Help With Strange Customer Request

[The Plc Kid]

I do a little controls work on the side outside of work just to help with tuition and such and I have a customer I have done quite a bit of buisness with that gave me a strange request.

He has a control system that what looks like a Hoffman or Saginaw 2 door Enclosure and it has a 17 inch Versaview PC on a pendant arm running FT View SE Distributed and he also has a 3rd party piece of software that controls a mixer.

He wants to print reports from this mixer software which will be no issue but he wants to put some kind of sliding drawer that will come out of the face of the enclosure door while the door remains shut to house the printer.

I have never seen anyting like that and don't even know if it exists or if there is anything else that could be used that way?

I have seen the keyboard boxes and such but those are geared toward the 19 rack panels and this is a standard enclosure with no 19 inch rack. I told him I am doubtful that I could find a solution like that but promised I would try.

Anyone here ever seen a setup like that or have any idea of what may work and still look good? Also there are no voltages in this panel over 120 VAC.

 

[harryting]

Use standard IT enclosure, you an put in some sliding shelves.

http://www.blackbox.com/Store/Detai...abinet-Sliding-Server-Shelf-17-W-x-22-D/39970

 

[The Plc Kid]

Use standard IT enclosure, you an put in some sliding shelves.

http://www.blackbox.com/Store/Detai...abinet-Sliding-Server-Shelf-17-W-x-22-D/39970

Harryting

The enclosure already exists and the customer does not want to add another cabinet. I am looking for a way to incorporate something into the existing cabinet.

 

[RussB]

How big does the printout need be, would a pin feed dot matrix work?
I did one a long time ago with just a slot in the door that the paper fed through. It was a PITA and big waste of paper as 2 or three pages needed to be fed out after each print job, but it worked. IIRC it was a bottom fed Epson.
You could likely do something similar with a modern page fed, but it would be difficult to load 500 to 1000 blanks.

Personally I think he would be happier if you would talk him into a networked printer in a nearby office or desk.

 

[The Plc Kid]

How big does the printout need be, would a pin feed dot matrix work?
I did one a long time ago with just a slot in the door that the paper fed through. It was a PITA and big waste of paper as 2 or three pages needed to be fed out after each print job, but it worked. IIRC it was a bottom fed Epson.
You could likely do something similar with a modern page fed, but it would be difficult to load 500 to 1000 blanks.

Personally I think he would be happier if you would talk him into a networked printer in a nearby office or desk.

A network printer was one option I tried to give him but he seems Hell bent on doing it this way. It's one of those where you will pull out your own hair trying to figure out their reasoning.

It's a full page report on 8.5 x 11 paper. They want to use a standard printer they can get at any office supply store.

Thus far all that I see are keyboard boxes that are setup like he wants but thats not large enough to handle a printer.

 

[Dravik]

The sliding tray is tricky, but maybe something like this?
http://www.dustshield.com/p-80-label-printer.aspx

Not sure what the intent re: protection here is.

 

[harryting]

Oh, ok. I have seen one done before. What they did is use a pull-out kitchen cabinet shelf and cut a slot right above the shelf for the printer. The paper would come out the slot and drop on the shelf. Most Epson Inkjet drops the printout on the bottom so this setup works well with an Epson.