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Why Industrial PCs Offer Superior Hygiene Protection for Food and Pharmaceutical ManufacturingWhen you’re manufacturing consumable products (such as food, beverages or pharmaceuticals) protecting against contamination is essential. Otherwise you risk poisoning customers, your products being recalled and your reputation tarnished. 1 Consequently, high standards of hygiene must be maintained on all manufacturing equipment. This includes process control PCs. 2 Protecting against contaminationFood and pharmaceutical manufacturing areas need to be protected from harmful micro-organisms, such as germs and bacteria. Should these microscopic pests be allowed to spread they risk contaminating products and making them unsafe for customers. 3 Micro-organisms grow in patches of dirt, dust and grime. So production areas must be regularly cleaned with chemical disinfectant and high pressure hoses to sterilise any nooks and crannies where bacteria might grow.4 Such robust cleansing methods would pose a problem for a conventional PC, so modifications are needed. Pharmaceutical manufacturers also have to keep the air sterile through the use of airlocks and filtered air. So PCs used in these environments need to be airtight as well. 5 Waterproof industrial PCsWhen used in food or pharmaceutical manufacturing, PCs must be waterproof so they can be cleaned with high pressure hoses without the risk of damaging delicate components. Otherwise they might malfunction or break down altogether, causing production to be halted whilst they’re replaced. 6 Consequently, industrial PCs used in these environments are built with fully enclosed steel cases compliant to IP65 (the protection standard for a fully waterproof PC).7 IP65 compliant enclosures are built with special food safe hygienic seals which don’t have chinks or joints where dirt can accumulate.8 A particularly effective type of waterproof industrial PC is a flat screen. Along with being completely sealed, flat screens eliminate the need for a mouse of keyboard, peripherals that are difficult to clean and provide a perfect breeding ground for bacteria.9 Fanless industrial PCsIn order for a PC to be fully enclosed it has to be fanless. Conventional desktop PCs need vents for allowing hot air to be pushed out by their cooling fans. These would pose a problem if the PC was hosed down because the water would seep through and damage its internal components.10 Solid state drives (SSD), used in replacement of a conventional hard disk, enable fanless industrial PCs to be built without vents. SSDs store data using flash technology, which means they have no moving parts and generate less heat, eliminating the need for fans altogether. SSD technology enables industrial PCs to be built that are sealed airtight and water proof, without the risk of overheating.11 Waterproof, hygienic and longer production timesSealed industrial PCs with stain proof enclosures enable food and pharmaceutical manufacturers to thoroughly clean production areas without the risk of damaging PCs. Being able to maintain high standards of hygiene ensures products are free from contamination, are safe for customers and the manufacturer’s reputation for high quality products is maintained.
1http://ec.europa.eu/research/quality-of-life/ka1/volume1/qlk1-2000-01359.htm Sourceshttp://www.engineeringtalk.com/news/dlo/dlo103.html |
Special Computing Solutions to Industry
