office-grade computer versus industrial-grade computer...

Office-grade versus Industrial-grade Computer Comparison

Sarah Poehnelt and Matthew Hansen, Rockwell Automation

You need a computer for an industrial environment. What factors should you consider before you make an investment in a computer?

Computer technology at competitive prices has allowed office-grade computers to dominate the computer market, leading them to be used in many different environments. However, most computer buyers do not consider how office-grade computers are not built for industrial environments—they are built to operate in relatively clean, climate controlled environments

What is an Industrial Environment?An industrial environment would include any of the following factors:

• Extreme temperatures or wide temperature fluctuations

• Humidity

• Vibration

• Shock

• Airborne particles (such as dust and smoke)

• Corrosive materials

• Power quality (unreliable or fluctuating power sources)

• Magnetic fields or other emissions

• Rough operator interfaces (dirty hands or gloves on keyboards)

• Wash-down requirements

• Hazardous location requirements (for example, where explosive gases may be present)

Any of these industrial environment factors can affect office-grade computer performance and reliability, and eventually contribute to a shortened life.

Allen-Bradley Integrated Display Industrial Computers

2 | Office-grade Computer versus Industrial-grade Computer Comparison

Why an Allen-Bradley Industrial-grade Computer?Allen-Bradley selects the highest quality parts and designs their products to withstand the realities of industrial environments. Consider the three primary factors that distinguish Allen-Bradley industrial-grade computers from office-grade computers.

Factor 1: Components

Manufacturers of office-grade equipment typically select components with cost as their primary criterion. Component quality and reliability are important but they are not selected or tested to withstand prolonged exposure to an industrial environment.

Components in Allen-Bradley computer equipment are selected specifically to withstand industrial environments:

• Shock-mounted hard disk drives or solid state drives

• Secure connected circuit boards for critical components

• Gold-plated connections

• Physical/locking restraints on connectors

• Tie-downs to secure components and peripherals

• Cables routed and tied down to ensure minimal interference

• Corrosive-resistant metal for the chassis

Example: Many of Allen-Bradley computer models can be ordered with solid-state drives (SSDs), which are more durable than rotating hard disk drive (HDD) media. To further enhance durability, Allen-Bradley uses single-level cell (SLC) memory instead of multi-level cell (MLC) memory on SSDs. SSDs also provide longer durability versus HDDs for enhanced operation during rigorous industrial shock and vibration.

Table 1 - SLC and MLC Memory Advantages

Drive Media Factor SLC MLC

High density √

Low cost per bit √

Endurance √

Operating temperature range √

Low power consumption √

Write/erase speeds √

Write/erase endurance √

These component guidelines allow Allen-Bradley products to operate at the maximum specifications, it also means that these higher-grade components last longer in an industrial environment. Allen-Bradley selects components based on durability and performance in their products.

Most office-grade solid-state drives use multi-level cell (MLC) memory to reduce costs but at the expense of drive durability.

Office-grade Computer versus Industrial-grade Computer Comparison | 3

Factor 2: Design

Even a computer with the highest-quality components won’t thrive in an industrial environment unless it has been designed with specific factors in mind.

Allen-Bradley computers are designed with:

• Resistance to mechanical shock and vibration (hard drives are shock-mounted, compo-nents are placed in the most stable locations)

• Resistance to higher temperatures (through effective thermal design and placement of heat sinks)

• Higher corrosion resistance on critical components

• Integrated components to eliminate exposing critical components to environmental hazards

• Robust mounting systems (wall/panel/rack/machine mounting)

• Low maintenance (fanless design)

• Consistent component availability, selecting long-life parts to ensure availability

An important design element for Allen-Bradley industrial computer products is component derating, which is selecting components that exceed required specifications. Allen-Bradley uses component derating for higher quality levels and product longevity.

Example: If a component’s maximum operating temperature is 85 °C (185 °F), then component life doubles for every 10 °C (50 °F) cooler that the actual environment is (theoretic average).

Table 2 - Design Comparisons

Variable

Allen-Bradley Industrial-grade

Computer

Typical Office-grade

Computer

Mounting applications • Table

• Desktop

• Wall

• Panel

• Rack

• Machine

• DIN rail

• Table

• Desktop

Chassis design Cast aluminum or stamped steel

Thin, formed sheet metal

Shock mounted drives Yes No

Shock rating, max 30 g (1/2 sine, 11 ms) Typically not rated

Vibration rating, max 2 g @ 10 to 640 Hz Typically not rated

Operating temp. range, max -20 to 70 °C (-4 to 158 °F) 10 to 35 °C (50 to 95 °F)

Compact Non-Display Industrial Computer


Factor 3: Testing and Certification

Office-grade computers are tested and certified for office environments but not for industrial environments. Allen-Bradley fully tests their computer equipment for all conditions found in an industrial work environment. Allen-Bradley goes beyond office-grade certifications by achieving industrial certifications, including those for harsh environments.

