Custom Consoles control desk chosen by Lafarge Cement
September 20, 2007
Lafarge Cement UK, a division of the world's leading cement and building materials producer, has chosen Custom Consoles to supply an engineering control desk, video monitor wall and storage furniture.
Installed at the company's plant in Hope, Derbyshire, the desk is a 6 metre wide wing-shaped design based on Custom Consoles' Module-R range. Finished in maple, it accommodates PC-based equipment used to control and supervise the cement manufacturing process. Appropriately for the application, the work surface is hard-wearing cement-grey Marmoleum.
Thirteen 19 inch LCD computer screens are mounted along the rear edge of the desk in groups of seven and four, all of which can be viewed easily by process operators sitting near the curved centre of the desk. Each screen is mounted on an Ergotron adjustable monitor arm.
The longer of the two desk wings faces a 4 metre wide by 2 metre high bespoke monitor screen wall housing two Mitsubishi 67 inch DLP rear-projectors plus an additional six 20 inch LCD monitors. The monitor screen wall has the same maple finish as the desk plus a light-grey-sprayed anti-reflection surface around the screens. It is set forward of the front wall, allowing easy rear access to the projectors.
A matching 5.5 metre wide bespoke storage unit comprising a variety of cupboards and drawer units occupies the rear wall of the control room. Four curved tambour-door units provide storage space for frequently accessed manuals and printed files. Custom Consoles also supplied power distribution units and electronic clocks for the desk and the monitor screen wall.
"The new installation is very well constructed and enables staff to work extremely efficiently," comments LaFarge Cement Control Systems Engineer Brian Addley. "Custom Consoles translated our brief into a control room environment that is a real pleasure to work in and which should provide many years of service."
"It is reassuring to work with a company that takes ergonomic design and staff well-being really seriously," adds Custom Consoles Sales Manager Gary Fuller. "Our Module-R range enabled us to configure and install the desk from modules of standard design. We were able to deliver the benefits of a fully bespoke suite at a very accessible price and with fast delivery time."
Custom Consoles' Module-R enables studio designers and system integrators to pick-and-mix from a range of desk sections which can be supplied quickly and assembled easily. Technical control desks can be tailored to individual requirements from a range of high-quality desk pods, base sections, worktops, rear tops, end-panel modules and forward-angled silver-painted steel legs. Module-R desk pods are available as single, dual and triple-bay sections with a choice of 3U, 6U or 8U chassis capacity. Cabinet construction is in high-quality MDF with hard-wearing Marmoleum or Linoleum worksurfaces. Cable management ducts are integrated into alll desk sections.
Lafarge Cement UK (www. www.lafargecement.co.uk) has a history stretching back to 1900 when 27 small, mainly Kent-based, cement manufacturers and their subsidiaries merged to form Associated Portland Cement Manufacturers (1900) Ltd. The famous Blue Circle brand was first introduced in 1928. In 2001 Blue Circle Industries was taken over by the Lafarge group to become part of the world's leading producer of cement and building materials. The UK cement-making operation changed its company name to Lafarge Cement in early 2002 but retains the famous Blue Circle brand of cement which it makes and markets nationwide.
Founded in 1996, Custom Consoles Ltd (www.customconsoles.co.uk) is an independent company manufacturing a broad range of control-room furniture. This includes motorised, manually-adjustable and fixed-height units plus fan-cooled sound-insulated equipment housings. Custom Consoles has built its name in the design and manufacture of bespoke furniture to a client base that includes major corporations in Britain, mainland Europe and the Far East. Custom Consoles Ltd is active worldwide.
Media contacts:
Gary Fuller, Custom Consoles Limited: +44 (0)1525 379 909
David Kirk, Stylus Media Consultants +44 (0)1342 311 983