stronger than glass, and it won't shard into tiny pieces in the unlikely event of a breakage. This means it won't contaminate your production line, which will save you from extended downtime.

Choose An Enclosure With The Right Mounting Options

For the greatest improvements in shop-floor communication, choose an enclosure that can be mounted exactly where you want.

The best food manufacturing TV cabinets have ceiling, stand or wall mounting, using flat or tilted wall brackets. This allows you to position a digital message board or KPI screen in the ideal location on your shop floor. Versatile mounting also allows you to move the enclosure into a new location in the future, ensuring it's always in the best location.

Look For A Proven Manufacturer

You expect maximum reliability, longevity and cost-effectiveness from your food manufacturing digital displays, so find a manufacturer that provides the reassurances you want.

Armagard has a proven history of protecting screens in harsh environments. Previous customers include some the biggest food brands in the UK and Europe, including Asda, Del Monte and Florette.

Over 100,000 Armagard enclosures protect screens and IT equipment in 53 countries. The company has a worldwide reputation you can trust, and you benefit from industry-leading warranties and lifetime customer support.

Choosing A Food Manufacturing Digital Display: Conclusion

The right food processing TV can boost productivity, improve communication, maintain hygiene and protect uptime.

To get these benefits in your plant, choose an enclosure specifically designed to protect a screen in washdown locations. That means food-grade stainless steel, IP protection, temperature controls, a specialist manufacturer and more.

Contact Armagard to discuss the best food manufacturing TV enclosure for your shop floor. Call +44 (0)121 608 7226 for a no obligation chat, or fill in a contact form to request more information.