(1) In first place... DUST - They say there are two certainties in life, death and tax. We'd like to make the case for a third, dust, it's inescapable. Dust is the most common cause of computer overheating in industrial environments because it accumulates, blocking vents and disabling fans.
Dust systematically disables your computer by clogging the vents, then smothering all the components of the computer that generate heat. With no extraction point for excess heat the fan is put into overdrive, overcompensating to cool your PC. Your computer is then left with no defence against heat accumulation.
Then, just when you think that dust has done enough damage, all that excess heat causes your computer to set alight ending any hope of salvaging it.
According to worldwide government reports, it's estimated that there is up to 50 times more dust present in the air in industrial workplaces. That's an excess of dust that the common computer is not designed to cope with. Out of the 4 most common causes for computer overheating, dust is the only one that can prove fatal.
The majority of 'how to' articles will give you the 'quick fix' solution, advising that you clean your computer. But, how many businesses do you know have the time to clean their computers, every day, to the standard needed to rid them of all dust in an environment that produces 50 times more of it than the average home? Our guess is you don't know many...
Trying to clean away dust in an industrial environment is impractical, counterproductive and costly. Here's why:
· Impractical - To clean a computer properly means they have to be powered down and opened up, hardly practical when trying to run a business that depends on fully operational PCs
· Counterproductive - A DIY computer cleaning campaign means personnel are not doing the job they're paid to do
· Costly - For the duration of PC downtime your production line may be forced to grind to a halt, resulting in financial losses for every minute you're out of operation
(2) In second place... A HOT ROOM - Add more heat to equipment that produces heat equals a computer meltdown. It's recommended that computers operate within the 50 - 60 degree range, but industrial environments exist where temperatures can exceed this range.
Surely this is more deadly than dust! If left exposed to a heat source for an unlimited amount of time, then yes the life of the computer would be ended much quicker. However, dust is an immovable entity; it cannot be removed from the equation. However, a PC in a hot environment can simply be moved to a cooler room.
Problem solved, right? In terms of keeping your computer alive, yes. But now there's a question of convenience. Firstly, if moving your PC to a cooler room means traipsing halfway across the facility to access it that's not good for productivity.
Secondly, if you have an entire PC network operating in a hot room there's the inconvenience of relocating, a solution that's costly in terms of downtime and it's time consuming.
(3) Third place finisher... POOR POSITIONING - Does your PC sit under a desk? Or, does it rest against a wall in some out of the way place? Computers need space to breathe. If they're already being choked by dust, or exposed to temperatures more suited to the Caribbean, don't cut off the respiratory system.
Again, relocation may solve the problem, but there's obviously a reason that you put your PC in that uncompromising position in the first place. Our guess is convenience...
(4) In fourth... OVERUSE - Putting a computer in an industrial environment, where dust and heat add to the strain, and using it all day constitutes overuse. Computers are not designed to withstand this kind of punishment without protection.
Should your computer survive the demands of the day, it's not uncommon for the factory to shutdown leaving multiple PCs left on. Running continuously for 24 hours, without respite, there's no doubt that those computers would be feeling the heat.
Dust systematically disables your computer by clogging the vents, then smothering all the components of the computer that generate heat. With no extraction point for excess heat the fan is put into overdrive, overcompensating to cool your PC. Your computer is then left with no defence against heat accumulation.
Then, just when you think that dust has done enough damage, all that excess heat causes your computer to set alight ending any hope of salvaging it.
According to worldwide government reports, it's estimated that there is up to 50 times more dust present in the air in industrial workplaces. That's an excess of dust that the common computer is not designed to cope with. Out of the 4 most common causes for computer overheating, dust is the only one that can prove fatal.
The majority of 'how to' articles will give you the 'quick fix' solution, advising that you clean your computer. But, how many businesses do you know have the time to clean their computers, every day, to the standard needed to rid them of all dust in an environment that produces 50 times more of it than the average home? Our guess is you don't know many...
Trying to clean away dust in an industrial environment is impractical, counterproductive and costly. Here's why:
· Impractical - To clean a computer properly means they have to be powered down and opened up, hardly practical when trying to run a business that depends on fully operational PCs
· Counterproductive - A DIY computer cleaning campaign means personnel are not doing the job they're paid to do
· Costly - For the duration of PC downtime your production line may be forced to grind to a halt, resulting in financial losses for every minute you're out of operation
(2) In second place... A HOT ROOM - Add more heat to equipment that produces heat equals a computer meltdown. It's recommended that computers operate within the 50 - 60 degree range, but industrial environments exist where temperatures can exceed this range.
Surely this is more deadly than dust! If left exposed to a heat source for an unlimited amount of time, then yes the life of the computer would be ended much quicker. However, dust is an immovable entity; it cannot be removed from the equation. However, a PC in a hot environment can simply be moved to a cooler room.
Problem solved, right? In terms of keeping your computer alive, yes. But now there's a question of convenience. Firstly, if moving your PC to a cooler room means traipsing halfway across the facility to access it that's not good for productivity.
Secondly, if you have an entire PC network operating in a hot room there's the inconvenience of relocating, a solution that's costly in terms of downtime and it's time consuming.
(3) Third place finisher... POOR POSITIONING - Does your PC sit under a desk? Or, does it rest against a wall in some out of the way place? Computers need space to breathe. If they're already being choked by dust, or exposed to temperatures more suited to the Caribbean, don't cut off the respiratory system.
Again, relocation may solve the problem, but there's obviously a reason that you put your PC in that uncompromising position in the first place. Our guess is convenience...
(4) In fourth... OVERUSE - Putting a computer in an industrial environment, where dust and heat add to the strain, and using it all day constitutes overuse. Computers are not designed to withstand this kind of punishment without protection.
Should your computer survive the demands of the day, it's not uncommon for the factory to shutdown leaving multiple PCs left on. Running continuously for 24 hours, without respite, there's no doubt that those computers would be feeling the heat.
Daniel Waldron serves as a copywriter for Armagard, manufacturer of protective enclosures for computer, printers, digital signage and other AV hardware. To learn more visit - http://www.armagard.com