Our Thin Client/Small PC Enclosures form part of the modular Hope Industrial Workstation System by allowing 3rd-party small PCs and thin clients to be mounted directly at a factory operator station. These enclosures can be combined with a Universal Mount Monitor, Industrial Keyboard, and Floor-standing Pedestal Mount to create a full stand-alone workstation.

An internal cooling system distributes air throughout the enclosure, optimising heat transfer through the sheet metal and eliminating hot-spots without circulating outside air. High quality integrated industrial DC power supplies replace the less reliable “power bricks” that come with most small PCs. For applications that don’t require an integrated power supply or internal cooling, the enclosure can be ordered without the power/cooling assembly.

To determine whether your computer and equipment will work with this enclosure, visit the Technical FAQs tab above, or contact our sales department.

What are the advantages of the Hope Industrial enclosure over an off-the-shelf industrial enclosure?

For years, customers have used off-the-shelf enclosures along with Hope Industrial displays, keyboards, and mounts to create full industrial workstations. Using basic enclosures requires solving a common set of engineering problems: mounting the thin client or PC, mounting the enclosure, supplying power, cooling, and routing cables. Our enclosure solves these problems, allowing the customer to concentrate on selecting the proper thin client or small form factor PC and on the application itself.

• Thin Client Ready – internal mounting plate includes standard 75mm and 100mm VESA mounting holes, as well as mounting patterns for a variety of 3rd-party thin clients and PCs (see below). The oversized mounting plate can be drilled to accommodate other mounting patterns.
• Ruggedises Non-Industrial Hardware – provides a safe environment for an office-rated thin client or PC; an inexpensive office-grade thin client can be used on the factory floor.
• Integrated Cooling – a single internal air circulating fan cools the integrated power supply, circulates the air inside the enclosure, and also directs air flow over the device to minimise heat rise. Air is circulated over 4,742 cm² of surface area to cool the enclosure interior without circulating outside air.
• Stainless Steel – rugged stainless steel construction (black carbon steel optional) is tougher than plastic while maintaining a full IP65/IP66 rating for wash-down applications.
• Integrated Power Supply – integrated industrial power supply provides up to 22 W of power at 5 VDC (ENCL-TC01 and ENCL-TC02 models only) and 40 W at 12 VDC (24 VDC for ENCL-TC02 models; 19 VDC for ENCL-TC03 models), meeting the needs of most thin clients and many small form factor PCs. Input power is integrated with display AC power so only a single AC input is required, and DC output is provided via convenient terminal block connections.
• Integration with Hope Industrial Mounts – the enclosure is pre-drilled and fitted for use with Hope Industrial pedestal mount options. All cable routing is handled internally without any additional drilling or sealing by the customer.
• Wall Mount Option – when a full pedestal is not required, the enclosure can be mounted directly to a wall using an optional bracket (Hope Part No.: WB-ENCL1-SS4).
• Internal Cable Management – included, pre-fit cable raceway comes pre-mounted, ensuring a clean installation.

Which Thin Clients or Small Form Factor PCs will work with this enclosure?

The enclosure can be used with most devices that will physically fit inside the enclosure, and will not give off more heat than can be safely dissipated by the enclosure’s cooling mechanism while maintaining an operating temperature that is within the device’s normal operating range. This section addresses physical fit and device mounting, while the next addresses heat.

Physical Constraints

Physically, the enclosure can usually accommodate a device up to (W x H x D) 228 mm x 325 mm x 93 mm which includes an allowance for typical cable connectors plugged into the back of the device. It does not include any allowance for mounting brackets that may be needed on the top and bottom. The maximum allowable space is (W x H x D) 305 mm x 325 mm x 93 mm.

To mount the thin client or small form factor PC, an internal mounting plate is provided which includes standard 75mm and 100mm VESA mounting holes, as well as mounting patterns for a variety of 3rd-party thin clients and small PCs. The oversized mounting plate can be drilled to accommodate other mounting patterns. The following chart illustrates several popular thin clients and PCs, their preferred mounting method, and whether a separate bracket is required:

Don’t see your device listed? Contact us.

