But, as you’re aware, your facility isn’t typical. Your electronics are subjected to hazards and issues others aren’t. And that’s why we also offer a number of accessories that you can use to customize an enclosure to meet the specific challenges of your own application.
In addition to special size and design requests, here are some of the most common customizations the DustShield team encounters.
We can modify virtually any monitor enclosure to accommodate a touchscreen. Often, it’s as simple as creating a custom screen cutout that matches a touchscreen’s size and needs. If the touchscreen monitor is panel-mounted or flush-mounted, no special brackets are generally necessary. But, sometimes, we need to add a bracket to position the touchscreen so it marries with the opening correctly.
As touchscreens become more popular, we are modifying more enclosures to accommodate them. As to whether you need a bracket or not, our enclosure specialist can help you determine that based upon what brand/model of touchscreen monitor you own.
DustShield offers an internal-mounted, thermostat-controlled heating system that will help keep the enclosure interior at an optimal operating temperature for your equipment. The heat is provided via a 200-Watt light bulb. To help keep the interior properly warmed, we remove the fan, which would only pull in freezing cold air if it were installed.
The bulb features a silicone coating to prevent it from shattering. It has a life expectancy of 4,000 hours, so you can expect it to last a long time.
The maximum heating potential depends on the size of the enclosure and the environment. But, the DustShield team has seen the system raise the enclosure’s internal temperature to 60° Fahrenheit when the temperature outside the enclosure was -10° Fahrenheit.
Label and barcode label printers stop working properly when the temperature reaches about 35° Fahrenheit. This is common in cold storage, refrigerated warehouses and produce and meat facilities.
You can add a shelf to your order that allows you to mount your DustShield enclosure and equipment against a wall. The shelf has a capacity of 175 pounds–which is enough for most electronics.
Or, if a wall-mounted shelf doesn’t fit your needs, we offer pole-mount systems as well. Your enclosure specialist can help you determine which is best for you.
Most hardware is very resilient to heat. At DustShield, we have customers who operate their equipment inside an enclosure on hot tarmacs in the middle of a summer day with no issues. All they do to mitigate the heat inside the enclosure is run the fan system, which does a great job of removing hot air to regulate the temperate.
For some though, it makes business sense to still opt for an HVAC unit. In that case, we offer two options–a 1,000 BTU unit and 2,200 BTU unit. To determine which version is right for your needs, we will gather information regarding your equipment and operating environment.
In addition to cooling the temperature, HVAC units offer a different benefit that more companies are interested in–dehumidifying the enclosure. The HVAC unit does an excellent job of pulling humid air out of the enclosure, which is great for those companies who operate in what is essentially a cloud.
While we do upgrade enclosures with HVAC units for those who want to keep their equipment cool, we provide more HVAC-equipped enclosures to customers operating in extremely humid environments–and not just geographically. From nurseries to lumber treatment facilities, our customers have discovered and enjoy the benefits of having less-humid air inside their enclosures, which helps their printers and other machines operate correctly.
The filter guard is an acrylic and ABS plastic add-on that provides extra protection to the filter. The guard is designed mostly to mitigate splashing liquids from getting into the filter opening.
But, the guard is also a great way to prolong the filter’s lifespan. We normally recommend that customers change their filter every 1–2 months, depending on the environment. The filter guard, however, will catch falling dust and debris and keep it from even reaching the opening, which reduces the load to the filter. This means the filter could last 3 times as long, which results in huge cost savings.
In addition to the filter guard, we can install grommets that cover the cable ports.
By adding the rubber grommet, you boost air pressure, which helps create an even cleaner interior environment.
Both covers are great add-ons for any enclosure and any customer. The filter guard is especially useful for areas with splashing liquids, e.g., canning facilities, or extremely dusty environments, e.g., feed mills, lumber mills.
The grommets are ideal for printer enclosures. Customers have told us that with the grommet, they went from replacing the label printer print head on a quarterly basis to replacing it yearly. Just think of how much money that can save you!
We use POLYDAMP acoustical foam–a Polymer Technologies Inc. open-cell, polyurethane foam that is designed to provide maximum sound absorption for a given thickness. We install the foam on all inside walls (except the clear acrylic door) of a cabinet.
The foam doesn’t completely dampen all noise. But, it does bring the operating sounds of the equipment inside the cabinet down to a non-disruptive level, allowing normal conversations to happen while the machine is running.
Consider adding acoustic foam to your enclosure if you have a piece of equipment that is exceptionally noisy and located where it would be disruptive to team members working nearby, like a printer in an office area.
In addition, we have built enclosures with acoustic foam for coffee houses to house their blender, which helps keep the sound level down and keep the “coffee house vibe” intact.
At DustShield, we have decades of experience offering custom enclosures that provide superior electronic hardware protection. Our goal is to design and develop a cabinet that is convenient, cost effective and long lasting.
To start your order, you can contact our enclosure specialists at 417.736.3746 or customerservice1@amprod.us.
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