Sean Bridwell Productions

Richard n Williams asked:


An industrial computer is just the same as a conventional PC, only they are designed and built to withstand many of the harsh elements of industrial environments. Industrial areas contain many of things that computers and other sensitive electrical items struggle to cope with.

Water is prevalent in many industrial areas particularly those that process food products and water and computers do not mix well together. Water, if it penetrates a computer or other electrical item; will instantly short circuit it and probably render the device inoperable in the future.

For this reason many industrial computers are designed as waterproof computers. They are built intrinsically sealed to prevent any ingress of water and a potential short circuit.

Another major constituent of industrial areas is the prevalence of dust. Dust is generated from all sorts of industrial processes from grinding and polishing to simple cleaning. Dust can clog filters and encase an electrical item like a PC and over-insulate it causing it to overheat. Another aspect of dust is that it can contain many elements including conductive particles. When these dust particles penetrate an electrical item, such as an industrial computer this will also cause a short circuit for this reason Industrial computers are built also as dustproof computers.

Heavy impacts are another peril of the industrial workplace. No matter how carefully areas are marked accidents involving forklifts and other heavy machinery Is still common. A swipe from a forklift will finish off a PC so Industrial computers are built solid state (without moving parts) to ensure they are rugged enough to withstand impacts.

An industrial computer is therefore well suited to the environment that it has to work in but all this protection does come with a cost; flexibility.

The unfortunate problem with an industrial computer is because they are intrinsically sealed to make them waterproof and dustproof and because they are solid state to withstand heavy impacts, this makes them incredibly difficult to repair or upgrade. If an industrial computer goes down a specialist engineer has to be called to open up or take-away the intrinsically sealed unit. This obviously costs in down production time. Also because of these difficulties industrial computers are built with outdated technology and older versions of software to maximise their reliability. This obviously makes them less efficient than their desktop counterparts.

Fortunately a solution to this problem is in the guise of an industrial computer enclosure. These industrial cabinets can house an ordinary off-the-shelf desktop PC but protect them to the same standards as an industrial computer preventing ingress of dust and water and providing protective armour against heavy impact.

These industrial computer enclosures can house any type of PC and monitor, mouse, keyboard combination and the units can be replaced simply, easily and without the hassle and cost of expensive downtime.

thompson asked:


The need of computing has been increased in different sectors whether it’s manufacturing, business or official sector. Industrial computer coming up with Industrial motherboard, industrial monitor have taken a lead in this concept. Industrial PC controlled many applications including stock control, dispatch and that’s too if the needs are different.

Running in a lot of different environment, Industrial PC’s are the need of many offices nowadays. But there are certain conditions that need to be considered while using Industrial PC’s such as nicely air-conditioned suites, free from dust, water to be more reliable. To prevent the explosions in potentially explosive and dusty atmospheres, Industrial computers used in the food manufacture industry needs to be waterproof and should be intrinsically sealed. These computer needs to be made of stainless steel and other easy to clean material. Computer used in heavy industry needs to be protected from dust and dirt which would be able to withstand excessive temperatures, knocks and vibrations.

Industrial computer having Industrial motherboard are most commonly found in personal computers and laptops. Industrial motherboards are tougher then the normal motherboards and because of this quality, they are able to cope up with higher temperatures which need to be tougher in case of a shock or a hit.

Industrial computer have acquired a special place in the market that are devised to safeguard fragile computer equipments such as Rack mount system and embedded system. These systems have proved as one of the suitable options for businesses, home and office aiming at making your work convenient, well thought-out, and creative. There are many unique features that are available in these systems such as durability, ease of installation, light weight, reliability and high quality.

Becoming more and more important in today’s world, Industrial computer covers almost all of the communication, computing, display and any other electronic device that we can think of. Spanning across all aspect of modern life, industrial computers applications could be easily seen in the sectors like education, entertainment, communication or science. Dedicated to specific tasks, Industrial computers are optimized by embedded design engineers which results in reduced size and cost of the product with increased reliability and performance.

