If your business operates in a harsh environment, you already know that the cost of auxiliary equipment can rack up quite quickly. In a mine, for instance, heavy machinery is, of course, your most costly investment. But when you have to frequently change seemingly small equipment that keeps your mine or your plant working, your entire bottom line can take a massive hit. 

In our decades of working with sawmill managers, mine operators, food processing plants, and other industrial electrical supervisors, we’ve learned that having the right solution for each job is priceless. And we’re not just talking about the processing equipment—video monitoring equipment needs to be specifically created for your use case too.

Why?

Because it lowers your costs and improves your operational efficiency. 

How Rugged Video Equipment Has a Lower Cost of Ownership than Off-the-Shelf Cameras

It’s counter-intuitive, I know. Off-the-shelf cameras can be extremely cheap, while rugged equipment comes with a heftier price tag. But most retail and commercial cameras and monitors won’t last for a week in industrial settings.

Rugged video equipment, on the other hand, will last in hot, dusty, high-vibration environments, saving worker time, line down time, and overall costs.

Better Durability Means You Won’t Replace the Cameras as Often

Rugged cameras are built to withstand harsh industrial environments, including being placed directly on a debarker and being hit by logs. This means that they can last longer than consumer and off-the-shelf cameras, reducing the need for frequent replacements and repairs.

While off-the-shelf cameras are cheap, when you have to replace them every week, those tiny invoices and the hours to replace them will add up. 

Enhanced Reliability Means Less Downtime

A lower cost of ownership isn’t just about the price of the cameras and their replacements. The right video monitoring equipment should be designed to lower your downtime and increase your productivity.

In sawmills and other industrial environments, you have to halt all your operations if the video feed is down, and operational downtime is costly. But an uninterrupted feed often equals uninterrupted operations. Your cost of ownership is significantly lowered every day you don’t have to halt your operations because the video feed is down.

Lower Maintenance Needs Mean Lower Overall Costs 

Because rugged cameras are built to last, they require less maintenance than regular cameras. They don’t need to be replaced as frequently, and they don’t require as much upkeep to keep them functioning properly.

In a food processing plant, for instance, cameras tend to be affected by grease, bacteria, and moisture. Rugged cameras are built to withstand these conditions and keep video feeds running.

In sawmills, the high vibration levels and the debris can break an off-the-shelf camera within a day. Before installing Opticom equipment, some sawmills replace all their cameras weekly and monthly. Those costs add up fast.

Rugged cameras can withstand vibration and shock from heavy equipment like saws, conveyors, and heavy mining machinery. Opticom’s cameras can withstand direct hits and are protected from environmental factors by their proprietary-alloy casing. For extra protection, cameras can be installed on vibration mounts that are specifically created to extend the life of our cameras and their components. 

Incidents happen in harsh environments. But when they do, we want to make sure that they do minimal damage. Mounts are far more affordable than the camera itself, so your total cost of ownership remains low even if you have to replace a mount every now and then.

How to Choose the Right Rugged Cameras for Your Industrial Application 

Choosing industrial video monitoring systems instead of off-the-shelf ones is only the first step. Rugged cameras aren’t all built alike. A food processing plant has different requirements than a sawmill, just as a mine has completely different challenges. Before investing in an industrial video monitoring system, discuss your options with an expert.

At Opticom, we like to say that we are more than a hardware seller because we take care to set customers up with camera monitoring systems that meet their unique needs. 

Want to deploy an industrial video monitoring system that withstands harsh environments and lasts for years? Get in touch; we’d be happy to help you make the right choice for your application and your budget.