Specifications

You need to purchase a computer product for use in
your factory environment. What should you choose?
You can go to your favorite computer superstore and pick
up an inexpensive office-grade computer, but what will
happen when you place that “white box” computer in your
factory? How will that white box respond to:
• Higher heat on the shop floor
• Vibration and electrical emissions from nearby machinery
• Shock from occasional bumps and knocks on the
shop floor?
Defining the Industrial Environment
What makes one environment “industrial,” while another is
considered an “office” environment? An environment could
be considered industrial due to any of the following factors:
• Extreme temperatures (hot or cold)
• Humidity
• Shock & Vibration
• Airborne particles (dust, smoke)
• Corrosive materials
• “Dirty” power (unreliable or fluctuating power sources)
• Magnetic fields or other emissions
• Rough operator interfaces (dirty hands or gloves on
keyboards)
• Washdown requirements or dripping fluids
• Mounting requirements
• Continuous operation (24x7)
Any of these factors can contribute to the short life of an
office-grade computer product. Manufacturers of office-
grade computers, monitors, and peripherals design them to
operate in clean office, climate-controlled environments.
Components of Industrial Design
Rockwell Automation designs its industrial computer
products to thrive in these harsh, rugged environments.
Allen-Bradley industrial computer products use only
“best-in-class” components. We select products from
the top manufacturers and use strict component derating
guidelines.
Component derating is the process of selecting
components that exceed the required specifications.
For example, if our products are designed to operate
in temperatures up to 50ºC, a derated component might
be designed to operate at 80ºC, far above the specified
requirements.
While these component guidelines ensure that our
products operate at the maximum specifications, it also
means that these higher-grade components last longer
in any environment.
Industrial products may use any of the following industrial
components:
• Corrosive-resistant metal for the chassis
• Higher-rated power supplies
• Shock-mounted, durable hard drives
• Thicker, sturdier, better connected circuit
boards for critical components
• Gold-plated connectors
• Tie-downs to secure components
• Cables routed for easy repair access
• Filtered fans
Manufacturers of office-grade equipment select their
components to hold down manufacturing costs and to
meet the demands of the office environment. Of course,
they consider the quality of their components, but none
of their components were selected and tested to ensure
that they work best in an industrial environment.
Not All Computers are Built the Same!
Industrial vs. Office-Grade
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