With unmatched reliability features, Industrial computers are laced with redundant mirror hard drive and long life power supplies too. Industrial Computers are the devices which are specifically designed to reliably operate in harsh usage environments and conditions, such as strong vibrations, extreme temperatures and wet or dusty conditions. These computers are designed from inception for the type of rough use typified by these conditions; commercial units upgraded for this purpose make poor substitutes.

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Benedict Yossarian asked:


No industry can survive without establishing vital linkages with other similarly-inclined industries. Market outlook and the robustness of industries are established with these linkages. Take the case of airline industries. According to Kenneth D. Pritsker of the SAM Advanced Management Journal:

“Through a model based on companies competing in major segments of the air transportation industry, key relationships are identified among industry segments in a way that reconciles internal and external industry views. The model captures business processes, value chains, and interactions that generate end products in order to isolate strategic process issues and strategies to meet them.”

“Over the past 20 years, industries have expanded their boundaries by diversifying into new product areas, by creatively in-sourcing and outsourcing activities, and by entering into innovative cooperative agreements with companies from other industries. This expansion has almost blurred traditional industry boundaries by creating an economy of industries that are tightly interlinked.”

Core elements

Aside from the diversification of manufacturing industries into different product areas where untapped markets are residing, cross-industry interactions are being seen as key for survival. Processes and so-called value-added chains are also part of the larger framework that established the position of industry and engineering in the market.

The point of this approach is that industries are no longer competing largely in the same way that they did after the nineties. In times of crisis, the only way that engineering-dependent firms and industries will survive is when they focus on integrated value chains.

Industry analysis defined

According to Pritsker:

“Industry analysis typically focuses on a company’s external dimensions such as its markets, customers, and competitors. Research on industry structure has investigated the influence of economic structure on competition, the advantages of strategic industry control, and the industry factors that influence profitability (Huff, 1982). Another research stream has examined how external changes such as changing customer needs, new technology, government policy, globalization, and economic cycles affect a company’s strategy (Hambrick, 1983). The magnitude of external changes over the past 20 years has led strategic planners to develop analytical tools that use external information to help create proactive strategies. As a result, strategies have tended to minimize the importance of understanding the internal industry structure.”

As we can see, Pritsker mentioned the importance of industry control. Industry control entails the complete management and regulation of all branches of production, as well as the rate of flow of inbound profits and assets. Industry control is a fertile and yet largely underdeveloped part of industrial assessment that needs a tight focus to maximize its benefits.

Understanding the value chains

The very next step during industrial assessment is determining the actual dynamics of specific value chains. Horizontal value chains create value. For example, you have fuselage and similar airline components. Another kind of value chain is the vertical value chain. According to Pritsker:

“The second value chain is vertical, which provides the coordination between horizontal chains. An example of a vertical chain would be airplane design where the design activities associated with the airplane’s flaps, wings, and tail are coordinated to produce specified flight characteristics in an aircraft.”

thompson asked:


The demands of computers in industry are a lot higher than the demands of a conventional desktop PC. There is extreme and variable need of Industrial computers. These Industrial computer offer complete flexibility that the normal PC fails to give. They offer protection and reliability for a fraction of the cost. They are very much reliable for most hostile industrial environment and they are always required for certain tasks.

The environment of the industry is not suitable for the conditions that a computer is designed to run. There can be large quantities of dust, dirt, grease and grime. It can be too hot or too cold and there could be many processes and cleaning that requires water, not forgetting the forklift trucks and pallet trucks that could completely destroy a PC if it got clouted. Therefore Industrial PC is the Embedded Systems which are always designed with specialized Industrial motherboards.

Specialized solid state industrial computers have taken apart in many industries for many years. These machines are often intrinsically sealed, rugged and tough. They are often designed to be waterproof.

Embedded system industrial PC very well withstands the adverse atmospheric conditions. There are enclosures rated using European IP ratings that give a clear indication to the types of environments the enclosure can operate in, for example IP 65 totally protects dust whilst protecting against strong jets of water.

The requirement of an industrial PC is quite different for what is needed for an office computer. Varying dramatically, there’s always a need of industrial computer. Computers used in food manufacture may have to be waterproof and intrinsically sealed. There are high demands in computing industry. Industrial computers cope with many hostile elements whilst also providing reliable computing. There were traditional industrial computers who have been specific, bespoke machines. These industrial computers tend to run old hardware and versions of software. Industrial computers are the machines stable, reliable overcoming the outdated technology.