Table 3 - Testing and Certifications for Allen-Bradley Computers

Testing Criteria Certifications

• Shock (operating and non-operating)

• Thermal • Safety UL Mark

• Vibration (operating and non-operating)

• Wattage • Agency CE Mark

• Performance and benchmark

• Power cycle • EMC C-Tick Mark

• Extended reliability • Hose-down/IP • HALT ATEX Mark

• Operating system validation

• Functional • BIOS/UEFI Country specific marks (such as Korea & China)

• Signal integrity

Testing Computers Against Common Industrial ConditionsTo better understand the effects of an industrial environment on office-grade computers, Allen-Bradley selected several office-grade computers with hard disk drives (HDDs). Along with Allen-Bradley computers, these computers were put through common industrial conditions such as shock, vibration, and thermal tests.

Table 4 - Tested Computers

Computer OSIntel Processor/

Speed (GHz)RAM Type/

Installed (GB)HDD Qty./ GB (each)

Allen-Bradley 1 XP Pro Core™2 Duo/1.66 DDR2/4 2/160

Allen-Bradley 2 XP Pro Pentium™4/3 DDR2/2 2/160

Office 1 XP Pro Core™2 Duo E7300/2.66 DDR2/2 1/160

Office 2 2008 R2(1) Xeon® E5506/2.13 DDR2/4 1/250

Office 3 7 (32 bit) Celeron® Dual E3300/2.5 DDR3/3 1/160

Office 4 XP Pro Xeon® Dual W3505/2.53 DDR3/3 1/320

Office 5 7 (32 bit) Core™ i5-650/3.2 DDR3/2 1/160(1) Windows Server 2008 R2

Non-Display Industrial Computer


Test 1: Vibration

Vibration testing was chosen because computers in industrial environments are typically placed near motors or machinery. Figure 1 and Table 5 show vibration test results.

Figure 1 - Vibration Test Results (10 to 640 Hz range)

0

20

40

60

80

100

Allen-Bradley

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Allen O�ce O�ceO O�ce OO O�ceO O�ceO

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Func

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Breakdown of 26%:13%: BSOD*12%: Complete failure 1%: Hard start required

FullyOperational

Slowed Operation

* BSOD = Blue screen of death

26%Stopped

Operating

10%

50%InconsistentOperation

Vibration test results showed office-grade computers struggled with typical industrial environments:

• Over 85% of the office-grade computers failed to remain fully operational

• 60% of office-grade computers displayed inconsistent or slowed operation

• Over 25% of the office-grade computers stopped operating

Part of the vibration test simulated different frequency ranges. Allen-Bradley also tested for slightly dampened (when computers are mounted) and amplified frequency ranges (when computers are placed near or next to system motors).

The frequency performance results were based on the following scale: Acceptable (100% to 50% processing); Unacceptable (50% to 15% processing), and Failed (less than 15%).

Table 5 - Frequency Performance Results (10 to 240 Hz range)

Computer

Typical Motor Frequency (50/60 Hz)

Dampened Motor Transfer (10 Hz)

Amplified Motor Transfer (120 Hz)

Office 1 Unacceptable Acceptable Unacceptable


Office 3 Failed Failed Failed


Office 5 Failed Failed Failed

Allen-Bradley Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable

Operational faults such as BSOD, manual restarts, and complete failure can lead to significant data corruption and lost production time. Irreplaceable damage can cause significant down time and may require reinstalling software programs and drivers.


Test 2: Shock

Industrial shock environments include hydraulic machine presses. Machine presses exert massive amounts of energy over short intervals of time, which create large shock forces. Therefore, computers used in this industrial environment must withstand the pressure and energy force that is dispersed.

Based on the shock test results, 60% of the office-grade computers exhibited significant movement in interior components to fail the test. In some cases, the component movement simulated accelerations near 70 g.

Additionally, the office-grade computers saw significant abrasion problems, a combination

of shock and limited mounting (securing) options. Most office-grade computers do not offer mounting features as part of their design, which is critical to counter shock deterioration. Therefore, attempts to secure office-grade computers for shock often result in insecure and improper mounting. The subsequent enclosure damage and component failures will cause serious troubles in industrial settings, such as constant repair and downtime.

Allen-Bradley designs proper mounting methods for the greatest strength and stability. Shock-mounted drives and other components are built to withstand shock environments. Being equipped with Allen-Bradley industrial-grade computers provides the peace of mind needed for running an industrial company.

