Using an interactive touchscreen – on a production floor – is quickly becoming the norm in factory environments. A touchscreen can eliminate the need for an industrial keyboard and mouse. For manufacturing users, it creates an efficient source for inputting data or keeping track of inventory.

Can a touchscreen be used in a NEMA rated computer enclosure? The answer is yes, but it does require special equipment.

For a touchscreen to function properly in a factory setting, it must be panel mounted and properly installed in a NEMA 12 (protection against dust, dirt, oil, fibers, lint, splashing fluids), NEMA 4 (protection against dust, dirt, oil, hose directed water, most weather conditions) or a NEMA 4X (protection against dust, dirt, oil, hose directed fluids, corrosive materials, most weather conditions) computer or monitor enclosure. To maintain the proper enclosure seal, the monitor must have the capability to mount to the front door of the enclosure. The front of the screen must be open and not behind glass or a window.

If the touchscreen (in conjunction with the enclosure) is exposed to water/liquids or needs to be washed down, the enclosure and touchscreen must be rated for NEMA 4 or NEMA 4X. If the front of the monitor cannot withstand water, a failure will occur, which could cause significant downtime and revenue.

In order to design a door for the touchscreen monitor, the enclosure manufacturer will need to know the make and model of the preferred touchscreen. A custom monitor door will need to be fabricated for the dimensions/specs of the touchscreen. Therefore, the enclosure door will be unique to the touchscreen specified by the customer. If the end user decides to use another touchscreen in the future, a new door will need to be designed and fabricated.

Upon delivery to the factory or manufacturing facility, proper installation will be quick and easy. The touchscreen will simply attach to the front of the panel mount door maintaining the required NEMA rating. Most reputable enclosure companies will mount the monitor before it ships to the end user.

When choosing a new touchscreen for a computer enclosure, it is vital to note what environment the enclosure and monitor will be installed. Always do the necessary research and choose the touchscreen that will work best for the computer being used, the specific situation and the harsh setting. Touchscreen technology will continue to advance and keep factories and industrial atmospheres running smoother and more efficiently. In the end, the enclosure will most likely outlast and outperform many different monitors over the years.

HAVE QUESTIONS?  LET US KNOW HOW WE CAN BEST ASSIST YOU! CONTACT AN ‘ITSENCLOSURES EXPERT’ AT 1-800-423-9911 -or- SEND US AN EMAIL:  INFO@ITSENCLOSURES.COM

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More and more manufacturers are using LCD enclosures on dirty, dusty plant floors. With digital signage, management can communicate vital information efficiently to employees with a few clicks of a button.

Deploying an LCD in a warehouse or factory environment involves extensive planning. The same dangers that harm a computer or printer system will also exist for an LCD. Dust, humidity, liquids and temperature fluctuations can wreak havoc on a standard display. Manufacturers recognize the need for an enclosure to house a large commercial monitor, and enclosures are available in various shapes and sizes.

LCD Enclosure for Manufacturing Environments

1. Safety

Workplace safety is a top priority at any company, especially in manufacturing. Many companies are turning to digital signage as a fast and effective way to reach their employees. Digital signage is an easily managed tool to improve safety procedures. Michelle Hopkins, in the article, “10 Simple Steps to Improve Workplace Safety,” expresses the importance of signs, “… Signs are a cheap and effective way to quickly communicate important information. They’re usually simple and rely on pictures to detail hazards and proper procedures. These tools are good reminders and warnings for even the most experienced worker.” Digital signage can replace the old-fashioned bulletin board ‘signs’ in the lunchroom or on poles in the factory, saving paper and time. Human resources can now focus on more important issues!

