The What: Chief is now shipping a suspended ceiling projector system.
The What Else: The new design incorporates an improved suspended ceiling plate, column system, mount, and universal interface. The process began when Chief engineers went into the field to observe and interview installers about current systems and how they can be improved.
“We uncovered a ton of things we would not have been able to uncover without being on site,” said Luke Westin, product manager at Chief.
Problems found by Chief engineers included inconsistent ceiling grid systems, cable management, adjustment and cumbersome installation processes.
“A big thing we saw is projectors are often installed twice,” Westin said. “People align the ceiling plate, hook up the projector to find the best location, and then take it apart again to cut a hole in the ceiling tile. We worked to eliminate the need for that.”
For speed and accuracy of adjustment, a new mount was created that builds upon the successes of the RPA and RPM, Chief’s other projector mounts.
All the adjustment capabilities reduce the need for digital adjustments in the projector, which can negatively affect image quality.
“With this system, installers should be able to put in three projectors in the time it used to take to install two,” said Harlow Frogness, Sr. Mechanical Designer.
The Bottom Line: Features of the Suspended Ceiling Projector System:
• Mount and column come preassembled
• Adjustable ceiling plate allows placement above or below tile and accommodates inconsistent T-grids
• Detachable electric plate for pre-wiring
• Tool-Free Microzone adjustment
• Centris Technology enables fingertip positioning with tool-free lock down
• Adjustable 0-12 inches (0-305 millimeters) column with separate inlay channels for high and low voltage cables
• Improved universal interface for easier lock/unlock at projector connection
• Quick-disconnect from interface to projector and interface to mount for access while maintaining registration
“With the adjustable 12-inch column, this should work for 90 percent of suspended ceiling installations,” said Westin.
Introduced at InfoComm, the SYSAU is available for purchase in black and white.
