10 points you should know before buying an industrial PC
An industrial PC – also called IPC – is specially manufactured for industrial sectors and areas and has to bring a number of aspects to offer the greatest possible reliability and reliability: robustness, durability, compatibility, expansion options, upgradeability, long-term availability of components, suitable interfaces, high quality and individualization strength. The focus in the product selection is on the ideal mix of customer requirements, precisely fitting components for hardware and software as well as highly competent advice with intensive industry experience.
1. Industrial PC application areas
Data acquisition, data evaluation, visualization, control, communication, control, quality assurance ... the tasks of an industrial computer are extensive. Accordingly, IPCs are used from automation / robotics to process control and image processing. They can be human-machine interface (HMI) or IoT gateway. In many industries, such as mechanical engineering, plant construction, industrial automation, pharmaceuticals or food.
2. Designs of industrial computers
Industrial PC for the 19-inch rack
• ClassicLine 2U to 4U rack mount
• Optional IP54 protection on the front
• up to 14 expansion slots
Industrial computers in the classic 19-inch rack format are highly compatible with existing legacy systems. The design is easily accessible, flexible and perfectly configurable. The height units (U) can be selected.
Wall-mountable industrial PC
• BoxedLine wall mount systems
• Housing made in Germany
• Customizable
For wallmount installation, pre-drilled holes on side metal plates allow individual fastening on almost all surfaces.
Embedded PC
• EmbeddedLine compact industrial PC
• Atom™ to Core™-i embedded systems
• up to 4 expansion slots
Embedded PCs are characterized by particularly small and compact housings and mostly fanless cooling concepts. They are often embedded directly in the production process and are therefore particularly robust.
Desktop industrial PC
• DeskLine industrial PC
• Long-term available housing made in Germany
• full industrial suitability
The housings of our desktop industrial computers are manufactured in Germany and can be customized and branded for the company on request. The interior also adapts perfectly to the requirements.
3. Industrial PC performance
Price, computing power and energy efficiency must be in perfect balance. For this we configure with the most diverse processors, drives and working memories.
Processors that we use for our industrial PCs:
• AMD
• Intel® AtomTM
• Intel® Celeron®
• Dual Core
• Intel® CoreTM i3 / i5 / i7
Drives that we use in our industrial computers:
• SSD solid-state drive
• HDD hard disk drive
• RAID
• SD Secure Digital Memory Card
• DVD
• CF CompactFlash
• CFast CompactFlash ATA Serial Transfer
RAM options in our IPCs:
• 1GB to 64GB
4. Industrial PC operating systems
Windows solutions are often found in IPCs. We use Windows 8, Windows 10 IoT or customized embedded versions for our customers as required. Linux, embedded Linux or license-free Android operating systems are also common and the best basis in some areas.
5. Robustness and maintenance of industrial computers
Industrial environments are often demanding – that's why industrial PCs have to be equipped to withstand vibrations, shock, shocks, environmental influences, temperature fluctuations, dust or moisture. The so-called IP codes define the penetration of foreign bodies and water. For example, IP65 means "dustproof and protected against water jets from any angle". IP67 means "dustproof and protected against temporary immersion".
A low-maintenance and easily accessible design and construction of the IPC is also important. In this way, downtimes can be reduced to a minimum. For example, a fanless design makes internal cleaning unnecessary.
6. Reliability and market availability for IPCs
Maximum reliability is a must for industrial computers. This also means that equipment and components are based on the periods of use in manufacturing and production and have a long market availability. This is more important than, for example, the development cycle of processors.
7. IIoT, Smart Factory and Industry 4.0
IIoT, Smart Factory and Industry 4.0 are transforming the IT landscape at a breathtaking pace with strong growth dynamics. The use of technologies such as big data analytics, mobility, connectivity, cloud computing and social media creates new business models, products and services, but also processes and value chains. IoT gateways, top-hat rail embedded PCs and modular box PCs play an important role in the networking of applications and machines or actuators and sensors. Edge computing is an important keyword for fast processes and reduction of latency. Or data analysis: predictive maintenance, machine data acquisition, remote maintenance and reduction of TCO, total cost of ownership.
8. Microsoft Azure certification
The Internet of Things (IoT) is becoming more and more a reality in industry. It noticeably improves the efficiency of companies, simplifies processes and redefines interaction. TL Electronic offers Winmate industrial PCs that are Microsoft Azure certified. Customers can use it to quickly and easily implement IoT solutions with tested and verified hardware and software in connection with Microsoft Azure IoT services. All devices with this certification make it possible to define the data flow and exchange field data on the Microsoft Azure cloud service platform – no matter where you are. Certifying compatibility with the Microsoft Azure IoT ecosystem saves time and simplifies device integration with cloud software solutions for any IoT application.
9. Cost of an industrial PC
Of course, a perfect price / performance ratio counts. We attach particular importance to absolutely high-quality components and long-lasting solutions so that unnecessary follow-up costs in the event of production downtime or incompatibility can be saved. So the investment in an industrial PC quickly pays off.
10. Buy industrial computers
If you already know the requirements for your IPC, there are some top sellers in our online shop for immediate purchase and fast delivery. If you have any special requests or need advice, we are happy to help.
All prices excl. value added tax
