IP65 Panel PC – How Does the IP Rating Affect a Computer’s Lifespan in the Food Industry?

The food industry is a demanding environment for devices operating in this space. Temperatures on the production floor, depending on the process, can be very low or very high. Additionally, devices are exposed to water splashes, significant humidity, or dust. A Panel PC IP65 is designed precisely to cope with such a difficult working environment. More and more production lines in the food industry and beyond are designed with the use of panel PCs with a protection rating of at least IP65 in mind, partly due to operating systems supporting touch technology, as well as the importance of sharing information between multiple devices and environmental conditions. Industrial panel PCs can offer higher computing power, storage, a customized number of inputs/outputs, and resistance to adverse external conditions.

Is an IP65 panel PC fully protected?

If we care about full protection of a panel PC, we must pay attention to whether the IP65 marking does not apply only to the front of the device. A Panel PC IP65 can often be installed in a cabinet, switchgear, or OEM panel, so its rear is protected by another enclosure, while the front is protected by a tight factory housing. When the computer is rear-mounted in food production, the factory front protection against dust or water splashes is entirely sufficient. However, it should be remembered that the space between the computer and the panel where it is installed should also be sealed, e.g., using a special gasket. Due to the installation specification, many IP65 panel PCs are manufactured with IP65 protection only for the front part of the device, which helps reduce costs and provides more options, e.g., installing a larger number of inputs/outputs or using ventilation if the device is not fanless. Therefore, if we are looking for something with full protection, we should look for panel PCs with an IP69K protection rating.

Does an IP65 panel PC necessarily have to have a metal enclosure?

Panel PCs intended for industrial applications are designed to operate in specific conditions. If we want the installed computer not to be susceptible, for example, to high temperatures and to be sealed, we should rather look for an IP65 panel PC in a metal or aluminum enclosure. Panel PCs in a plastic enclosure are not industrial devices and may not meet the specific standards required for operation in the food industry. The use of a metal or aluminum enclosure in a panel PC brings a number of advantages such as:

• a more solid and more durable enclosure
• easier cleaning, which is very important in the food industry
• greater resistance to rust and corrosion in the case of an aluminum enclosure
• resistance of the enclosure to contamination, e.g., bacteria

IP65 rating and the service life of a panel PC

The IP65 rating (according to IEC 60529) refers to the enclosure’s resistance to dust ingress and water jets, not directly to what “service life” panel PCs will have. In practice, however, an IP65 protection level realistically extends reliable operation in harsh environments because it limits typical causes of failure such as dust settling on electronics and heatsinks, moisture accelerating connector corrosion, and dirt worsening the performance of the touch panel. The IP65 sealing level affects the service life of a computer, but it is also important to remember that the computer’s service life is also determined by its resistance to temperature and vibration, the way heat is dissipated (especially in fanless designs), power quality, water vapor condensation, chemicals from cleaning agents, and the sealing class of other components such as connectors or cable glands. Therefore, IP65 is worth treating as a strong foundation of environmental resistance, but service life is built only by the complete set: correct installation, sealed wiring, temperature control, and periodic inspection of gaskets.

In summary, industrial IP65 panel PCs are a good foundation for using them in the food industry to ensure reliability and production continuity. However, it is important to remember proper installation, adding sealing if IP65 applies only to the front, and choosing a device that is also resistant to other adverse conditions on the production floor such as vibrations, extreme temperatures, or exposure to chemicals.