Production and occupational safety at industrial sites are regulated by international standards and various certification systems. In particular, strict requirements apply to electrical equipment and other technological products that can be used, for example, in explosive atmospheres. In such cases, protected computer products should be used.
The head of business development at Getac in Russia Alexander Viktorovich Kuznetsov told about protected computer equipment, its advantages and the main criteria of choice, to Neftegaz.RU correspondent.
- Alexander Viktorovich, why hazardous industries offer no opportunity to work on conventional computers or tablets? How are protected products different from conventional ones?
- What is a hazardous production facility? It is the one with high or low temperatures, explosive mixtures, dust, dirt, moisture, etc. Conventional computers were originally designed to work in "ivory towers" — normal room temperature, no moisture and a minimum of dust and dirt, as well as no mechanical influences such as blows or vibration. Outside of these conditions, conventional user devices almost immediately fail, which leads to downtime in production and increased costs.
The protected devices are initially designed taking into account the fact that they will be operated under sufficiently harsh conditions. The embedded solutions can successfully confront external aggressive factors.
- What are the advantages of protected computer models?
- There are several key benefits when using protected devices.
First of all, the shell. Usually the shell is made of magnesium or aluminum alloys, or of especially strong plastics, rubber bumpers are frequently added. The shell design already includes solutions to improve its strength and stiffness, so that it can withstand various types of loads. A mandatory requirement for shells and devices as a whole is to provide protection against water and dust — IPxx rating.
Second, the screen. Since normally protected devices are operated outside, the screen should provide sufficient brightness to work in sunlight and also be operative when using gloves or during rain. Therefore, all Getac solutions provide high brightness screens with special technologies that ensure operation under any conditions.
Third, the rechargeable battery. Based on operating conditions - staying away from power sources - rechargeable batteries should provide long operating times, as well as the possibility to quickly replace the battery without interruption. All Getac solutions are equipped with high capacity batteries and provide a "hot" battery change option during operation.
Fourth, product compliance with strict military standards for strength and protection from external influences. This includes testing the assembled devices for protection against vibration, shock, low and high temperatures, salt mist, and many more. All Getac products are tested and certified for compliance with standards in third-party laboratories, which confirms their quality and reliability.
And the guarantee, of course. Any earnest manufacturer of protected solutions provides product warranty for at least 3 years. The minimum warranty period for Getac products is 3 years, the maximum is 5 years. Our warranty includes even bumper-to-bumper protection*.
- Tell us about Getac models that are popular among companies in the oil, gas and energy industries?
- I would like to mention 3 tablets which are now the most popular. They are F110-Ex, ZX70-Ex, and EX80. All models have the Russian EAS TR CU certificate 012/2011 (working in explosive atmospheres) and are ideal for the oil and gas industry with strict safety requirements.
S410 laptop has been very popular for working outside hazardous areas. It is a semi-protected laptop that combines a sufficient degree of protection from the environment with a very attractive price for this class of devices. The same models in their usual versions are great for power engineers.
In general, the choice of a particular model depends on the tasks to be solved with the help of this device.
- How do you make your users confident in the absolute security of the devices? How do you test your products?
- All Getac products are initially designed as protected and safe for users. From the original idea to production, Getac is guided by the standards set for this class of devices in a variety of industries, thus providing unrivaled quality, reliability and safety.
As I mentioned before, all Getac products are first subjected to extensive rigorous testing in the company's own laboratories and then transferred to a third party authorized organization for repeated certification tests and certification itself.
This approach ensures the purity of the results and guarantees that the products comply with the stated characteristics.
- Getac is a global brand. What are your plans in the Russian market? What ways to move forward do you plan?
- The Russian market is important for our company. We have been showing a steady growth through years. It is a secret to no one that the key consumer of devices like ours, is military sector.
But, the trends are showing that our country is entering the era of Digitalization - Industry 4.0, Digital Oil Field, and IoT. These trends are pushing us to more active operations in non-military markets like oil and gas, industry, transport, etc.
Next year we are planning to take part in several thematic events both independently and with our partners.
Also, several advertising campaigns in industry journals and online resources are planned.
We are sure that our company will be able to reach a new level in the Russian market, and even more companies will learn about our products and will be able to use their advantages.
*Except for S410 laptop model.