2. Critical Processes

Digital signage can help manufacturers display critical production line information. The notion of “set it and forget it” programming is especially beneficial to plant managers. Utilizing digital signage on a manufacturing floor can help reduce response time for production quality issues. In the blog, ‘9 Scenarios of Common Assembly Line Issues,’ Dan McKiernan emphasizes the importance of having real time information for workers and managers, “Whether you need ongoing information, periodic status updates or data to observe a recent line change, it is imperative to have a tool to continually monitor and analyze your assembly line. [Digital signage] provides you with real-time, continuous and standardized task level data to provide analysis for every station in your assembly process. With a good understanding of your assembly line, you can easily identify problems and make accurate decisions to meet the changing demands of your assembly line.”

3. Performance

To keep employees motivated and attitudes positive, digital signage can also be utilized to display workplace goals and performance statistics. Keeping employees informed of key metrics, quality control or inventory levels can help drive enthusiasm. A simple daily ‘to-do list’ or real-time statistics on a digital screen will do wonders. According to the article, ‘Why Leaders Need To Embrace Employee Motivation‘ motivation is key, “Employees whose managers involve them in goal setting are 3.6 times more likely than other employees to be engaged… [Furthermore], Gallup estimates the cost of poor management and lost productivity from employees in the U.S. who are not engaged or actively disengaged to be between $960 billion and $1.2 trillion per year.”

Now more than ever, visual communication is a powerful tool to engage, educate and even inspire employees. Loud machinery and large open spaces with high ceilings can make real-time company communication (via a loudspeaker) a real challenge on the plant floor. Regardless if your goal is to improve performance, increase safety or empower your workforce, be sure to choose the right LCD enclosure that will keep your message running 24/7.

HAVE QUESTIONS?  LET US KNOW HOW WE CAN BEST ASSIST YOU! CONTACT AN ‘ITSENCLOSURES EXPERT’ AT 1-800-423-9911 -or- EMAIL: INFO@ITSENCLOSURES.COM

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Mt. Pleasant, PA (September 29, 2017)

Originally founded in 1972, Chefette Restaurants, the largest quick service restaurant in the Caribbean island nation of Barbados, operates 15 locations across the island of Barbados and employs over 850 people. Chefette deployed its first round of digital signage in the first quarter of 2013 at 10 drive-thru locations. The deployment included indoor and outdoor digital signage in portrait orientation and consisted of a mix of triple screen outdoor menu boards and single display pre-sale digital boards, both with 46-inch high-bright monitors. Because of the heat (average temperature is 80° F) and humidity that exists on the island, the outdoor LCD enclosures required air-conditioners installed on the rear of each unit.

The grand opening of Chefette’s brand-new location in Lancaster was September 15^th, 2017. The company’s website noted “Chefette’s newest branch is located in Lancaster, St. James, just off Highway 2A. This beautiful facility expands upon the modern designs seen at our Warrens and Welches branches and features a drive-thru, Double MEGA 3-Story Playground and ice cream parlor.” According to the news article, ‘Barbados needs Chefette now more than ever,’ the new location “sits on over 8,000 square feet of land, can seat about 170 people and offers parking space for about 40 vehicles.”

Chefette’s Lancaster store deployed a single and triple screen digital signage menu board paired with 47-inch high bright monitors. Utilizing the latest technology, ITSENCLOSURES’ fan cooled digital menu boards boast a 66% energy consumption reduction, compared to the compressor based enclosures originally installed in 2013.  Each enclosure is branded with the company’s logo and powder coated in the company’s signature color purple. Since the original deployment in 2013, ITSENCLOSURES’ new generation of outdoor digital menu boards are thinner, sleeker, and more energy efficient. To reduce  frequent enclosure maintenance, the menu boards employ a hydrophobic air filter to keep out dust and dirt, and only need to be replaced every 3-5 years. Chefette also installed commercial grade 48-inch monitors indoors to serve as menu boards and promotional tools.

“Chefette has been a loyal digital signage customer for years and we are proud to have our outdoor digital menu boards at the chain’s drive-thrus, including the new Chefette store in Lancaster,” said J.T. Spangler, President and Owner of ITSENCLOSURES. “The new location looks inviting and modern. Chefette does an excellent job with the architectural design and feel of each location. ITSENCLOSURES is proud to be the exclusive provider of digital menu boards to Chefette. We look forward to working with them on future projects!”

