Technical Articles & Industry Trends

3 Environments Where Computers Must Endure Temperature Fluctuations

These days, computers are needed in almost every industry, in almost any environment. But what do you do when a consumer-grade computer won’t cut it in harsh conditions? While consumer products definitely have their place in the office, school, and for personal use, in many industries a more robust option is needed. For facilities where there are wide temperature ranges and changes, an industrial-grade computer is the best device to use due to its resistance to temperature fluctuations.

Food and Beverage Processing

In this industry, having the correct temperature is everything. Foods must be stored properly for safety reasons, and during processing, items often need to be heated or cooled to extreme levels. In a refrigerated environment, when equipment is washed with hot water, this can create steam and condensation. For consumer grade computers, these conditions are fatal.

Industrial computers, on the other hand, are designed to withstand these conditions. They are able to operate in environments with much wider temperature ranges and high humidity levels. In a food processing facility, a rugged industrial-grade tablet could go from the cold/frigid temperatures of a refrigerator or freezer, and back out to a hot warehouse setting several times a day. These devices are ideal for use in this industry and are able to operate efficiently without any adverse reactions to quick temperature changes.

Field Operations

Many organizations use rugged industrial tablets that are operated both indoors and out. If an employee is using the tablet PC in a warm vehicle, and then steps out with it into freezing temperatures in the field, it could cause condensation. This can harm consumer products, especially if this happens on a regular basis. Industrial devices, however, have internal components that are not affected by these temperature fluctuations as they were designed with this possibility in mind. These computers have sealed housings and in many cases, no moving parts. Industrial computers and tablets are subjected to rigorous testing to ensure they can handle extreme temperatures and temperature changes.

Outdoor Kiosks and Digital Signage

Computers are in use outside all the time. Think about outdoor kiosks or digital signage at a train station. In these applications, the computers must withstand all types of weather, including rapidly changing temperatures and humidity. It wouldn’t be convenient for customers if they tried to use a kiosk but couldn’t read the screen due to condensation build up.

Computers in outdoor environments must be built to withstand heat, cold, humidity, wind, rain, snow, and direct sunlight.

Teguar’s Solutions

Teguar’s industrial PCs are available in several levels of ingress protection to shield internal components from an accidental splash of water, a regular hose-down with a high-pressure water jet, and everything in-between. Fanless cooling systems eliminate the need for vents in the unit housing, so dust and moisture cannot affect the computer’s circuitry. Each unit is built using the highest quality components and tested to the highest standards to ensure consistent reliable operation you can depend on.

Teguar has a variety of industrial computers that are able to withstand harsh temperatures and rapid fluctuations to temperature and humidity. Industrial all-in-one computers, panel mount PCs, industrial box PCs, and rugged tablet PCs are all available for confident placement in almost any environment. If you need a computer for a facility with extreme conditions, contact Teguar and we can help you choose the best option for your application.