Using computers in a shop floor environment can be challenging. In many industrial type locations, the dust and liquids caused by shop floor processes can make using a standard PC impossible. A touch screen industrial PC provides a simple interactive interface ideal for the rugged operations of a busy shop floor.
Industrial touch screen computers provide all the same benefits of using a PC but without a keyboard or mouse, allowing processes, orders and systems to all be controlled by computer, with the display acting as both input and output device. A touch screen industrial PC makes for a rugged and simplified system ideal for the industrial environment.
Interacting with Touch Screen Industrial PCs
Industrial touch screen computers utilize various different touch screen systems to allow interaction from the user. At the heart of all touch screen industrial PCs is a computer system, similar to those employed on desktops in offices or around the home. The big difference is that the PC is protected in an industrial computer enclosure that keeps out any harmful elements, such as dust and liquid. The enclosure also protects the machine from impact, enabling its use in rugged environments such as the shop floor.
Because the computer is tucked away inside an enclosure, a form of interaction is required that is just as invulnerable to dust, liquids and other industrial hazards. Keyboards and mouse systems can easily get clogged up or damaged, but industrial touch screen computers do away with these input devices completely.
Types of Industrial Touch Screen Computer
Most touch screen industrial PCs use a resistive touch screen system. Resistive touch screens comprise several thin, transparent, electrically resistive layers over the standard LCD display. These layers are separated by a small space and when a user touches the screen, the two layers touch, forming an electrical connection. The signal from this connection is then sent to the graphical user interface (GUI) which turns the signal into an input command, depending on where on the screen the connection took place.
Resistive touch screens are perfect for touch screen industrial PCs because they are extremely rugged and resistant to liquids and contaminants such as dust. Interaction can also take place when a user is wearing gloves, which saves time in busy industrial locations where such protection is often worn.
Industrial Touch Screen Computers for Space Saving
Another big advantage of touch screen industrial PCs is that they don’t take up as much space as a standard computer system. Because there are no input devices such as a keyboard or mouse, there are no external wires to worry about – the PC and display is all contained in one industrially protected enclosure.
Industrial touch screen computers can be wall mounted for ease of use, and because they are often protected in waterproof industrial enclosures, they can be washed down and cleaned with the rest of the equipment, especially if they adhere to NEMA 4 (National Electrical Manufacturers Association).
A touch screen industrial PC enables computer use even in the most rugged of industrial environments, ensuring problem free computing no matter how much liquid, dust or temperature variations the environment endures.
