Let me begin by sharing how cold environments could effect technology. Think about it; materials like plastic on keyboards or rubber gaskets can become brittle, liquid crystal displays can freeze, touch screens can malfunction as ice develops between the screen and the front bezel. In addition, connectors may shrink and loosen and mounting brackets on fork-trucks can loosen.
When 23% of all US warehouse space is in a refrigerator, freezer or climate controlled storage and of that, 78% of all cold space is freeze space, this becomes a huge impact on how you run your business! These significant cold storage businesses include food processing, distribution, ports, outdoor logistics, retail, 3PL, pharmaceuticals and health care. Government mandates in the food and beverage and health care industries, formally track and trace all steps within the work flow process. If there is a breakdown in the work flow based on inadiquite technology, businesses will have a negative impact on their bottom line.
If your business has deployed standard mobile computers within these environments, you may need to consider the following:
- Transitions between cold and and warm environments may cause condensation or corrosion, fogging or frost
- Standard batteries failing
- Low-light conditions creating a hard to see display and hard to read keyboard for your operators
- Operators are physically hampered with bulky and cumbersome clothing and gloves while working on technology
So what should you be looking for when you need to address environmental requirements? Internal heaters for the display and scan window to start. Additionally, thermostat or user heather controls for energy conservation. Freezer related plastics that hold up and do not crack in sub zero temperatures. Furthermore, military-grade conformal coatings which protect electronics against condensation and specialized low-temp batteries will allow operators to work in frigid environments.
Similar to snowflakes, no two refrigerated or cold storage facilities are alike – be it the requirements around commodity, distribution, manufacturing or import/export environments. However, one common thread that unites them all is the operational costs which continue to escalate while profits prove to be more difficult to achieve. Preparing and deploying a solution which stands up to the rigors of battling the heat and transitioning to the cold, will provide your operators with the tools to be productive in any environment.
Fortunately, there are cold storage solutions which will provide your operators with the tools to be productive in the most demanding environments. For additional information feel free to contact us at L-Tron at info@l-tron.com or click below to qualify for a free assessment.