Sometimes industrial computers are quite expensive which are maintained by service engineers. They offer force shutdown of production lines and they also have to be replaced periodically as the hardware and software will eventually become obsolete. There is always a contradiction for who’s the best, Industrial Pc’s or the normal PC. Industrial computer designed and manufactured to house a conventional off-the-shelf desktop still provide the robustness. Used in wide industrial application, Industrial computers have become the need of an hour therefore used in number of industries.

www.corvalent.com 18655 Madrone Parkway, Building 180 Morgan Hill, CA 95037 USA Toll-Free +1 888.776.7896 Phone +1 408.776.7896 Fax +1 408.776.7496

G.Jayalakshmi asked:


Industrial dynamics and innovation: progress and challenges

                                                            *G.Jayalakshmi., Ph.D Scholar

INTRODUCTION

                                                The growing field of industrial dynamics, the analysis of innovation has witnessed major progress in several areas. Contributions at the empirical and modeling levels have greater advanced our understanding of innovation, industrial dynamics and evolution of industries. A discussion follows on three key challenges that are required for a better understanding of the relationship between innovation and the evolution of industries: the analyses of demand, knowledge, networks and co evolution.

                     

                          Innovation and the Evolution of Industries

                                              The analysis of innovation and the evolution of industries have witnessed major progress in several areas. In the last years, several contributions at the empirical and modeling levels have greatly advanced our understanding of innovation, industrial dynamics and the evolution of industries. This paper reviews these contributions. The main point of the paper is that in order to have a deeper and clearer view of the relationship between industrial dynamics and innovation, research has to progress on three fronts: the analysis of demand knowledge and networks.

  1. Industrial dynamics as a growing research field

                      Since the late 1970s industrial dynamics has emerged as a major area of inquiry in industrial economics. The analysis of birth, growth and decline of firms and industries and the factors affecting them has generated a very rich empirical and theoretical literature and most of these contributions have recognized the central role of innovation for firms and industries.

 

                      In this Address I will start by recognizing the major recent growth of research in the area of industrial dynamics and then concentrate on the major progresses in the analysis of the relationship between industrial dynamics and innovation and on the challenges that lie ahead

.

                       In the first part of the paper I will discuss the progress, while in the second I will focus on three big research topics that I think require in-depth research scrutiny: demand, knowledge and networks. I will place a specific emphasis on a longitudinal perspective, in that it allows to focus on sequences of events, changes and feedbacks in industrial dynamics. This perspective is very important not only for understanding industrial dynamics, but also for the analysis of the broader evolution of markets.

2. Industrial dynamics and innovation

                      Since the late 1970s, industrial dynamics has emerged as a major research area for industrial economists. the theoretical level have focused the attention of various researchers on the way industries change over time and on the dynamics processes of entry, selection and growth of firms within industries. Within the growing interest in industrial dynamics, innovation has been recognized as a key element affecting the dynamics of industries and the rate of entry, survival and growth of firms. Looking back at the last 25 years, one has to recognize that on this front progress has been indeed impressive at both the empirical and the theoretical levels.

2.1 The empirical contributions

                      The empirical level, contributed to our appreciative understanding of the role of innovation in the evolution of industries, and it has shown that the relationship between innovation and industrial change is multidimensional, involves several actors and differs greatly across industries. Innovation in industries has been found to be the result of the interaction of different actors (firms, universities, public agencies, financial organizations…) which are related both formally as well informally and have actions strongly influenced by their competences, learning processes, the knowledge base of sectors and institutions. In this frame, the notion of sect oral systems of innovation has provided to be a useful tool for examining innovation in a sector

Industries have been shown to follow life cycles of innovation, firms entry and growth and changes in market structure. It has also been convincingly found that that these dynamic sequences are different from one industry to another. In addition, with the availability of advanced computer technology and new firm level data, econometric analyses have moved from cross sections work during the 1960s and 1970s to longitudinal analyses of industrial dynamics and innovation since the early 1990s

2.2 The theoretical contributions

                      Also at the modeling level one can find different strands of research focusing on different aspects of the relationship between industrial dynamics and innovation. Technological learning by rational actors (be incumbents or entrants or both) and the competitive process weeding out the heterogeneity in firms population characterize a set of models that aim to explain empirical regularities such as the asymmetric distribution of firm size and different growth rates conditional on age (see for example,). Here there is passive learning and new firms do not know their own potential profitability. Major technological discontinuities create a shake out in industrial dynamics because a radical invention opens up the possibility of an increase in the efficient scale of production and in entry. Thus the transition to the new technology is associated to the exit of unsuccessful innovators and the survival of firms with larger scale technology.