All Allen-Bradley industrial computers offer mounting that can withstand the challenges of industrial environments.

Table 6 - Shock Testing Results

Computer

Hydraulic Machine Press

(15 g shock)

Office 1 Failed

Office 2 Passed

Office 3 Failed

Office 4 Passed

Office 5 Failed

Allen-Bradley Passed

Most office-grade computers do not offer mounting features as part of their design, which is critical to counter shock deterioration.


Test 3: Operating Temperature

Allen-Bradley products are also designed and tested for intense temperature environments (up to 70 °C or 158 °F) for which office computers are not. These environments include heating/refrigerated food processing, glass and aluminum process, and cement furnaces. Office-grade products encounter significant problems when placed in extreme operating temperature environments.

Temperature locations evaluated during this testing included:

• External • Power supply coil • Memory

• Upper case • Northbridge • Optical drive

• Lower case • Hard drive • Heat sink

• Post CPU • Processor cores • Motherboard

• Power supply • CPU

Based on the test results, 78% of the office-grade computers were within 5 °C (41 °F) or outside their rated temperature range. Only 22% of the internal components for these computers were properly cooled in the tested temperature. Component overheating leads to rapid deterioration, which affects computer performance, reliability, and longevity.

Whereas office-grade computers experienced difficulties maintaining proper component cooling in

an industrial environment, Allen-Bradley performed well in all environments. Allen-Bradley’s focus on system reliability and operational performance provides confidence in your system for all industrial environments.

Allen-Bradley’s focus on system reliability and operational performance provides confidence . . . for all industrial environments.

22%Within

ManufacturingSpeci�cations 78%

OutsideManufacturingSpeci�cations


Industrial Design BenefitsEven with higher specifications and sturdier construction, many are deterred from purchasing an industrial-grade computer because of its initial cost when compared to an office-grade computer.

Industrial-grade components are more expensive because they are rated and designed to handle harsh environments. Components such as RAM, hard disk drives, solid-state drives, optical drives, LCD displays, touchscreens, and motherboards require increased ratings to operate reliably in industrial environments.

Other key components such as processors are chosen from imbedded roadmaps to increase long term availability and support.

Lower Total Cost of Ownership

Some businesses use office-grade computers in industrial settings until they fail, viewing them as “disposable” commodities that can be quickly replaced.

While the initial cost of purchasing office-grade computer systems may be lower, consider the following factors that lead to costly consequences.

Higher Costs: Lower Productivity:

• Unplanned downtime and lost production • Higher repair cycle turnaround

• Continual replacement • Replacement requires downtime

• Higher maintenance and IT costs

• Additional costs for enclosure cooling and mounting

• Failures can corrupt or lose critical data

• Computer unreliability reduces process time and efficiency

• Complex and time consuming mounting solutions to overcome non-standard enclosure dimensions

An industrial rated product is the better return on investment because of its lower total cost over product life and how it consistently keeps processes up and running.

The costs associated with replacing failed office-grade computers is especially high when you factor in unplanned downtime and lost production.

An industrial rated product is the better return . . . because of its lower total cost over product life and how it consistently keeps processes up and running.


Technical SupportThe promise of 24-hour technical support from an office-grade computer manufacturer may seem like a benefit. However, Allen-Bradley offers 24-hour support by personnel trained to work with industrial customers.

Troubleshooting a problem in an industrial environment presents unique challenges that are beyond the scope of training and experience of typical technical support personnel. Allen-Bradley has extensive experience with troubleshooting in industrial environments including industrial networks, grounding/current loops issues, and heat dissipation/panel design. Allen-Bradley offers support not only with industrial computers, but also software/application, network, and other parts of the control system.

Allen-Bradley focuses on the stability of operational platforms so your system is rugged enough to handle industrial settings. Allen-Bradley offers longevity of support with rapid repair turnaround and maintenance to their products. Allen-Bradley also provides support as needed for computer migrations between series.

Allen-Bradley offers global service and support. With a worldwide network of personnel that are experienced in the needs of industrial customers and environments, Allen-Bradley products give the peace of mind that technical support is always available.

Visit the Rockwell Automation Support site for more information.

http://www.rockwellautomation.com/support/overview.page

Publication 6000-WP001B-EN-P – June 2013 Copyright © 2013 Rockwell Automation, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. Supersedes Publication 6000-WP001A-US-P – June 2000

Allen-Bradley, LISTEN. THINK. SOLVE. and Rockwell Software are trademarks of Rockwell Automation, Inc. Trademarks not belonging to Rockwell Automation are property of their respective companies.

http://www.rockwellautomation.com

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