Lafarge Cement UK, a division of the 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 6m 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 cement-grey Marmoleum.
Some 13 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 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 4m wide by 2m 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 rear access to projectors.
A matching 5.5m 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," says 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."
