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FEATURE PLCs, Industrial PCs & HMIs


Waterproofi ng computers and monitors for food processing


Due to the demanding nature of food processing environments, companies must ensure that computers and HMIs will hold up to prolonged cleaning and use, writes Niels Pedersen, CEO of Blue Line


F


oodborne illness is a perpetual hazard for food processing companies. Larger companies can spend millions of dollars recalling contaminated foods, notifying consumers and suppliers and paying for litigation. Such outbreaks are entirely preventable through regular, thorough cleaning of the processing equipment with high-pressure 80ºC water and powerful cleaning agents. However, equipment can be just as costly. Due to the demanding nature of


food processing environments from a technological perspective – continual uptime, hot and humid environments, frequent exposure to chemicals as well as contaminants – companies must ensure that computers and human– machine interfaces (HMIs) will hold up to prolonged cleaning and use. For computers and monitors, this means addressing two major factors involved in breakdowns: moisture and heat – or, in technical terms, good ingress protection (IP) and passive cooling. The IP rating of a computer or monitor is the degree to which it is warded against solid and liquid particulates (commonly,


dust and water). IP ratings comprise a pair of numbers, the fi rst of which refers to the level of protection against solids, and, the second, the level of protection against liquids. For instance, an IP68 computer is fully protected from dust and can be immersed in 1.5m of water for half an hour. In industrial settings, it is rare to fi nd computers that are not fully protected against solids (IP60+), because particulate build-up is a major issue in such settings. The level of moisture protection (which ranges from 0-8, with a separate 9K rating), on the other hand, depends on the environment. In pharmaceuticals, for instance, IP65 or IP66 ratings are more common because computers tend to be exposed to low-pressure sprays of cleaning solutions. By contrast, in food processing, waterproofi ng must be much more rigorous, meaning that computers often warrant an IP69K rating.


IP69K


An IP69K rating means that the computer or monitor can withstand regular high- pressure washing. More specifi cally, to receive a rating of IP69K, the computer must operate during exposure to 80ºC, water sprayed at 80-100 bar at a fl ow rate of 14–16 l/min, while being held 10-15cm from the surface of the equipment. IP69K ratings are achieved typically


Figure 1: Affixing cable ports underneath the mounting arm on the back of the monitor ensures double gasket protection


26 February 2021 | Automation


via pressurisation and powerful sealants, as well as limiting spaces for moisture to get in or collect. To ensure that the IP69K rating is maintained for as long as possible (ratings naturally degrade over time and moisture eventually gets inside), HMI manufacturers must apply novel techniques. For instance, the Danish manufacturer Blue Line seals its I/O


confi guration within the mounting arm on the back of some of its monitors and HMIs; see Figure 1. As input ports tend to be one of the primary sites where moisture enters the computer, sealing them within a pressurised area, in addition to sealing the insides of the monitor, means that the IP69K rating holds for much longer.


Passive cooling


Passive computer cooling is often used in industrial environments like food processing because it is better conducive to 24/7 uptime. Fans as moving parts cease to off er any benefi t once they have stopped moving, and, if they stop working within the middle of a production cycle, the build- up of heat may harm the electronics inside. Fans also tend to be noisy, getting louder over time, leading to excessive noise pollution in already noisy manufacturing processes.


Passive cooling involves affi xing heat sinks to key computing hardware to divert heat away from those parts through natural convection. This way, computers are cooled naturally and silently over time, ensuring that they can be used frequently without worry of failure, and extending their life. Food processing companies must constantly keep pace with technological developments, whilst also balancing their cost eff ectiveness. By paying attention to important concepts like IP rating and passive cooling, they can make their equipment payw for itself by ensuring its stability over time.


CONTACT:


Blue Line www.blue-line.com


automationmagazine.co.uk


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