Article

3 keys to improving outdoor kiosk reliability (before you install)

Ruggedized workstation and kiosk experts look at three main areas that can often create problems for those deploying outdoor kiosks or workstations.

April 29, 2015

By James Gregorie, Director of Digital Marketing and Business Development, Swift-Protech LLC

In the 25 years we've been building, installing and maintaining kiosks and outdoor workstations, we have been faced with some of the most rugged environments imaginable — including Arabian deserts, coastal salt air and the frozen tundra of Northern Canada. We've learned a few things in that time, and would like to pass on some of that in an effort improve deployers' kiosk reliability.

Here are three main areas that can often create problems for those deploying outdoor kiosks or workstations:

Condensation

Keeping a unit dry from rain, pipes and hoses is easy enough, and it is rare that people overlook these water sources. What many people do overlook is the moisture in the air that can easily condense inside the workstation. This can spell disaster for electronic components and computers.

The easiest way to prevent this is to properly seal the unit so that moist air cannot enter the unit. The gaps around monitors, keyboards, peripherals, etc. need to be gasketed and tightened to not only prevent water from entering but moist air as well.

An air conditioner (not a cooler) can also benefit a workstation. Air conditioners can help to dry the air as well as cool it before it goes into the enclosure. By doing so, there is no humidity to condense if the environmental temperature drops. Also, by keeping a consistent internal temperature, any humidity that may have made it inside won't condense and ruin your electronics.

Solar loading

While this may be an uncommon term to most, chances are you know the concept. Solar loading is responsible for keeping greenhouses warm and for making your car an oven even when the temperature outside is mild. The same thing can happen to workstations that are outdoors or are next to windows in direct sunlight. The increased temperature can wreak havoc on computers, circuit boards and monitors/displays.

When it comes to keeping solar loading at bay, the best method is to conduct a site survey and determine if the unit will be in direct sunlight. If so, try to adjust the location so that the unit is shaded by buildings or structures — if that is not possible then take steps to limit direct sunlight, particularly to the LCD.

If changing the location isn't an option, there's no need to fear. A solar shield can be made to fit onto your workstation and provide localized shade to keep it out of direct sunlight during the hottest part of the day. With a few simple screws the shield can decrease the harmful effects of solar loading enough to save your monitor and internal components.

Consider the end-user

This may be the most important part of the design process. Because no person is the same, no operation will be the same -- because it will always have different people involved. If the end-user isn't considered throughout the design process, new problems can arise and small problems can be exaggerated. For example, if the end-user is in a rush, they may only fasten one of three latches needed to get a proper seal. This leads to condensation and moisture getting into the unit.

Some important questions to ask about the end-user are:

• "How much experience/training will the user have?"
• "What conditions will they be working in? Is it bright, dark, hot, cold? If they are wearing gloves, will my touchscreen still work?"
• "What kind of interaction will the user have with the kiosk? Will they be looking intently or just glancing at it for information?"

Swift-Protech in Suwanee and Buford, Georgia and has been a provider of industrial automation, hazardous location solutions and outdoor kiosks for almost 30 years. With products built specifically to withstand the harshest environments (salt air, direct sunlight, hazardous chemicals, high pressure washdowns), Swift-Protech works to ensure high productivity, high reliability and significantly reduced downtime.