August 21, 2015 - Wet, humid, and cold. These are the environmental challenges that IT hardware typically has to overcome in the food processing industry. Prior to finding noax, the PCs CAT 2 previously used were unable to survive. According to Hardware Manager Brandon Butler, “With the other hardware manufacturers that we used in the past, we had really bad results that ranged from dead on arrival (DOA) units to frequent failures due to water ingress.”
As a company that provides software solutions to customers with 24/7 operations, hardware failures that could interrupt production were no longer an option. In 2001, CAT 2 selected noax as their official hardware supplier. Since switching to noax PCs, they have been able to help their customers overcome the challenges of dealing with equipment failures from high-pressure washdowns, exposure to chemicals, and the wear and tear typical of food processing facilities.
According to Butler, “The noax units handle extreme conditions very well. We have had no issues with water leakage and no temperature-related failures. The enclosure is superb compared to others on the market. noax PCs are much more than a computer in a steel box.” To date, thy have delivered more than 120 noax PCs to their customers throughout North America and Europe.
With protection ratings up to IP69K (NEMA 6), noax PCs can withstand high-pressure washdowns up to 1450 PSI of pressure in 176°F water. Featuring smooth surfaces free of gaps or joints where bacteria can grow; keeping noax PCs clean is not an issue. Thanks to exclusive use of noax industrial computers, customers are no longer concerned about downtime or hygienic standards. “noax benefits us in that our customers know that we provide good quality hardware and they do not have to worry about failures and downtime because of subpar equipment,” says Butler.
CAT 2 provides all-in-one software solutions with the ability to capture and report data in real-time. Thanks to their multi-language, Microsoft Windows-based architecture, the software can be configured on any PC-based hardware and integrated into a variety of customer ERP systems to assist in the sharing of data. Dynamic software, hardware, and support services have helped them to become a single-source solution for their customer’s processing needs.
Thanks to noax PCs, hardware failures are one less thing to worry about, allowing hardworking employees to focus their attention on providing their customers value, rather than coordinating repairs.
Most customer operations run 24/7. According to CEO Vernon Smith, “For our customers, there is no such thing as a small breakdown. When it comes to hardware, they need absolute reliability. When it comes to service, they need results in days; not months.”
The substandard support they received from their previous PC vendor was also a motivator for finding a new PC supplier. Units needing repair would often take over a month to be processed, forcing CAT 2 to keep costly spare inventory on their shelves to service customers waiting on repairs. Configuring and shipping spare units to send to customers was time-consuming and inefficient.
noax PCs provide up to 10 years of reliable, trouble-free operation in the most challenging environments. The reliability that customers have observed in the field has improved dramatically since switching to noax. However, due to their demanding production schedules, most customers cannot afford to wait for warranty repairs to be completed. When combined with the fact that many customers are also located in countries with strict import/ export policies finding a better solution for their customers was needed.
To solve this problem, they decided to take advantage of noax’s partner training program. Since completing the training in 2013, CAT 2 is now an official noax certified-partner and is able to service noax PCs directly. According to Hardware Manager, Brandon, “Being able to service our customers’ noax computers is highly convenient, although very little time is spent servicing noax PCs! Now, many concerns can be solved on-site. This is something our customers really appreciate.”