FEAT RE FEA ATURE
PLCS IS, I, NDUSTR L P S & H
STRIAL PCS & HMI S
CHOOSING THE RIGH T INDUS TRIA L PC RECIPE FOR THE FOOD SE CTO R
Around 65mnew com uters wer ,
the first quarter of 2016, that’ over 700k a day. With so many new products now available on the market, choosing equipment that is fit for purpose can be overwhelming. Here, Andrew Byrne, sales engineer at industrial computing specialist Distec,ec explains why this is particularly challengiing for the food industry and how businesses can choose the right industrial PC for foodm
can be overw el
engineer at i dustrial com uti g speci this is p rticu
ly ch le O
buyers of industrial e ne of the biggest cha
quipment in the llenges facing
food sector is contamination, withmany high profile cases in recen highlighting the importan the right equipment for food
ce of choosing t years
environments. For example, in February 2016, confectionary giantMars announced a recall ofmany of its
chocolate bar products. The recall affected 55 countries and came after a customer discovered a piece of plastic in his Snickers chocolate bar, which was later found to have come fro ma protectiv e cover used in themanufacturing process. In total, there were 1,514 cases of
contamination in the UK food industry in 2015, according to the Annual Report of Incidents published by the Food Standards Agency (FSA). The worst affected food sectors includemeat, poultry, fruit and vegetables, dairy and bakery. Most contamination incidents originated from biological sources, industrial contaminants and allergens. However, 78 of thes e incidents were directly caused by contamination fromforeign bodies, including industrial equipmentmade of plastic,metal and glass .
FI FIT FOR PURPOSE FOR PURPOSE
The pressure on plant managers to cut costs and drive efficiency means that commercial-grade computers are often chosen for use in food applications that firmly require industrial computers
designed specifically for the challenges of the sector. The problem is that commercial-grade computers are designed for dry, office, environments where they will typically run for under 10 hours a day and use forced convection to cool the machine through built-in vents if it gets hot.
22 22 MAR MARCH 201 2017 | AU AUTOMA MAT ATION
The applications of industrial Pindustrial PCs can be
he applications of Cs can be
harsh and demanding and hoosing the right
harsh and demanding and choosing the right
industrial PC in a market where the volume of
industrial PC in a market where the volume of computer sales is grow rapidly is not easy
computer sales is growinging rapidly is not easy
In comparison, industrial plants, whether they are processing and
packaging raw meat or washing fruit and vegetables, are wet, temperature- controlled, continuous production
environments where industrial computers can be expected to run 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
Add to this the fact that equipment in many food applications like abattoirs, fish and poultry packaging, needs to be washed-down with high-pressure washers to prevent the build up of organic matter on surfaces c, hoosing a computer with a sufficient level of ingress protection and one that is made of rustproof and easy to clean materials is vital .
WHAT WHA AT TO CONSIDER CONSIDER
When choosing the right industrial PC for food environments, engineers, buyers and business leaders should consider equipment that adheres to good
By taking a concerted approach to choosing the right industrial PC, the food and beverage industry can overcome the challenges posed by contamination
By taking a concerted approach to choosing the right industrial PC, the food and beverage industry can overcome the challenges posed by contamination
manufacturing practice (GMP) guidelines. A recent World Health Organisation report explains that, “the layout and design of equipmentmust aimtominimise the risk of errors and permit effective cleaning andmaintenance in order to avoid cross- contamination, build-up of dust or dirt and, in general, any adverse effect on the quality of products.”
Industrial buyers should choose PCs where the ergonomic design features include screens without bezels and
touchscreen inputs that can be used with gloves. This eliminates the ne keyboard andmouse. If manu
needed then opting for a fully enclosed PC with ingress protection, capable of withstanding prolonged use and high levels of vibration and shock is vital. Users that need dedicated networking
al inputs are ed for a
n for th
od i dust y and how businesses can c hoose t right industrial PC for food manufacturing
factu in
and connectivity options in addition to wireless connections should choose PCs that offer integrated PCI expansion
network cards sealed within the unit with gland plates to prevent ingress. When attaching devices like scanners and printers it’s important to ensure that the wires and connectors are also sealed and ingress rated.
It isn’t just the immediate hardware specification that buyers need to consider either. When choosing an industrial PC, the long-term management of assets can directly affect t heir return o n
investment. Over specifying equipment with unnecessary features can be just as costly as specifying equipment that’s unfit for purpose and needs to be replaced often.
With over 20 years of experience supplying industrial PCs, Distec can advise those choosing an industrial PC to consider long-term factors, such as how the environment, application and user behaviour will change over time. I t regularly assesses the latest
manufacturer development-roadmaps to help its customers future-proof their purchases for years to come. By building-in factors such as
depreciation and demand cycles into the buying decision, buyers can ensure a sustainable approach to buying and upgrading their suite of industrial PCs. Distec has made this process easier by helping its customers through the specification pre- and post-sale s process, as well as by offering ongoing support, having engineers on hand to assist with any problems along the way.
,
Distec www
T: 0161 777 8866
www.distec.co.uk ww.di
twitter.com disteclimited
twitter.com/disteclim ted /AUTOMATION AT /AUTOMATION T: 0161 777 8866
Around 65m new computers were shipped worldwide in the first quarter of 2016, that’s over 700k a day. som ny new product now avai ble on t rket choosi g equipment that i fit for purpose ng. Here, Andrew Byrne, sales st Di
shipped wor dwide
CHOOSI G THE RIGHT I DUSTRIAL PC RECIPE F R THE FOOD SECTOR
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