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Due to their deployment use cases, computers in industry differ significantly from commercial desktop computers in very specific ways. While the internal components may look like regular desktop computer components, computers in industry are vastly different in their unique rugged design features, which are specifically designed for the reliability and precision of industrial automation machines. There are many design features that are essential for the performance and stability of the industrial computer, and these features should be compared and evaluated to ensure the best overall cost of ownership when integrating computing hardware.
Computers in industry often experience harsh factory conditions where exposure to wide temperatures, vibrations, and voltage spikes can cause damage to regular computers. Therefore, the internal components of computers in industrial manufacturing are made of alloy materials that are strong enough to withstand high temperatures and vibrations. Most external enclosures have sturdy aluminum cases that act as heat sinks to dissipate heat from key internal components such as central processors, memory, and storage.
Industrial computer is typically equipped with industrial grade components that have been tested and validated to operate in harsh industrial environments. All components from PCB boards to soldered capacitors are specially selected and integrated into the final design of industrial pc solutions that can be deployed on a large scale in factory settings.
Computers in industry are designed for deployment in fields such as factory automation or mining processes, where dust and foreign objects are often present. Therefore, industrial computer designs have rugged features and do not require cooling ventilation ports to prevent harm from dust and other particles in harsh environments to the computer and its functions.
High levels of shock and vibration can be harmful to computers that have not been extensively designed, tested, and validated. Most industrial computers will have a certain degree of resistance to these environmental factors and will maintain functionality in these specific scenarios.
Industrial computers not only protect against dust but also protect against water to some degree. Key to reliable and rackmount custom industrial computers is eliminating multi-point failures, especially from dust and water elements.
Industrial computers offer more extensibility than commercial computers, including proper support for many older devices and applications. Many components used are available and can be used for up to 15 years, providing a long-term embedded computing solution. This is particularly important for industrial factories that may not be able to upgrade or retrofit with the latest automation technologies every few years. Therefore, most industrial computers today provide a platform to help integrate multiple workloads with various traditional and latest technological features.