 

                      On the contrary active learning by firms in industrial dynamics is present in where firms explore the economic environment, invest and, if successful, grow, so that industrial dynamics is driven by the growth of successful firms.

 

                      This results in corresponding Nash equilibrium on industry specific entry processes. Here however no attention is paid to the learning processes of firms, and less attention is also paid to industrial dynamics per se.

 

                       Another stream of models examines industry life cycle, analyzing together product and process innovations; rate and type of entrants; selection; firm size and growth; market concentration and market niches and shake outs. Finally, more attention to the specificities and histories of various industries is paid by “history friendly models”, which fall into the evolutionary tradition. They pay attention to the evidence and the dynamics of specific industries, intend to develop a dialogue with appreciative/qualitative/historical explanations and aim to model the sequence of events that have shaped a specific industry evolution. In sum, tremendous progress in the emerging field of industrial dynamics has been obtained in both the empirical studies of innovation in industries and the modeling of industrial dynamics and innovation.

3. Which research challenges for a deeper understanding of the relationship between Industrial dynamics and innovations?

                      The studies examined so far focused on technological change, the dynamics of incumbents as well as new firms and changes in market structure. Technology, firms and market structure are indeed key elements in the relationship between industrial dynamics and innovation. Let me show that industrial dynamics and innovation are greatly affected by a set of other factors: demand, the knowledge base of industries and networks. One could just start by noticing that in several industries demand has been a major factor affecting industrial dynamics and innovation. In semiconductors and computers, public demand such as military procurement has been important for innovation in the early stages of the industries. In computers experimental customers have been major actors in the emergent phase of the industry.

                      Similarly, the knowledge at the base of firms’ innovative activities and networks has played a major role in innovation and the dynamics of several industries. For example, in telecommunication equipment and services a convergence of different technologies, demand and industries has taken place, with processes of knowledge integration. This convergence has been associated with the creation of a wide variety of different specialized and integrated actors, ranging from large equipment producers to new service firms. In machine tools the evolution of the industry has been shaped by an application-specific knowledge base and has been characterized by extensive firms specialization In software, a highly differentiated knowledge base in which the context of application is relevant has created several different and distinctive product groups. In addition, the role of large computer suppliers in developing integrated hardware and software systems has been displaced by a lot of specialized software companies which innovate either in package software or in customized software. User-producer interaction and global and local networks for innovation are relevant. From these empirical cases, it is quite evident that demand, the knowledge base and networks have proven to be relevant for innovation and industrial dynamics in many sectors and yet, demand, knowledge and networks are not part of most analysis of industrial economics that concern industrial dynamics and innovation. Therefore in the following pages I am going to propose them as the next three key research challenges which need to be met if we want to advance our understanding of the relationship between industrial dynamics and innovation. Let me examine them in detail.

4. Demand

                      The first challenge that I want to explore is the one concerning the role of demand in innovation and industrial dynamics. As a way of introduction, let me first disagree with the usual complaint that demand has not been studied in its relationships with innovation in the last decades. In the literature, we have various empirical and theoretical strands, from the old debate demand pull vs. technology push, to the analysis of demand, market structure and innovation and advertising, bandwagon and networks have been shown to be important factors in influencing the magnitude and orientation of inventive effort and the degree of industry concentration. Demand has also been related to the emergence of disruptive technologies.