Power Supply Limits

The integrated power supply in ENCL-TC01 enclosures outputs 5/12 VDC (22 W at 5 VDC and 40 W at 12 VDC), while the ENCL-TC02 outputs 5/24 VDC (22 W at 5 VDC and 40 W at 24 VDC), and the ENCL-TC03 outputs 40 W at 19 VDC. ENCL-TC00 enclosures do not have an integrated power supply.

Will my Thin Client, Small Form Factor PC, or other devices run too hot inside this enclosure?

Using Hope-Industrial-Tested Thin Clients and Small PCs

Hope Industrial has tested many devices to determine the actual heat-rise around the units’ circuit boards when mounted in our enclosure. Thanks to the internal air circulating fan, many vented commercial devices designed to be placed on a desk, will actually run cooler inside our enclosure than they would in a typical office environment.

For example, when testing a Wyse S10 placed on a desk, we found that the operating temperature surrounding the electronics inside the device was 17°C higher than the ambient temperature; meaning that in a 22°C office the device electronics are actually running at ~39°C.

When the same device was placed inside the Hope Industrial enclosure, the temperature rise around the electronics was only 8.3°C, since the enclosure’s internal air circulating fan removes heat from the thin client and convects that heat to the inner walls of the enclosure. This means that the Wyse S10 will run cooler inside our enclosure than sitting on a desk in the same environment.

The internal air circulating fan has a great impact on devices with case vents like the S10, but unvented devices will get a similar benefit; circulating air takes heat away from the device. Heat inside the enclosure is generally not an issue for industrial-rated (noncommercial) devices since they are designed to keep the internal electronics cool. Tests using a popular Advantech thin client (rated to an operating temperature of 55°C) showed an internal heat rise of ~11°C. When inside our enclosure, the internal heat rise was still only 17°C. Either way, the thin client can easily handle the vast majority of industrial environments. A Dell Box PC 3000 will run at the same temperature inside our enclosure as it will sitting in open air of the same ambient temperature.

The following chart lists the test results of popular thin clients and small form factor PCs when placed in the Hope Industrial enclosure. In most cases, the net increase in temperature of the device components when the device is placed in our enclosure is negligible!

Don’t see your device listed? Contact us and we will gladly review your device to determine what type of additional heat benefits the enclosure can provide.

Using Other Devices Inside the Enclosure

To determine the maximum wattage of small PCs (or any other combination of hardware not yet tested by Hope Industrial), you must take into account the total wattage consumed by the equipment, the maximum expected ambient temperature (outside the enclosure), and the maximum rated operating temperature of the device. Please contact us for a consultation, or use the following steps:

1. Calculate the total expected wattage that will be consumed by the equipment you will place in the enclosure.
2. Refer to the chart below to determine the expected heat rise inside the enclosure at the wattage determined in step 1.
3. Determine the maximum ambient temperature expected outside the enclosure and add this to the heat rise determined in step 2.
4. Compare this to the maximum rated operating temperature of the equipment to make sure that the calculated temperature does not exceed the rated temperature of the device.

When selecting a small form factor PC or other device, keep in mind that vented devices and those with lower-wattage consumption will typically run cooler inside the enclosure. Cooler operating temperatures will extend the life of most electronic components.

Internal Enclosure Temperature Rise Graph

Note that this graph does not take into account the additional benefits of circulating air through the vented enclosure of some commercial thin clients, which provides additional heat handling. Also, this graph assumes that the internal air circulating fan is running. If the fan is bypassed or disabled in any way, this graph is no longer valid.

For applications where additional cooling is needed, contact us for information on active cooling options, which can extend the heat handling capability of the enclosure up to 175 watts.

Using the Dell Box PC 3000

The Dell Box PC 3000 Embedded Computer is designed to operate at higher temperatures than most comparable non-industrial PCs. Due to the efficient thermal designs both of the Box PC 3000 and the Hope Industrial enclosure, heat-rise inside the enclosure is negligible.

The enclosure mounting panel has been pre-drilled to accommodate the Box PC 3000 when used with the Dell mounting bracket (Dell part no. 575-BBKB).

The Box PC 3000 combined with the Hope Industrial enclosure can handle ambient temperatures up to the maximum rated temperature for the Box PC 3000 (up to 50C). Actual thermal performance may vary if other heat-generating equipment is mounted inside the enclosure. If other equipment will be mounted inside the enclosure along with a Box PC 3000, contact us so that one of our engineers can help calculate expected heat rise.