An industrial computer OEM needed a metal enclosure that could support edge-computing equipment in demanding installation conditions. The same platform also had to accommodate wall, DIN-rail and rack mounting without a separate adapter for each arrangement.
The project combined enclosure fabrication with thermal-interface, attachment and mounting changes. It was evaluated as a configured assembly, not as an empty metal box whose performance could be assumed from material thickness alone.
The customer’s challenge
The customer reported condensation during wide-temperature operation, with associated motherboard corrosion. Vibration loosened hard-drive and connector attachments. Different mounting arrangements also required additional transition parts, complicating installation.
The design therefore had several interdependent requirements. Cooling changes needed to work with the enclosure arrangement; drive and connector restraints needed to withstand the recorded vibration condition; and the mounting interfaces had to remain accessible in the intended installations.
Material and fabrication route
The structure used a 2.0 mm aluminum enclosure, 1.0 mm SECC internal components and stainless-steel mounting parts. It accommodated a Mini-ITX motherboard.
Process route: Laser cutting → bending → welding → preparation of the thermal interface using thermal compound → powder coating → interface-panel machining → environmental testing → final inspection.
This case concerns the metalwork and mechanical interfaces of the supplied configuration. The board, installed components and environmental conditions remain relevant whenever a similar enclosure is evaluated.
Manufacturing changes
The revised arrangement used fanless conduction cooling and an internal anti-condensation coating. The hard drive received vibration-isolating attachment, and connectors were secured with locking features.
Wall-mount, DIN-rail and rack interfaces were integrated into the design so the customer could use those three installation arrangements without additional adapters. The heat-dissipating fins and sealing details were also revised together.
The changes addressed the specific failure paths identified by the customer: moisture exposure, attachment movement and installation inconsistency. They did not rely on a single generic “rugged enclosure” specification.
Engineering analysis
The thermal path, mechanical retention and mounting arrangement need to be considered as an assembly. A housing installed on a wall can encounter a different access or mounting constraint from one fitted to a rack, even when the core metalwork is shared.
For this project, combining the mounting interfaces avoided separate adapter variants. The vibration-related changes focused on the drive and connectors, where the customer had observed loosening, rather than treating a thicker outer shell as the whole solution.
Environmental results also require a defined configuration. The supplied project record states the temperature range and vibration condition but does not include exposure duration, humidity profile or a named test standard. Those details must be specified for any subsequent qualification program.
Inspection and project results
| Project measurement or production detail | Recorded value |
|---|---|
| Operating temperature range evaluated | −20 to 60°C |
| Vibration condition passed | 5 g, 10–500 Hz |
| Integrated mounting arrangements | Wall, DIN rail and rack |
| Recorded protection rating | IP40 |
| Motherboard format | Mini-ITX |
| Project production quantity | 100 units per week |
The project recorded operation without condensation in the evaluated configuration, successful completion of the stated vibration test and use of all three mounting arrangements. Continuous operation without failure was reported, but no duration was supplied; it is therefore not expressed as a lifetime or reliability figure.
The stated enclosure rating is IP40. This case does not extend that result to a different assembly, installation or exposure condition.
Planning a similar OEM component
For industrial computer enclosures, supply:
- Board layout, heat-source locations and the intended thermal interfaces.
- Temperature, humidity and operating-cycle requirements.
- Vibration inputs, installation orientation and component-retention details.
- Wall, rail or rack interface drawings and the final test configuration.
Agree the inspection and quality-control scope alongside those inputs so fabrication checks and equipment-level testing remain connected.
