Durable Computer Platform Solution From CDI

A rail company needed a cost effective, durable computer solution that could be mounted and used in their rail cars. We were tasked with creating this custom system and delivered results on time and on budget. Click to read the challenges, our solution and results here.

Out With The Old and In With The New

That old Panel PC is staring you in the face.  It’s dim, covered in scratches, and one of these days it will not even turn on anymore.  You called the OEM for service, but they don’t repair that model any more.  They will be happy to sell you a new one, but the cost of replacement is too high.  Not to mention, it will also require a different cutout size in your panel.  So, there it sits, laughing at you.  Cimtec Automation is in a unique position to help you with this in three different ways: new product, repair of your current product, or a drop-in replacement for your current product.

Computer Dynamics, A Division of Cimtec Automation, provides a wide range of flat panel displays, Panel PCs, and industrial computers.  With panel sizes ranging from 5” up to 42” diagonal, various options for touchscreens, and configurations that include a rugged computer or not, we have many solutions available from our extensive line of products.  One of our Application Engineers is a phone call away and can quickly assess your needs and configure the best solution possible.  Several configurations are available from stock and everything else can be built to order in less than six weeks.  Go to www.cdynamics.com to start and please contact us if you need assistance.

The Qualitrol division of Cimtec can repair many different Panel PC products at our facility in Charlotte, NC.  Our technicians have many years of experience repairing board level and system level issues in systems provided by a wide range of manufacturers.  Repairs can be completed in a matter of days meaning you are back up and running with little loss of downtime.  Qualitrol provides fast turnaround on world class repair services for virtually any Industrial Monitor, HMI, LCD Flat Panel Displays or Panel PC. Our IPC-7711/7721 trained technicians have extensive experience in the repair and replacement of PCBs, flat panel displays, power supplies, and touchscreens. All evaluations are done up-front and at no-charge – we only proceed with the repair when you have authorized us to do so.  Go to http://www.qualitrol.com/html/industrial_computer_repair_services.html to learn more.

One of the unique services that Computer Dynamics, A Cimtec Automation Company, can offer is the ability to perform an over the phone or on-site assessment of your Panel PC needs.  If we cannot provide a drop-in solution from our broad range of standard product, we can design and provide mounting plates to allow one of our new systems to fit into your existing application.  We have experts in the field of industrial computers that can determine the best way to replace an old Panel PC with a new one with little to no operational difference from the existing solution.  We carry the widest range of flat panel sizes and touchscreen technologies to provide a close match to any fielded solution.  We also offer a wide range of system solutions from the latest high-performance processors to low-power processors.  Additionally, we can provide systems that contain both ISA and PCI slots.  Call one of our Application Engineers at (866)-599-6512 to get started.

By offering you strategies for new product, repair of existing product, and drop-in replacement product, we can help you make the best choice for the controls on your older equipment.   All of our production and repair services are based in our home office in Charlotte, NC.  We are in a unique position to help you with older Panel PC equipment – we are on your side and we’ll help you wipe that sneer off of your old equipment’s face.

The Latest Testing Standards for Rugged Computers

The latest testing standards for rugged computers ensure that your computer is properly protected from the detrimental elements and harsh environment in which it will be operated. If you're considering the purchase of a durable computer, here are several ratings and testing standards or certifications for which you should look.

Ratings

1.) IP Ratings

• IP (Ingress Protection) ratings are frequently used to signify protection from:
• Liquids (such as rain, fog, and humidity)
• Solids (such as dust, sand, smoke, detritus, and other small particulate matter)
• IP ratings are two digit numbers- the first number specifying protection from solids, the second number specifying protection from liquids
• IP ratings are typically used in Europe, but have also gained wide acceptance in the US.
• Details about IP ratings are discussed in the blog post, "What are IP Ratings?"
• View CDI's IP rated products:
• PAC-PCAP15 
• DisplayPAC-N2800-WN

2.) NEMA

• National Electrical Manufacturer Association standards are applied mainly to fixed enclosures and are seldom applied to mobile devices
• NEMA ratings are used to verify protection of an electrical enclosure from external ice, corrosive materials, oil, dust, and water, etc.
• NEMA ratings may seem similar to IP Ratings, however, NEMA testing standards reveal to the consumer the types of corrosive atmospheres against which the enclosure is protected
• NEMA ratings are typically used in the US
• NEMA standards include ratings for protection in a variety of environments, namely deep mines, steel mills, chemical processing plants, quarries, dairies and shipping docks
• View CDI's NEMA rated products:
• DisplayPAC-OPR (NEMA12) 
• VAMP-WN products with the Thinview plate (NEMA4)

Standards

1.) MIL-STD

• The MIL-STD 810 standard was established by the U.S. Department of Defense in 1962 (with the most recent update released in January 2008)
• It is a set of testing procedures that cover a wide range of environmental conditions such as shock, vibration and temperature
• This standard makes the computer more desirable to government agencies at the federal, state and local levels as well as for industrial customers that want some degree of protection against shock and vibration
• In order to be certain that a computer is also protected from salt fog, rain, and humidity, it is recommended to verify that the computer also has an IP rating
• View CDI's MIL-STD products:
• VAMP SSX 
• VAMP RPP 
• DisplayPAC RPP 

2.) IEC60068-2-27

• This is a method of test typically used to determine a computer's ability to withstand shocks of different severities
• The test will reveal mechanical weaknesses as well as degradation to specific performances or accumulated damage or degradation caused by the shocks

3.) IEC60068-2-6

• This is a method of test typically used to determine whether a computer still functions during or still works after being subjected to vibration of a harmonic pattern for a period of time
• The vibrations mimic those that commonly occur in aircraft, vehicles, and ships generated by rotating, pulsating, or oscillating forces

All Computer Dynamics' products are verified to comply with the FCC Class B rules and regulations regarding unlicensed transmissions and/or spurious or unintentional emissions - radio frequencies that are not deliberately created or transmitted - such as harmonic emissions. Class B limits are more stringent therefore the Class B certification process is much more rigorous than Class A. (Title 47 CFR Part 15).

For more safety information about any of our industrial computers or industrial monitors, visit our site or contact us today.