ITSENCLOSURES designs and builds the most heavy-duty enclosures on the market and ships every product completely assembled and ready to use upon delivery.

For more information on ITSENCLOSURES and their wide array of innovative products, please email ITSENCLOSURES (info@itsenclosures.com) or call 1-800-423-9911 to speak to a sales specialist.

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Mt. Pleasant, PA (February 28, 2017) – ITSENCLOSURES, a digital signage hardware expert, installed an all-weather, LCD enclosure at the front entrance of The Frank Kapr Funeral Home. The digital signage displays brief obituaries with visiting hours and also announcements/events.

Frank Kapr Funeral Home, located on West Pittsburgh Street in Scottdale, Pennsylvania, has been in operation for over 6 decades. Wanting to take advantage of the flexibility of digital signage to instantly change and revise content, the funeral home installed a consumer grade, residential, HDTV to present obituaries and announcements. The indoor monitor was mounted outdoors on the front porch railing, but was not a ‘high bright,’ commercial monitor. For this reason, it was nearly impossible to see during the day.

Frank Kapr desired to use the digital signage around the clock, and the residential television posed a problem. After struggling to use the current system, the funeral home turned to ITSENCLOSURES for direction on a more robust solution. For over a decade, ITSENCLOSURES has designed and installed outdoor, all-weather lcd enclosures across the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean. Several factors were considered, including the overall display visibility and harsh, Western Pennsylvania weather conditions.

After meeting with ITSENCLOSURES to discuss digital signage options, Frank Kapr chose an enclosure – in portrait orientation – that included a 46” high bright LCD (1,500 nits), and a specific heating and cooling system to allow operation 24/7 in temperatures of -40° to 120°F. To quickly modify content on an hourly or daily basis, a media player is hard-wired to a computer in the funeral home’s main office.

Frank Kapr, Owner of The Frank Kapr Funeral Home, was pleased with his decision to utilize digital signage at his funeral home, “We wanted state-of-the-art signage for our funeral home… something that could be seen from a distance. Our first step was to contact Shannon Roberts, who is the Production Manager at ITSENCLOSURES. He took the time to explain everything clearly to us and helped us make the best decision for our needs.”

After reviewing various locations on the funeral home’s grounds, the enclosure was installed on a cement footer in the flower garden at front of the building and can be seen by those walking or driving past the building. It is surrounded by flowers and greenery, making it an eye-catching addition to the funeral home. Frank Kapr also chose to have the funeral home’s logo silk screened in 3 locations on the enclosure for personal customization and brand awareness.

JT Spangler, Owner and President of ITSENCLOSURES, was proud that his company’s digital signage would be used to honor those that had passed away, “Digital signage is often installed for advertising and promotion, so I was proud to see our product employed in a unique way at the funeral home. The Frank Kapr Funeral Home is a fixture in the town of Scottdale, Pennsylvania, and they give back by using the LCD enclosure to display area events. This is just one more example of how digital signage can be a very versatile product.”

The Frank Kapr Funeral Home has a park on the property, called the Family Gardens, with a soothing waterfall, fountain, and statue. The all-weather LCD enclosure announces musical entertainment in the park. Singers, instrumentalists, and bands are provided free of charge to the public.

Mr. Kapr continued, “We are ecstatic about all that our attractive sign is capable of doing and we are continually finding new things to try with the sign. It is the right size for the exterior of the funeral home and the messages can be read from a distance. We are happy with our investment and every dollar was well spent. Mr. Roberts and ITSENCLOSURES are a wonderful digital partner.”

For more information on ITSENCLOSURES’ large array of products, visit www.ITSENCLOSURES.com, send an email to info@itsenclosures.com, or call 1-800-423-9911 to speak with Jennifer Bissell, Director of Marketing.

For more information on other enclosure products by ITSENCLOSURES: Click Here

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