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Computing for Manufacturing & Industrial Automation
Industrial PCs, Panel PCs and Edge Systems for Production Environments.
Industry Insight. Technology Know-how.
How We Help Manufacturing & Automation Environments
Manufacturing environments place specific demands on computing hardware: extended operating hours, electrical noise, mechanical shock and vibration, airborne dust and debris, temperature variation and the need for stable, repeatable configurations over many years. General-purpose IT hardware is rarely designed or supported with these conditions in mind. We apply industrial PCs, panel PCs, edge systems and networking products in production environments, and how these building blocks can be configured to support different manufacturing projects.
Systems used in manufacturing projects are usually fanless where possible, to remove moving parts and reduce the need for maintenance on the line.
Power and connectivity are chosen to match the existing automation infrastructure. This typically means industrial DC power inputs such as 9V – 36V DC, industrial Ethernet ports, and serial interfaces.
Industrial platforms are usually supplied with long-term availability and defined revision control, so that machine builders and end users can support a stable bill of materials for the life of a machine or production line.
Industrial Computing For Your Application: Where Our Solutions Work
Line-side HMI & Operator Terminals
Panel PCs and industrial displays are commonly mounted on machines, pedestals or enclosures to provide local operator interfaces. These terminals run machine control software, SCADA clients, work instructions and data entry screens. They usually interface with PLCs and controllers via industrial Ethernet or serial connections and are designed to tolerate repeated use, glove operation and the local environmental conditions.
Machine & Process Control
Embedded box PCs and industrial rack systems are often installed in cabinets or control rooms to provide local machine or process control. They handle tasks such as recipe management, setpoint handling, data logging and protocol conversion between different parts of the control system. These units are typically integrated with PLCs, drives, sensors and existing automation hardware, and are specified with the I/O needed to sit reliably in that role for many years.
Robotics & Automation Cells
Robotic cells and automated stations typically use compact, DIN-rail or panel-mount systems located inside the cell or nearby panels. These systems support industrial Ethernet protocols, digital I/O and, where appropriate, interfaces into safety-related signalling as designed by the overall control system. Multi-display support is often required for operator, maintenance and engineering views of the same cell.
Packaging, Intralogistics & Warehousing
Industrial PCs and displays are also used on packaging lines, print-and-apply systems, conveyors and palletisers, as well as on forklift or vehicle-mounted terminals. Networking hardware provides reliable connectivity across large sites, between buildings and into higher-level systems such as WMS, MES and ERP.
Machine Vision & Inspection
Where inspection and quality checks are automated, higher-performance embedded PCs or rack systems are used, sometimes with GPU or accelerator cards. These host image processing or AI workloads, connect to industrial cameras and frame grabbers, and are responsible for defect detection, dimensional checks, label and code verification and traceability functions. The hardware is chosen to balance processing performance, determinism, thermal design and physical footprint.
Condition Monitoring & Predictive Maintenance
Condition monitoring systems use edge computers connected to sensors via remote I/O modules. These systems collect vibration, temperature, current and other data from motors, pumps, gearboxes and other assets. Some processing is carried out locally for threshold detection or basic analytics, while bulk data can be sent to on-premise servers or cloud platforms for longer-term analysis and predictive maintenance models.
Production Analytics & OEE
Industrial PCs and panel PCs are used as clients and data sources for production analytics and OEE systems. They collect and present metrics such as throughput, downtime, scrap and changeover performance, pulling data from PLCs, sensors and existing databases so that shifts, lines and sites can be compared on a consistent basis.
SCADA, Historian & MES Integration
Rack and edge systems host SCADA servers, historians and interface services into MES and ERP. They aggregate data from multiple machines and cells, handle alarms and events, and provide standardised interfaces for reporting and higher-level planning systems, without altering the underlying control layer.
Explore Our Computing Range for Manufacturing Projects
High-performance systems built to accelerate vision, inspection, and real-time AI at the edge. Ideal for demanding workloads that need parallel processing.
Space-efficient computing platforms for easy integration into custom systems. Choose the right performance and interfaces for your application.
Modular compute cores that speed development and simplify lifecycle support. Pair with a carrier board to match your I/O needs.
Rugged touchscreen PCs for production-floor HMIs, operator stations, and machine interfaces. Designed for reliable uptime and easy panel integration.
Supporting Industry 4.0 with Advanced Computing
Industry 4.0 brings connected machines, live data and local decision-making to the factory floor. Instrumented equipment and industrial PCs, including edge AI platforms such as NVIDIA Jetson Thor, let vision, analytics and control run directly on the line instead of in a remote data centre.
Explore our recent product highlights, case studies and technical articles.
Our work on manufacturing projects usually follows a defined process. We start by understanding the environment and application in detail, then agree a suitable hardware platform, build and validate systems in the UK, and finally manage changes and lifecycle over the life of the machine or line.
Projects typically start with a requirements capture phase. This covers environmental conditions such as temperature range, dust levels, vibration and cleaning regime; electrical considerations such as supply, earthing and panel layout; performance requirements; I/O and expansion needs; relevant standards or approvals; and expectations around lifecycle, volume and support.
Based on this information, suitable hardware platforms are shortlisted and reviewed. CPU class, memory, storage, I/O, expansion options and mounting arrangements are agreed, along with any specific BIOS or firmware requirements. For repeat deployments, a small number of standard builds are usually defined to simplify stocking, rollout and support.
Systems are then assembled and validated in the UK. This includes physical assembly, OS installation and configuration, loading of customer images where required, and burn-in and functional tests defined for the project. The goal is that systems arrive on site ready to be integrated with minimal additional work.
Once deployed, attention shifts to lifecycle support. Agreed configurations are documented and controlled as a bill of materials. Changes announced by manufacturers are monitored, and when they occur, suitable replacement options are identified and discussed. Where appropriate, last-time-buy planning and controlled transitions are used to minimise disruption to machines and production lines.
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Wireless Solution Saves Time and Reduces Overheads for OT Machinery Monitoring Project
Our customer was looking for ways to improve efficiency and reliability, and reduce operation costs and overheads for their manufacturing facility. The initial step in this transformation was to add additional monitoring and measurements to several areas of their facility to allow the collection of usage data from older machinery for analysis. The machinery to be analysed would be located in many areas of the complex, with some sitting in concrete outbuildings far from the source of the main network.