In most companies, the Information Technology (IT) departments are usually the team responsible for hardware configuration, physical implementations, software installation and many other services in relations to PCs within the company.

As a business, having downtime and substandard quality in their PCs or IT-related infrastructure could affect overall performance.

This may not bode well as lacking behind could open up advantages to competitors and slow reaction time to meet customers’ demands.

To ensure that your business keeps up with the Joneses or perhaps even outperforms against competition, you need to rely on Industrial PCs.

Why, you asked?

Simple! Because off-the-shelf solutions may not work for some as there could exist limitations.

Here are 5 reasons:

1. Form Factor
   Industrial PC is an option you should consider because it comes in multiple form factors. If a 19” rack mount solution is required, various options are available.
   

   Rack-mounted PCs

   In instances where a smaller cabinet or tight space limit the size of the PC, you can utilize a 6-slot/8-slot Wall Mount or Desktop.

   If space and air flow both play a major factor in your decision-making, you can go with a Din-Rail, Stand mount or Wall mount Embedded PC. If you’d like to combine a HMI with the Embedded PC, there are a myriad of 4:3 and widescreen touch/multi-touch solutions available.

   If a stand-alone HMI is preferable, you can configure a Touch Panel Computer, Panel PC or Industrial Panel PC to meet your specific requirements.

   For Phoenix Contact, we offer varying types of PCs and HMI to suit different applications. Again, because it’s designed to be space saving and comes in different form factors, you won’t have any issues selecting the right solution for the right task.

Industrial PC

2. Performance
   There is a common misunderstanding that Industrial PCs can’t run as fast as some of the off-the-shelf PCs.In reality, performance is the forefront of most Industrial Computer manufacturers. The majority of industrial computer manufacturers partner with CPU providers (such as Intel) to continuously develop product lines based on CPU trends and long-term availability.Our CPU comes suited for the application, with the latest generation of high-performance and energy-efficient Intel^® Atom™, Celeron^® or Core™ i processors.
   Not to mention, running on operating systems for every application from Windows^® 7 or 10 and even Windows^® Embedded Standard 7.

Panel PC

3. Endurance & Durability
   Industrial computers are characterized by long hours of operation, resistance to vibration and shock from occasional thumps.Commercial-grade computers are not designed to withstand long operating hours without overheating and potentially damaging its internal components.On the other hand, industrial grade computers have integrated cooling “fans” or device to help dissipate heat efficiently. In fact, the most common reason for failure in consumer-grade computer is the low grade power supply and electronics used.
   If you plan on acquiring commercial grade computers for your industry to be used more than 25 hours per week or even 24 x 7, you should definitely reconsider an industrial PC.
   

   Designline PC

4. Display Technology
   Display is one key technology that is most often neglected. A display that is suitable for indoor use is not necessarily suitable to be used in the outdoor environment.One might argue that you can increase the brightness of the display to the maximum when used outdoors, however it will never be enough to compensate for the brightness of the sun. Thanks to optical bonding, the displays of our outdoor HMIs and industrial PCs can be read effectively at any time.In addition to this, they are provided with an anti-reflection coating (AR coating) and can therefore even be read in dazzling sunlight. An integrated UV and IR filter also ensures a long service life for the industrial PCs.
   

   Designline PC

5. Customization
   The ability to customize your Industrial PC configuration to tailor exactly to your application’s specifications is valued more than everything else.Many, if not all, of the off-the-shelf PCs are limited in customization and although they provide the minimal performance, they generally do not allow various customizations.
   Users require configuration flexibility due to the multiple CPUs, varying amounts of memory and multiple I/O card required.With an Industrial PC, you could provide hundreds of “one-off” solutions that can enable you to fulfill your every requirement; for each task without costing you additional on hardware/software configuration.If you still doubt the quality of our HMI, you can watch the physical test we ran (*We highly advice you not to try such stunts as we won’t be responsible if you hurt yourself).

Want to find out more? Feel free to contact us at marketing@phoenixcontact.com.sg!