 

                       Here the early development of disruptive technologies serves niche segments that value highly their non standard performance attributes. Further developments in the performance and attributes of disruptive technologies lead these technologies to a level sufficient to satisfy mainstream customers and also the whole vast literature on diffusion is nothing else than research aimed at understanding the relationship between demand and innovation. Moreover, several contributions on diffusion concern the relationship between new technologies, demand and the changes in the structure of the supplier and the user industries. The same holds for the literature on competing technologies which pays a lot of attention to externalities and increasing returns. Contrary to all these research developments in the realm of demand and innovation, however, the insertion of demand in the analysis of the relationship between industrial dynamics and innovation is still in its infancy.

 

                      Therefore, answers to the questions posed above start from the identification of the various dimensions of demand that affect industrial dynamics and innovation. One dimension is the well known one related to the provision of incentives to firms’ R-D expenditures and innovative efforts. Here the preferences of consumers, market differentiation and segmentation, and the size and growth of demand affect innovative efforts and therefore technical change in various ways. In this Address I would like to add two other aspects that are relevant for innovation in industries: consumer behavior and consumer capabilities. Consumer behavior plays a major role in affecting innovation. It includes the presence of information asymmetries and imperfect information with respect to new products and technologies as well as routines, inertia and habits concerning existing products and technologies. Also consumer capabilities influence technological change in an industry: as an example one could only mention the role of absorptive capabilities and their distribution among consumers and users.

 

                      The focus on the behavior and capabilities of consumers and users opens the way for a very productive analysis of how demand affects innovation and the specific patterns of industrial dynamics. In this respect let me mention some fruitful directions. One relates to users involvement in innovation. This is a quite common phenomenon in industries. It may range from user-producer interaction to user initiated innovation.

5. Knowledge

                      The emphasis on (passive as well as active) learning and the role of absorptive capabilities in models and econometrics of innovation and diffusion identifies a second challenge: the analysis of the role of knowledge at the base of learning by firms in an industry and its effects on innovation and industrial dynamics.

 

                      However I remain rather positive in the use of patent citations in providing some evidence of a paper trail about knowledge links, and in describing some features of knowledge and knowledge networks in an industry, as flows of knowledge can be captured by patent citations even when inventors are unaware of those citations.

 

                      In sum, the research challenge regarding knowledge implies that a given knowledge base defines the nature of the problems firms have to solve, affects the division of labour in an industry and influences market structure and in a dynamic fashion, the very knowledge base of industries also changes as an effect of the behavior of firms and of technological change

6. Networks

                      Let me move to the last challenge: networks. Here with networks I do not mean network Externalities. Rather I refer to the different relationships – cooperative and competitive, market and non market ones – that firms have with other firms and non-firm organizations when they innovative. The relevance of networks for industrial economists is due from the broad recognition that innovative activity is highly affected by the interaction of heterogeneous actors with different knowledge, competences and specialization.

 

                       Various explanations have been advanced for the importance of networks in innovation, ranging from spillovers of various types, to the presence of Variety in technologies, knowledge and capabilities, to the role of complementarities. And the relevance of networks for innovation as well as for production and exchange has been recognized by game theory, transaction cost theory and resource based theory. Models of networks among economic agents abound now, from game theoretic to small world models, including evolutionary game theory, percolation theory and neural networks. They range from static models regarding the effects of different network architectures on performance, to dynamic ones in which the structure influences individual actions and performance and attention is paid to the networks efficiency, stability and feedbacks.

 

 

 

 

 CONCLUSION

                      In this Address I have suggested that within the growing field of industrial dynamics, in the last twenty years the analysis of industrial dynamics and innovation has witnessed a rich and highly diversified set of contributions at the empirical and theoretical levels. So, progress has been substantial. The main point of the paper however is that a deeper understanding of the relationship between industrial dynamics and innovation pushes research in this area to face new challenges related to a finer grained analysis of the role of demand, knowledge and networks.

 

                      This paper has suggested that these coupled dynamics involve knowledge, technology, firms, demand and institutions. These dynamics are often path-dependent, take the form of co evolutionary processes and are industry-specific. In the three elements such as technology, demand and firms, one could claim that in sectors characterized by a system product and consumers with a rather homogeneous demand, the dynamics leads to the emergence of a dominant design and industrial concentration.

