Jump to content

  • Quick Navigation
Photo

Laptop or tablet in wet environment

Share this

  • You cannot start a new topic
  • Please log in to reply
6 replies to this topic
- - - - -

Miss Frankie

    Grade - SIFSQN

  • IFSQN Senior
  • 259 posts
  • 27 thanks
54
Excellent

  • United States
    United States
  • Gender:Female

Posted 09 September 2022 - 09:16 PM

We're being pushed to 'go digital' in our facility.

Our processing area is very wet and humid and has poor wifi signals.  We do have a couple tablets that record temps but they have trouble connecting at times.

I was thinking a basic laptop stationed at the QC station, were the QC staff inputs data into their forms on the laptop. Then once a week, I'd load that information onto a thumb drive and use that to transfer data to the shared drive.
The QC staff is on board with that idea.

 

So, any recommendations for laptops? Prefer something semi-weather proof and according to upper manager a "disposable price" as they know they won't last all that long in our environment.

 

I found this one on Amazon that looks decent enough.

 

Amazon.com: ASUS BR1100 Laptop, 11.6" HD Anti-Glare Touchscreen Display, Intel Celeron N4500, 4GB RAM, 64GB Storage, MIL-STD 810H Durability, TPM 2.0, Windows 10 Pro, Dark Grey, Stylus Included, BR1100FKA-502YT : Electronics



Brothbro

    Grade - SIFSQN

  • IFSQN Senior
  • 350 posts
  • 115 thanks
180
Excellent

  • United States
    United States
  • Gender:Male
  • Interests:Aimlessly browsing the internet

Posted 09 September 2022 - 09:50 PM

Hi Miss Frankie,

 

Claims of "durability" on electronics can only go so far, it looks like this one is rated well for impact resistance and up to 330cc of spilt liquids. However, there is little mention of resistance to exposure to constant humidity... I would agree with your management that you could expect to replace this laptop relatively often. Make sure to also check whether the processing speed and RAM are up to snuff with whatever proprietary software your company may use; some of the QA software I've seen is not very efficient and hogs a lot of memory! I am however really impressed with the price on that laptop.

 

Here is a company that actually specializes in PC enclosures: https://www.pcenclosures.net/. They have experience in protecting computers from exposure to water/vapor. Their enclosures aren't very cheap, but it could mean that you could invest in a more powerful laptop because it would be better protected. Of course, a faster machine could boost your QA team's efficiency! 

 

There are also enclosure cabinets like the one linked here, although these are more suited to protect against dust rather than vapor.


Edited by Brothbro, 09 September 2022 - 09:51 PM.


Miss Frankie

    Grade - SIFSQN

  • IFSQN Senior
  • 259 posts
  • 27 thanks
54
Excellent

  • United States
    United States
  • Gender:Female

Posted 09 September 2022 - 10:16 PM

Hi Miss Frankie,

 

Claims of "durability" on electronics can only go so far, it looks like this one is rated well for impact resistance and up to 330cc of spilt liquids. However, there is little mention of resistance to exposure to constant humidity... I would agree with your management that you could expect to replace this laptop relatively often. Make sure to also check whether the processing speed and RAM are up to snuff with whatever proprietary software your company may use; some of the QA software I've seen is not very efficient and hogs a lot of memory! I am however really impressed with the price on that laptop.

 

Here is a company that actually specializes in PC enclosures: https://www.pcenclosures.net/. They have experience in protecting computers from exposure to water/vapor. Their enclosures aren't very cheap, but it could mean that you could invest in a more powerful laptop because it would be better protected. Of course, a faster machine could boost your QA team's efficiency! 

 

There are also enclosure cabinets like the one linked here, although these are more suited to protect against dust rather than vapor.

 

Thanks!  I will check these out.

Our QC paperwork doesn't entail a lot.  Mostly "x" to verify something was checked, or writing the time/temp of product.  No calculations or anything like that.
All our forms are on excel or word right now, then printed out for the QC to use, there are maybe 10 different forms per day.  

By using a laptop, it would greatly improve the readability as some of their handwriting isn't great, and the space they have to write in is pretty small.



Brothbro

    Grade - SIFSQN

  • IFSQN Senior
  • 350 posts
  • 115 thanks
180
Excellent

  • United States
    United States
  • Gender:Male
  • Interests:Aimlessly browsing the internet

Posted 09 September 2022 - 10:19 PM

Thanks!  I will check these out.

Our QC paperwork doesn't entail a lot.  Mostly "x" to verify something was checked, or writing the time/temp of product.  No calculations or anything like that.
All our forms are on excel or word right now, then printed out for the QC to use, there are maybe 10 different forms per day.  

By using a laptop, it would greatly improve the readability as some of their handwriting isn't great, and the space they have to write in is pretty small.

 

If that's the case, I think your chosen laptop would be a great place to start. Anything more than that to do some straightforward forms may be overkill!



G M

    Grade - SIFSQN

  • IFSQN Senior
  • 483 posts
  • 94 thanks
131
Excellent

  • United States
    United States
  • Gender:Male

Posted 15 September 2022 - 05:09 PM

Would a hardwired cabinet with a computer in it work?  We've had good luck running SAP, etc. on compact workstations in a stainless cabinet that can't be any better than IP65, with the equipment nearby being wet washed at least once a day.



jfrey123

    Grade - PIFSQN

  • IFSQN Principal
  • 601 posts
  • 173 thanks
293
Excellent

  • United States
    United States
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Sparks, NV

Posted 15 September 2022 - 08:46 PM

I echo G M's statement above regarding a cabinet of some kind.  Not only will it protect your laptop a bit better from the environment, but it'll protect it from sanitation as well.  The cabinet itself can be added to master sanitation schedules, and washed more frequently than the computer will hold up to.  

 

Just look for cabinets without drawers or cubby holes, as we all know employees will decide to leave pens and rolls of tape and all sorts of other unapproved junk for an auditor to have a field day with...



Miss Frankie

    Grade - SIFSQN

  • IFSQN Senior
  • 259 posts
  • 27 thanks
54
Excellent

  • United States
    United States
  • Gender:Female

Posted 15 September 2022 - 10:00 PM

Thanks!  That's a good idea.  I'll look into a cabinet.

 

Our SQF audit is next week, so it won't be until after that.  Got a few other more pressing matters.  





Share this

0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users