It’s a common misconception that industrial PCs are similar to conventional PCs, but that’s not true. While conventional PCs come pre-made, industrial PCs are assembled from the ground up by the factories or industries using them.
Industrial PCs are modified for industrial operations, available in different sizes, and used in high temperatures, dusty areas, and even in motor pools. They are known for working 24 hours non-stop without freezing or heating up and requiring almost zero maintenance.
Let’s look at the qualities of industrial PCs that make them suitable for industrial use and why they don’t require any maintenance.
What Are Industrial PCs?
Industrial PCs are computers designed to be used in industrial environments, such as during the manufacturing of goods.
They are made from materials that can withstand extreme dust, heat, and weather conditions, are highly configurable, have a long lifecycle, come with a large memory capacity, and feature a fanless and ventless design.
These PCs can be installed in laboratories, oil refineries, water-treatment plants, and factories. They can also survive falls. For example, if they fall on a concrete floor, their technical components will be okay.
Industrial PCs usually have the latest GPU, motherboard, RAM, graphic card, SSDs, and other technical specifications. For example, an industrial PC might have an Intel Core i9, an NVME SSD, a 3090ti, DDR5 ram sticks, and an MSI motherboard.
What Processes Do They Perform?
Industrial PCs are used to:
- Monitor industrial processes
- Control entire systems and machine tools
- Monitor parameters like pressure or temperature
- Supervise machines and tools
- Display information relevant to the product being manufactured
- Collect data from sensors and transmit it back to a central system
- Run solutions on Microsoft Windows.
Industrial PCs vs. Normal PCs
There are several differences between normal and industrial PCs, such as:
- Industrial PCs are supposed to run 24/7, while normal PCs are made to run for eight or ten hours a day.
- Normal PCs are made from less resilient materials, so they stop running when subjected to extreme environments, such as intense heat or heavy shocks. Industrial PCs, on the other hand, can breeze through six-foot falls and bone-melting heat.
- Industrial PCs are protected from water, debris, dust, fire, and shocks. In contrast, normal PCs aren’t; they usually don’t even have dust protection or water-resistant ratings.
Thus, if Industrial PCs are used to perform every function we could imagine, they should require maintenance. So, why don’t they?
Why Don’t Industrial PCs Require Maintenance?
Industrial PCs are robust and resilient. They have more heavy-duty technological components. So, they provide higher performance, are longer-lasting, and are more robust compared to conventional PCs.
However, their higher-quality components and stronger performance don’t mean they don’t require any maintenance at all. In fact, they do require yearly outer-body cleanings and a part change when needed — but that’s rare.
Therefore, industrial PCs don’t require regular maintenance; in fact, you can forget about these PCs for months on end, and they won’t suffer any problems. Why? Because they’re built to last.