 

 

Richard n Williams asked:


 

Demands are high for computing in industry. Industrial machines have to cope with many hostile elements whilst also providing reliable computing. Traditionally industrial computers have been specific, bespoke machines. These industrial computers tend to run old hardware and versions of software. Whilst this has the advantage of making the machines stable and reliable, the out-dated technology may mean the processes controlled by the machine are not done as efficiently.

These machines are also very expensive, not just to buy but also the maintenance. Industrial computers have to be maintained by service engineer, often forcing shutdown of production lines they also have to be replaced periodically as the hardware and software will eventually become obsolete. All computers eventually fail but an industrial computer enclosure means that over three generations of computers can use the same enclosure.

Industrial PC enclosures are a more efficient, affordable and reliable alternative to these expensive machines. The main benefits of an industrial computer enclosure are:

1. Withstand the same environments as an industrial computer, whether that is dust (including explosive atmospheres), dirt, grime, oil, grease and water (even completely doused). Enclosures are rated using European IP ratings that give a clear indication to the types of environments the enclosure can operate in, for example IP 65 totally protects dust whilst protecting against strong jets of water, (the first digit, 6, represents the dust protection the second digit, 5, the water) while IP 66 offers the same dust protection but the enclosure can be completely immersed in water.

2. Enclosures can also withstand the same shocks, vibrations and tampering as the enclosure can be built from robust materials and the enclosed PC can be fitted snugly and secured with shock absorbing bolts. Enclosures can also be securely locked and bolted to floors or walls to protect against theft.

3. For computing in extreme temperatures, computer enclosures can in fact work to a better standard than industrial machines as the extra cooling and heating units can be replaced if they are not working as efficiently as they should (a sealed industrial computer that is running too hot or cold would need to be replaced or returned for an upgrade).

4. Computer enclosures can enable a PC to run equally as reliable as an industrial computer as the desktop PC housed in the enclosure can be any conventional machine, from a trusted office workhorse to the latest all singing, all dancing off-the shelf PC.

5. A computer housed in an enclosure is also far cheaper than an industrial computer. Apart from the initial outlay for the expensive bespoke industrial computer, enclosures can out live an industrial machine by over a decade as an industrial computer will eventually have an internal failure (as all computers do) or become completely obsolete and will need replacing. However, an enclosure can be reused to house another machine and will in general house three generations of machines.

6. A computer enclosure can house monitors, printers, touch-screens and all manner of computing equipment (including the peripherals such as mouse and keyboard ) or they can be combined with water/dust proof sealed keyboards and mouse.

7. As an enclosure houses a conventional PC, any repairs or upgrades can be carried out in-house in minutes rather than have to wait for an engineer and have to shutdown the production.

8. Enclosures can be manufactured from a range of material including food grade stainless steel.

9. Enclosures can be lockable and secured to walls or floors to prevent theft or tampering.

10. Enclosures allow you to choose which software or hardware to run inside the enclosure rather than suffer out-dated technology.

With the demands of industrial computing so variable and extreme, industrial PC enclosures offer a flexibility that even conventional industrial computers fail to match whilst also offering the same protection and reliability for a fraction of the cost. PC enclosures are ideal for even the most hostile industrial environment and while specialist PCs will always be required for certain tasks the majority of uses for an industrial computer can be achieved using a conventional PC housed in an industrial computer enclosure .

 

Durall Industrial Flooring asked:


A kit-based approach to selling epoxy floor coatings is now being used to target both industrial and home users. These all-in-one kits have been developed with the recognition that people want to buy solutions not products. This outcome-based concept ensures that all of the goals for the floor are met and that all of the required tools are available during the installation. To compensate for lack of training and for the inevitable unexpected questions and problems, a complimentary 24/7 help line is provided along with the kit so applicators can be assured of staying on track.

The process of obtaining a custom-built kit starts with filling out a web-based, free cost analysis form. The floor’s condition, the owner’s preferences, and the desired outcome are factored in by an automated computer system. From that point, field technicians prepare a recommended kit of materials and step-by-step instructions tailored to take the project from beginning to end.

