Environmental Hazards in Concrete Manufacturing

Where would we be as a society without concrete? In 3000 B.C. Egyptians were hard at work making their own cement using mud mixed with straw to bind dried bricks. Around the same time, people in China were building the Great Wall using cementitious materials (source). While the concrete industry has certainly come a long way since then, there are still some unavoidable nuisances associated with producing concrete. No matter what methods a facility uses for mixing concrete, there is always going to be an unwelcome byproduct: dust. Unfortunately, dust (also known as microscopic particulate) can significantly damage electronics like label printers, PCs, and monitors. Luckily, you can protect your electronics from the environmental hazards in concrete manufacturing with high-quality enclosures.

Environmental Hazards in Concrete Manufacturing

Effects on Label Printers

If you work in the concrete manufacturing industry, you might be familiar with the white layer of dust that graces your clothes after a long day of work. However, this dust isn’t like the dust under your bed. This microscopic particulate consists of abrasive material, and if it gets inside your label printer, chaos can ensue. Dust, especially abrasive dust, contaminates and destroys printheads over time, which results in decreased print quality. If your facility uses a barcode system to label and sort materials, you might notice that certain items won’t scan. If your label printer is unprotected, that’s probably the cause. Avoid the hassle and purchase an enclosure. Since cement contains several chemicals, consider purchasing an enclosure with a particulate and fume filter. It includes double the amount of activated carbon filtration to remove even the tiniest particulates from sticky, humid air containing oil and fumes.

Effects on Personal Computers

You need to keep your PCs protected as well. Most computers come with some sort of fan inside to prevent a PC fire. If you notice that your computer’s fan is running more often and longer than usual, there could be layers of cement dust inside. If too much microscopic particulate accumulates in your computer, it can overheat and ultimately lead to computer failure. For this and other reasons, it is important to store all important company info on a remote server. However, if some information is only saved on the hard drive, you could lose years of valuable data if your computer overheats and crashes. By purchasing an enclosure with a particulate and fume filter, you can extend the life of your PC.

Effects on Monitors

When concrete dries, it’s naturally rough until it’s sanded down. So it only makes sense that concrete dust is rough and abrasive as well. If you go to wipe off a computer screen in a facility that manufactures concrete, it can be nearly impossible to remove the dust without scratching your screen. While this certainly affects the quality of the image protected, you can still use the monitor. However, these scratches can add up over time and dramatically impact your ability to see details on the screen. In addition, microscopic particulate can cause a shortage in your computer monitor. Keep your monitor safe with an enclosure.

_____

Unfortunately, concrete dust is an unavoidable environmental hazard in the concrete manufacturing industry. However, by protecting your electronics with enclosures, you can keep them up and running for years to come. If you’re looking for a computer enclosure, contact DustShield. We have an extensive line of enclosures designed to protect LCD monitors, tower and desktop CPUs, and printers in harsh environments. Heavy-duty and delivered completely assembled, our enclosures suit a variety of applications. We’ll work with you to determine which upgrades would enhance your company’s workflow. With help from our customer service representatives, you’ll find that customizing a computer enclosure is easy. To learn more, please contact us toll-free at 800-587-9557 or contact us online.