After a difficult few years, government statistics are showing that manufacturing in the United States is slowly recovering to pre-credit crunch levels. This is great news, but complacency is something no manufacturing company can afford, which is why making manufacturing processes as efficient as possible is an important aspect of the modern American factory floor.
Computers play a pivotal role in making manufacturing. PCs enable processes to be more efficient and can help reduce waste, but not all computers used in manufacturing are as efficient and effective as he could be. Many manufacturing locations rely on industrial computers, which are designed to cope with the rigors of a shop floor environment, but industrial computers are often out-dated technology, which is why more and more American manufacturers are resorting to using standard hardware and protecting it in an industrial computer cabinet.
Industrial Computers
Industrial computers are the most common solution used in manufacturing. Industrial computers are tough, reliable and able to cope with the hazards of factories and distribution centers that standard computers cannot handle. However, industrial computers do suffer from several drawbacks, which can reduce their efficiency on the factory floor.
Firstly, because industrial computers are solid state and designed to be as reliable as possible they often used tried and tested technology. While this may be a good thing as far as reliability is concerned, it does mean the technology is fairly outdated, which can make them a lot slower with reduced performance in comparison with a standard desktop PC. Secondly, because they are solid state, if an industrial computer fails it has to be sent away for repair, which can lead to a stoppage on the production line until new computer is installed.
Industrial Computer Cabinet
A far more flexible solution is to use a standard desktop PC and protect it from the hazardous elements of a manufacturing location by housing it in an industrial computer cabinet. The industrial computer cabinet will provide all the necessary protection enabling you to use a more modern PC. This has several advantages. Firstly, it will enable the use of the very latest hardware, which will run faster and be able to accommodate the very latest in software. Secondly, it allows homogeneity with software platforms used around the office and in other areas of a business.
Thirdly, as a standard computer is housed in the industrial computer cabinet, if it fails, or needs upgrading, this can be simply done by opening up the cabinet and gaining access to the PC. This means that in-house IT workers can service and maintain the machine, or if the worst happens, another standard desktop PC can be enclosed in the industrial computer cabinet, eliminating the risk of the production line having to be halted.
Return on Investment
One final advantage of the industrial computer cabinet over an industrial PC is the return on investment. Each industrial computer cabinet can house generation after generation of PC, which not only enables the very latest hardware to be used in the manufacturing location, but also it means that the cabinet provides just a single investment that can be used for years and years to come.
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