Monday 1 September 2008

Get Paid To Watch TV At Work…

The bigger the business, the bigger the investment in technology, this is the Industry norm, proving this theory right,Computer Security & Solutions have seen a massive 70% rise in corporate customers installing LCD TV’s on the factory floor. When they asked one production manager at Ford Motors they were told, this is so the staff can watch TV whilst at work, (with a rye smile!)

The main reason for installing TV’s in harsh areas was to initially show the corporate presentation throughout the manufacturing plant, ideal for showcasing the manufacturer’s success on previous projects, when potential customers visit the site. With the picture being pin sharp and crystal clear, LCD TV’s make them selves perfect for corporate displays. Another reason was to broadcast any major news stories that might break that day, such as the 911 tragedy.

As you can appreciate that putting an expensive LCD TV on a factory floor is unthinkable without protection. Imagine you put a TV worth $1,200+ in an area full of dust and fluid, how long would it last? Not long I’m sure and if you had to claim on the warranty, I am sure the manufacturer would tell you that the TV had been used outside its warranty terms and conditions.

So how do you protect a 40” LCD TV? Well the simplest way is to not have the screen in a hazardous area, such as in an office, but this would not give the impression to visitors of the investment the company makes in Information Technology, but if you have to put it on the shop floor you need to put the TV in an enclosure. This LCD enclosure is a special steel box that is cooled by special filtered fan units and can be mounted on either a wall, ceiling or from a stand. Once the TV is mounted to a mounting bracket and the enclosure is securely locked, no more care is required; everyone can carry on their daily tasks.

The next problem would be, how will the aerial and power cables enter the enclosure, there are several ways including brush strips, or even grommets, this really depends upon how hazardous the environment is.

The final problem is if you didn’t enclosure the unit in steel, the aerial signal would be interrupted by the Electrical Magnetic waves from the machines on the shop floor, this would cause the image to break up and distort. This is eliminated by enclosing the TV in steel.

One very important point is, if the TV is to be pointed from the wall or ceiling, ensure that it will take the weight, as a TV weighs approximately 54lbs and the enclosure will weigh 50 lbs, this is no good if the wall is a partition wall or the ceiling is suspended.

Next time you are in a corporate head office check out to see if they have any TV’s on the shop floor, if they do what are they playing on the TV and are they protected?

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