Our Commercial/Industrial PC Enclosures form part of the modular Hope Industrial Workstation System by allowing most 3rd-party PCs 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.

Enclosure size and component placement help distribute heat throughout the enclosure to maximize heat transfer through the sheet metal, keeping internal components cool. When higher internal wattage is needed, an optional fan-based internal cooling kit improves overall heat handling and reduces internal hot-spots.

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 PC enclosure?

Using off-the-shelf enclosures requires solving a common set of issues: selecting a suitable enclosure, finding a way to mount the PC, and mounting the enclosure itself. Once an enclosure is selected and mounted, users must then work out how to supply power, keep components cool, and secure cabling.

Hope Industrial Commercial and Industrial PC Enclosures simplify this process by solving many of these problems and allowing the entire workstation to be purchased from a single supplier.

Which commercial or industrial PCs will work with this enclosure?

If a device will fit into the provided mounting area and does not give off more heat than the enclosure can safely dissipate (while staying in the device’s recommended temperature range), it will generally work with this enclosure.

Physical Constraints

The maximum internal space for PCs or other primary devices is approximately (W x H x D) 413 mm x 470 mm x 152 mm (16.25″ x 18.5″ x 6.0″), which includes a space for typical cable connectors plugged into the rear of the computer. This measurement does not include any allowance for space needed by any required mounting brackets.

The maximum allowable space for the device including brackets, cable connectors, cables, and cable bend radius is (W x H x D) 470 mm x 470 mm x 152 mm (18.5″ x 18.5″ x 6.0″).

A primary internal (W x H) 356 mm x 457 mm (14.0″ x 18.0″) PC mounting plate is provided that can be easily removed and drilled to accommodate mounting patterns for various device mounting brackets.

A secondary (W x H) 451 mm x 368 mm (17.75″ x 14.5″) service panel is also provided for additional equipment mounting space, up to a maximum allowable size of (W x H x D) 381 mm x 368 mm x 152 mm (15.0″ x 14.5″ x 6.0″).

Most industrial PCs have integrated mount points that our mounting plate can easily accommodate. When mounting desktop PC equipment, choose a small form factor (SFF or USFF) design. Many smaller desktop form factors will also fit. If you would like help determining whether your device will fit, or if you would like help selecting a PC, please contact us to speak with one of our engineers.

Mounting the Dell Box PC 5000 Embedded Computer

The Dell Box PC 5000 series of industrial PCs is well-suited for use in this PC enclosure due to its thermally efficient design, high heat handling (up to 50°C), and compact size. To accommodate this device, the enclosure arrives with pre-drilled and threaded mount points for use with the Dell mounting bracket (Dell part number: 575-BBKC). A Velcro tie-down strap is provided for securing the Dell DC power supply.

Will my PC or other devices run too hot inside this enclosure?

Whether internal enclosure temperatures will exceed the rating or your device depends on a variety of factors:

• Heat rating of the device
• Maximum ambient temperatures outside the enclosure
• Wattage consumption of the device, at typical computing load
• The type of enclosure used (stainless steel or powder-coated carbon steel)
• Whether an internal circulating fan is used
• How the device is mounted inside the enclosure

The following sections provide guidance for ensuring the lowest possible operating temperature for your device, but this can be a complicated process. Please contact us for additional guidance and compatibility advice.

Using an Internal Air Circulating Fan

Many industrial PCs use a fanless design. These devices typically have obvious external heat sinks or heavily perforated enclosures and rely on convection for cooling. These devices can benefit greatly from directed airflow from an internal air circulating fan, like that provided by the Hope Industrial PC Enclosure Cooling Kit (part number: MK-PC10-STD). In extensive testing, we have found that the internal components of many such devices actually run cooler inside the Hope Industrial enclosure with directed airflow than they would sitting in ambient still air outside the enclosure.

If your device already has an integrated cooling fan, it will benefit less from a separate internal circulating fan and you may have better results not using a fan, since the fan and its power supply do introduce some additional heat.

When the enclosure and device are not equipped with a fan, or if the device has a small cooling fan, the internal temperature can vary greatly depending on the vertical position in the box. The top of the enclosure can develop temperatures much higher than those at the bottom of the enclosure.

For the same reasons, if multiple devices will be mounted in the enclosure at different heights, it is important to use a circulating fan so that internal temperatures will be spread out evenly.

Choosing an Enclosure Material Type

Hope Industrial enclosures are available in both stainless steel and black powder-coated carbon steel. Carbon steel is much better at conducting heat than stainless and can result in much lower internal temperatures than stainless. While carbon steel is not recommended for wet or corrosive environments, all Hope Industrial carbon steel enclosures are fully NEMA 4/4X (IP65/IP66) rated. Carbon steel should be used whenever heat is a concern and accommodations can be made to minimize exposure to liquids.

Calculating Internal Temperatures

Hope Industrial has extensively heat tested our industrial enclosures and the following chart can be used to estimate the internal temperature your device will experience based on the expected external ambient temperature and the amount of heat (in watts) created by the PC and any other internal heat-generating devices. To calculate your expected maximum temperature:

1. Calculate the total expected wattage that will be used by the equipment you will place in the enclosure. Remember that PCs often run at a nominal wattage much less than their rated value. Generally only PCs doing processor-intensive activities, such as processing video, run anywhere near their maximum rated wattage.
2. Refer to the chart below to determine the expected heat rise inside the enclosure for 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 total to the maximum rated operating temperature of your equipment to make sure that the calculated temperature does not exceed the rated temperature of the device.

Note that these formulas are only for use with fan-equipped Hope Industrial PC enclosure models ENCL-PC when used with the optional cooling kit model MK-PC10-STD. Without a circulating fan, internal heat rise will vary by the vertical position in the enclosure and these heat rise formulas are not accurate.

{"stainless":0.186,"carbon":0.104}

{"stainless":2.43,"carbon":1.17}

Estimate Enclosure Internal Temperature

Enter the total wattage to be used inside the enclosure, the expected maximum ambient temperature, and whether the enclosure will be Stainless or Carbon Steel.

Stainless SteelCarbon Steel

Power must be > 0.

Please enter a temperature.

Please select a material.

Estimated Internal Temperature:
°C

CalculateReset

Using the Dell Box PC 5000 Inside the Enclosure

The Dell Box PC 5000 is designed to operate at higher temperatures than most comparable non-industrial PCs. Due to the efficient thermal designs both of the Box PC 5000 and the Hope Industrial enclosure, heat-rise inside the enclosure is negligible when used with the Hope Industrial MK-PC10-STD internal cooling kit.

The Box PC 5000 combined with the Hope Industrial PC enclosure and MK-PC10-STD cooling can handle ambient temperatures up to the maximum rated temperature for the Box PC 5000 (up to 50°C when equipped with a solid state disc drive).

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 5000, contact us so that one of our engineers can help calculate expected heat rise.