An industrial computer is one that is designed for use in industry, which is to say the production of goods, manufacture of machinery, or processing of raw materials. As such, they have many unique benefits over the average consumer desktop. When designing for these applications, it is important to build the computers to be able to withstand all of the environmental factors involved and still provide all of the functionality required. Environmental factors can include such things as dust, vibration, temperature variation, etc.

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Since these design requirements result in a very sturdy, reliable PC, industrial computers have been adopted for use in many other industries and applications such as digital signage, robotics, and outdoor use-cases. As a result, the term industrial computer has become a sort of catch-all term in a lot of marketing for any system that approximates these specifications, even if it’s not specifically targeted towards the industrial automation/manufacturing industry. Because of the wide range of needs, industrial computers can be found with incredibly efficient low-power processors like Atoms and Celerons, all the way up to high powered i7s or even Xeons.

1. Durability

Industrial computers are expected to work in harsh conditions. Whether it is powering an outdoor kiosk contending with wind, heat and cold, or it is on the factory floor having to contend with dust and vibration, an industrial computer is going to have to carry on functioning. As opposed to brittle consumer computer products which are designed to sit on a desk in a climate controlled environment, industrial computers are designed from the beginning with these environmental considerations in mind. Where a consumer pc would overheat, an industrial PC would be populated with extended temp rated components and with a chassis intelligently designed as a heat-sink to “wick” the heat off the internals and into the air. In the face of shock or vibration, where a consumer PC would literally fall apart or at least sustain damage to brittle internal components, an industrial PC would be constructed with a sturdy metal chassis, mounted onto a surface in such a way as to reduce vibration and with internal components mounted such that they receive less shock.

2. Reliability

Industrial computers are often installed into applications where the operating time is 24/7. This is a great deal more usage than the average consumer application, which is approximately 5-8 hours a day, in an office setting. To make things even more difficult, computers in these applications can sometimes be installed in locations that are hard to access for maintenance, making reliability that much more important.
To address these requirements, industrial computers are constructed with components which are suitable for continuous operation. SSDs or other flash storage are favored over HDDs for instance, because the spinning disk within an HDD is a potential point of failure. For this same reason, industrial computers are built to be fanless. They don’t even have a CPU fan! In addition to bringing a lot of unwanted dust inside the computer, fans can be a major point of failure within a computer. If any one fan fails, that can cause the computer to overheat, shut down and potentially damage some of the much more expensive components within the computer. The ideal industrial computer has no moving parts within it.

3. Power Requirements

While many applications and equipment call for specific voltages such as 9V, 12V or 24V, there is a difference between the nominal voltage and what the machine actually receives. As many power sources are unregulated, a varying voltage can damage the computer which is on the receiving end. To combat this problem, many industrial computers have a wide range voltage input (such as 9~48V) which protects the device, without having to invest in more expensive protection circuitry. In addition to this, industrial computers have access to many other power options, such as POE, Wake on Lan, and even Power on Ignition for in-vehicle applications.

4. Customization

Because no 2 applications are truly the same, it follows that there isn’t one computer that will fit every application. For this reason, many industrial computers are offered to be configurable and modular. Having the ability to choose different I/O and components for the computer system to have right out of the box enables industrial computers to fit a very wide range of requirements. Additionally, if the configuration options offered by on-the-market industrial computers still don’t fulfill the requirements, there is the additional option of purchasing a customized or even custom-designed computer, in order to get that perfect fit. Traditional commercial computers have many features designed to meet the needs of general consumers, however, industrial computers can be customized for very specific functions related to Telecom, Kiosk, Medical Imaging, and Broadcast to name a few.

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Industrial All-in-One PC and Consumer All-in-One PC: What is the Difference?

With so many different options on the market, it can be hard to tell which all-in-one PC is right for you. While consumer all-in-one PCs are made for desktop environments, where the demand is variable and the computer has time for rest, industrial all-in-one PCs are made for heavy conditions and workload. So, how do you know which is right for you? There are five main differences.

Are you interested in learning more about industrial all in one pc? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!

Fanless Design

Have you ever been working on a laptop, and the computer running sounds like a jet engine preparing for takeoff? This is due to the fan working overtime to cool down your computer. Most industrial all-in-one PCs are designed to operate without the assistance of a cooling fan to prevent particulate build-up on internal components.

Ruggedized Body

While consumer all-in-one PCs offer a sleek look, there is not much protection from drops or bumps. For environments with high vibrations or high chance for drops and shocks, industrial all-in-one PCs have tough enclosures with sturdy internal components. Some Teguar units even have a MIL-STD-810 certification, which means they are proven to withstand extremely rugged conditions.

Waterproof Enclosure

Input/Output Connections

A consumer PC may come equipped with roughly 8 to 10 input/output connections, providing you with the standard options. This should be sufficient for day-to-day computer activity, but for PCs in the industrial field, many connections are needed. It is very common for industrial all-in-ones to have 16+ I/O connections, with some units even offering customizable I/Os. On Teguar’s waterproof units, the I/Os come with M12 connectors, ensuring the whole unit is waterproof.

Placement Options

The standard Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) mount on the back of most industrial all-in-one computers offers the flexibility to be mounted anywhere. Consumer all-in-ones could potentially be mounted, but most are just equipped for desktop living. Because industrial PCs often have high temperature ranges, wind resistance, and shock and drop resistance, they can be mounted virtually anywhere. Whether they are regularly exposed to the elements, in the center of a moving robot, or being launched into space, industrial panel PCs can be placed nearly anywhere you can think of.

Consumer all-in-one PCs might be ideal for just sitting on a desktop, but if you need any more flexibility than that, industrial all-in-one PCs are the way to go. These units are built to withstand the rigors of constant operation in less than ideal environments.

Need help finding the right industrial all-in-one PC for your project? Teguar offers professional help from product specialists to help you decide which is the correct computer that will meet your unique computing needs. Contact us today by calling (800) 870- or contacting us online.

About the Authors:

Emily Vrettos, Teguar's Digital Marketing Coordinator, merges her creativity with marketing skills to craft engaging content. When she isn’t writing, she loves to read, cook lots of different cuisines, and travel home to her family in New England.

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