This “kit” approach stands in contrast to the alternative of shopping at local retail stores for supplies which, if they can be found, often don’t match the needs of the project. When a handle for a roller frame is needed, should it be 4 ft., 5 ft., or 6 ft. in length? Should it have a metal or wood thread? Should it have a 1-inch diameter or 1-¼ inch diameter? If a 60-grit sanding screen for a 17-inch rotary scrubber is required, where can it be purchased? The custom kit concept allows the decades of professional experience of the supplier to be applied to the project so that every tool is precisely matched to getting each specific task completed efficiently and painlessly. Experts replace the untrained and inexperienced store clerks.

By marketing “kits,” floor coating suppliers are helping fuel the trend of moving away from bare concrete and wood surfaces toward lower cost, lower maintenance, and healthier floor finishes. Biohazards, mildew, dust mites, spoors, and other contaminants are a serious concern to industry and homeowners alike. In this new millennium, warehouses, food processors, manufacturing facilities, even garages, and basements are being sealed with hard surfaces using industry-proven materials and techniques adopted in the past decade.

Chemically resistant, these seamless floors are made of epoxy and urethane, finishes that flow on and then, by changing their chemistry, become resistant to dirt and stains. Flow-coated surfaces are impervious to water and are often used inside liquid storage tanks, swimming pools, and feed troughs. Unlike tile, these surfaces have no grout to clean and are not glued down with latex- or petroleum-based adhesives. Flow-coated surfaces are great adhesives in themselves. With good preparation, flow-coated surfaces are applied permanently, refinished easily, and require little or no maintenance.

For photo examples and more detail, visit www.concrete-floor-coatings.comFor more information, contact Harvey Chichester at harvey@concrete-floor-coatings.com Phone: 800-466-8910 or 952-888-1488 (24/7)

Richard n Williams asked:


 

The requirements of an industrial PC are a lot different to that of the needs for an office computer. The needs of an industrial computer will also vary dramatically depending on the industry itself. Computers used in food manufacture may have to be waterproof and intrinsically sealed to prevent explosions in potentially explosive and dusty atmospheres whilst also being made of stainless steel or other easy to clean material; yet computers in heavy industry may have to also protect from dust and dirt but be able to withstand excessive temperatures, knocks and vibrations.

Fortunately there are several options available for industrial computing.

Protective Covers:

If an industrial area is dusty but there are less of the other hazards that have been mentioned, then an inexpensive solution is to use a conventional office PC fitted with protective dust covers. Although not designed for environments with thick dust and grime, for areas with just a moderate dusty atmosphere they may add sufficient protection and can protect keyboards from dust and fluids, preventing sticky keys (and many an unintended typo). Waterproof /dustproof Keyboards and other peripherals (such as mouse) are also available. These covers and peripherals are only recommended to be used with a conventional PC in an area that is only mildly dusty/damp and not heavy dust-filled atmospheres. Some protective covers offer limited waterproofing for areas where there is a risk of minor splashing but they are not suitable for areas with larger quantities of fluids such as wet rooms or areas that are to be hosed down.

Industrial Computers:

Long seen as the only option for many industrial applications, specialist industrial computers can be designed to defend from anything. Some are intrinsically sealed and completely airtight, allowing the machines to be safely used even in highly explosive atmospheres. Others are manufactured as solid state (without moving parts) making them rugged, enabling the computer to withstand severe shocks and vibrations.

Some industrial computers are also built with extra cooling allowing them to be used in the most extreme heat whilst others contain heaters permitting their use in freezers or chillers. However, these industrial computers can be extremely expensive, even though they can be made bespoke to fit exact requirements. Also being sealed units, often with custom software installed, when they need repairing and upgrading, an engineer has to be called with the possibility of production having to halt until the machine is back online. Also, as industrial computers are designed to last and can’t be upgraded easily, they tend to offer poorer performance and fewer options than a conventional PC, mainly because they are usually fitted with outdated technology or technology that soon goes out of date, particularly with the exponential rate computers advance.

Industrial PC Enclosures:

A far less inexpensive but an equally effective method as an industrial computer is to us a conventional PC housed in an industrial computer enclosure. These enclosures can perform the same tasks as a bespoke industrial machine; protecting the PC from knocks, bangs, theft, tampering and vibrations, waterproofing, protection from explosive atmospheres, defence from dirt and grime, whilst heating and air conditioned enclosures to allow computing in extreme temperatures. These enclosures also can be made bespoke adding or subtracting requirements depending on the individual needs.

