Computing In Industry

We can't get away from them - computers are everywhere, from the washing machine to the car it seems everything is now run by a computer and with the exponential rate they are advancing there is probably more computing power in the average mobile phone than NASA used to put a man on the moon.

And that has always been a problem for industry, as unlike other areas that computers have to function in, such as the home or office, computers in industry have to be manufactured to a robust standard and have to deal with all sorts of hostile environments from dust filled warehouses and baking hot furnaces to soaking wet production lines and deep freeze lockers.

Most industry computers are specially made, designed specifically for whatever environment they are to be used in, whether by being intrinsically sealed for dusty or hazardous atmospheres or being air-conditioned or heated to control extreme temperatures.

Whilst these industrial computers can function perfectly well they are highly expensive and replacing them can cost, not just in replacing the PC but also in downtime during the re-installation.

And that is why industry has always struggled to keep up with the ever increasing advances in technology - in fact many industrial computers have been in use for a decade and contain very old operating systems and couldn't cope with modern ones.

Whilst this may make many industrial PCs quite stable, running ten-year-old technology does mean many manufacturing processes are not running as efficiently or using the latest software developments as they should be.

Of course, the time eventually comes when a complete upgrade can no longer be put off and the industrial machines are ripped out and replaced costing a fortune in replacement units and production downtime.

This has always been a catch-22 for industry, weighing up the cost of upgrading compared with the possible improvements to production an upgrade will bring but there is an alternative.

For several years industrial computer enclosures have been designed and manufactured that can house a conventional PC yet still provide the robustness of that of a conventional industrial machine.

These enclosures are made from all types of material including food-grade stainless steel and can be used in all hazardous and hostile environments from dust and explosive atmospheres to wet rooms, furnaces and freezers.

As well as being far less expensive than buying a bespoke industrial computer these enclosures have allowed industry to use conventional low cost PCs in environments that they could normally not function in. Furthermore it is now possible to replace and upgrade machines in a matter of minutes whilst still using the same enclosure and reducing production downtime.

Copyright 2008 © Richard N Williams
Richard N Williams is a technical author and a specialist in the industrial computer industry helping to develop industrial computer enclosures and protection for all environments. Please visit us for more information about industrial pc solutions.

How To Stop Panic Attacks

Most of us whether we are aware of it or not, have suffered from some level of anxiety. There are many different approaches on how to stop panic attacks but there is only one method that I have found that is successful.

Stress or fear will often put us in fight or flight mode because we feel threatened. Anxiety makes us feel tense and fearful in our mind and in our body. In order to stop these symptoms from ever happening, we must get to the root of the problem, which is fear.

To stop future attacks we must stop fearing the attack from happening. Let me explain....

When we live in fear of the next panic attack, we are increasing our anxiety level, which will only work to speed up the next panic attack. Although it may sound more than a little obvious, it is the only way to get to the root of the problem.

Many people suffering from anxiety will spend a great deal of time, energy and money on treatment, whether it be therapy, medication, or other techniques. After graduating with my BA in psychology I began to realize that the answers to human suffering were only truly being addressed on the surface. Often the approach that professionals take is adopting a mechanism to cope with anxiety. Although this can help, it does not always get to the root of the problem. When you stop fearing the next attack, you can start living your life and enjoying it.

The solution to anxiety should not cause you anxiety! The answer should be simple, easy to understand and most of all, effective. If fear is the root of all anxiety and it is the only thing keeping you from being at peace, then you must eliminate your fear.

This is much easier to implement than it sounds. This technique is based on advanced psychology but is broken down in such a way that anyone can understand it, implement it, and be successful with it.

Don't Panic! (especially about your panic). Stop thinking that anxiety is hard to get over, it is not. End the Anxiety Loop in One Move and never worry about it again. http://heavenlyproducts.wordpress.com