Rugged Computing Solutions for Dangerous Environments

In industrial manufacturing environments, facilities regularly store and dispense large quantities of hazardous, flammable, combustible liquids. Given the potential for gas, vapor or dust to collect in these areas, the electronic equipment installed for automation and control must be designed specifically to prevent unintentional ignition of these elements due to electrical arcing or other thermal means. Although much attention is given to the automation system components used to control the process itself, these systems also require computing equipment such as thin clients, panel PCs, remote touch displays, KVM (keyboard, video, mouse) solutions, as well as fixed and mobile operator workstations. Given the risks, this equipment must also meet the requirements for use in areas classified as hazardous and be rugged enough to withstand the harsh chemical and high humidity environment generated during the industrial manufacturing process.