The main advantage of these enclosures is that a conventional PC, with conventional software and components, is housed in the enclosure and can be replaced or repaired at any time -allowing administrators to upgrade the IT and keep the machines up-to-date. Also it allows computer administrators to choose what PC will best suit their requirements and what software is most efficient to run on it. Even budget PCs can be housed in computer enclosures and as these enclosures can last for years it can make industrial computing as affordable as conventional computing.

 

Richard n Williams asked:


 

The demands on computers in industry are a lot higher than the demands of a conventional desktop PC.

Often environments in industry are the exact opposite of the optimum conditions an off-the-shelf computer is designed to run in. There can be large quantities of dust, dirt, grease and grime. It can be too hot or too cold and there could be many processes and cleaning that requires water, not forgetting the forklift trucks and pallet trucks that could completely destroy a PC if it got clouted.

The solution in industry and manufacturing has, for many years, been to use specialist solid state industrial computers. These machines are often intrinsically sealed, rugged and tough. They are often designed to be resistant to dust, dirt and grime and can also be completely waterproof.

These machines are also very expensive, not just to buy but also to maintain. Industrial computers have to be maintained by service engineer, often forcing shutdown of production lines they also have to be replaced periodically as the hardware and software will eventually become obsolete. All computers eventually fail but an industrial computer enclosure means that over three generations of computers can use the same enclosure.

Industrial PC enclosures are a more efficient, affordable and reliable alternative to these expensive machines. The main benefits of an industrial computer enclosure are:

1. Withstand the same environments as an industrial computer, whether that is dust (including explosive atmospheres), dirt, grime, oil, grease and water (even completely doused). Enclosures are rated using European IP ratings that give a clear indication to the types of environments the enclosure can operate in, for example IP 65 totally protects dust whilst protecting against strong jets of water, (the first digit, 6, represents the dust protection the second digit, 5, the water) while IP 66 offers the same dust protection but the enclosure can be completely immersed in water.

2. Enclosures can also withstand the same shocks, vibrations and tampering as the enclosure can be built from robust materials and the enclosed PC can be fitted snugly and secured with shock absorbing bolts. Enclosures can also be securely locked and bolted to floors or walls to protect against theft.

3. For computing in extreme temperatures, computer enclosures can in fact work to a better standard than industrial machines as the extra cooling and heating units can be replaced if they are not working as efficiently as they should (a sealed industrial computer that is running too hot or cold would need to be replaced or returned for an upgrade).

4. Computer enclosures can enable a PC to run equally as reliable as an industrial computer as the desktop PC housed in the enclosure can be any conventional machine, from a trusted office workhorse to the latest all singing, all dancing off-the shelf PC.

5. A computer housed in an enclosure is also far cheaper than an industrial computer. Apart from the initial outlay for the expensive bespoke industrial computer, enclosures can out live an industrial machine by over a decade as an industrial computer will eventually have an internal failure (as all computers do) or become completely obsolete and will need replacing. However, an enclosure can be reused to house another machine and will in general house three generations of machines.

6. A computer enclosure can house monitors, printers, touch-screens and all manner of computing equipment (including the peripherals such as mouse and keyboard ) or they can be combined with water/dust proof sealed keyboards and mouse.

7. As an enclosure houses a conventional PC, any repairs or upgrades can be carried out in-house in minutes rather than have to wait for an engineer and have to shutdown the production.

8. Enclosures can be manufactured from a range of material including food grade stainless steel.

9. Enclosures can be lockable and secured to walls or floors to prevent theft or tampering.

10. Enclosures allow you to choose which software or hardware to run inside the enclosure rather than suffer out-dated technology.

With the demands of industrial computing so variable and extreme, industrial PC enclosures offer a flexibility that even conventional industrial computers fail to match whilst also offering the same protection and reliability for a fraction of the cost. PC enclosures are ideal for even the most hostile industrial environment and while specialist PCs will always be required for certain tasks the majority of uses for an industrial computer can be achieved using a conventional PC housed in an industrial PC enclosure.