Complete Guide on Rugged PC

What is a Rugged PC?

A rugged PC is a computer specifically designed to operate reliably in harsh usage conditions and environments such as wet or dusty conditions, strong vibrations, dust/water, and extreme temperatures. It is an integrated solution that combines both a display and a computing unit, making it an all-in-one computer.

The essential design philosophy of rugged PCs is to provide a controlled environment for the mounted electronics.

To guarantee the performance in harsh environments, rugged PCs are engineered with the addition of liquid cooling and heat sinks, reduction of cabling, and rugged materials. They are made with electronic components as these components have the capability to withstand higher and lower operating temperatures than typical commercial components.

Rugged PCs are integrated with fully sealed keyboards to defend against intrusion by liquids or dust, and scratch-resistant screens that are readable in direct sunlight. These are ideal for various uses such as outdoor kiosks, transportation scheduling, information display systems, multimedia advertising, and industrial control etc.

What is the use of Rugged PC?

The major benefit of using Rugged PC is that it can be operated in wet/dusty environments. Rugged PCs have a longer life cycle and are designed to last long, even in tough conditions.

Rugged PC increases product lifecycle:
They have a longer life cycle when compared to other devices. They are designed to last-long, even in tough conditions.

They require less maintenance & replacement:
Since rugged PCs are designed to work in the harsh environments, their failure rate is less. Hence they require less maintenance and replacement.

Higher ROI:
The durability and reliability of the rugged PCs provide the financial advantage. They reduce costly repairs, replacements and the time taken to recover the work lost.

When can we use Rugged PC?

Rugged PC is used in various industries such as manufacturing, chemical industries, and logistics & transportation etc. They can be operated in wet/dusty, strong vibrations, dust/water, and extreme temperatures.

Manufacturing: A technician can repair overhead crane using rugged PC. In this case, a technician may not carry design sheet with him but he can use rugged PC to carry out his work (Where he can find his design on PC). And since it is rugged, there is no worry about damaging the device.

Chemical Industries: When used in chemical industries, rugged PC’s hardware and software components can sustain a chemical spill or smoke and even high temperatures.

Logistics & Transportation: Rugged PCs are used to monitor logistics & transportation operations while traveling through different geographies where there can be extreme dust, weather, heat, water, and tough terrain. In such cases, preferring rugged PCs is a good option.

What is the importance of Rugged PC?

Rugged PCs are ideal for usage in various industries such as military, oil and gas, construction, and pharmaceuticals. They ensure a long-lasting performance and lower failure rates than the other devices.

Preferring rugged PC brings lower total-cost-of-ownership (TCO) and fast ROI to your bottom line. The major benefits of using rugged PCs are their capability to endure any situation.

Rugged PC provides superior functionality in various operations. Apart from functionality, ergonomics is the most important element people look for in rugged PCs. This leads to higher productivity irrespective of environmental conditions.

For mission-critical operations such as defense, medical, services etc, a rugged PC provides continuous power supply and does not have any downtime. However, rugged PCs are found to be cost-effective in the longer run, as they can increase the performance and reduce the chances of failures and errors, increase productivity and lower failure rates.

What are the applications of Rugged PC?

Rugged PCs are ideal for outdoor critical applications. As they are a necessity when reliability and performance in harsh environments, they can be used in applications in industries such as manufacturing, asset tracking, and Packaging Inspection and Quality Control etc.

Manufacturing:
Rugged PCs act as the best platform for large-scale manufacturing as they help manufacturers to use them irrespective of environment or situation.

Asset Tracking:
Retail and healthcare sectors have also been using rugged PC in their everyday operations in tracking and monitoring assets and processes for inconsistencies and anomalies. Rugged PCs help to track assets or processes in a precise and efficient manner.

Packaging Inspection and Quality Control:
Rugged PCs help machine vision and packaging inspection systems manufacturers to automate quality assurance of products at a great speed in harsh environments.

The bottom line can be that rugged PCs can come handy where the situations are tough. They can be used for various applications under extreme conditions of weather and temperature, pressure, altitude, and moisture.