Case Study: Custom Control Room Consoles for Ervia, Ireland
Ervia are Ireland’s national supplier of gas and water services. They are responsible for a safe, secure energy and water supply to millions of homes and businesses. They also provide dark fibre broadband infrastructure through their company Aurora Telecom. Ervia have offices in Cork and Dublin from where they plan, monitor and control Gas Networks Ireland and Irish Water operations.
Technology Desking worked with Ervia to design, manufacture and install control room consoles at their Dublin and Cork bases.
Ervia Cork dual desktop control room desks
Why Technology Desking were chosen:
Td were selected because of their long experience in custom control room console design.
Key Challenges
Ervia work 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week to provide their services. It was essential to design ergonomic consoles that enhanced operator focus and comfort. The furniture needed features that make operators’ lives easier. Ervia wanted to upgrade to dual surface desks with electronic height adjustability.
Ervia had specific bespoke requirements. The desks had to accommodate multiple screens and PCs. They also wanted bespoke cabinets at the rear of the desks to accommodate 19” IT racking.
The Dublin office had a video wall. Technology Desking had to factor in line of sight for this when designing consoles.
Ervia Dublin dual desktop control room desk with integral rear IT cabinet
Solutions
Td designed and manufactured custom consoles for Ervia. The consoles had dual surface desktops that met the functional and ergonomic requirements of Ervia’s control rooms. These have a primary surface for users and a secondary surface to support monitors.
Ervia also required bespoke IT cabinets situated at the rear of the consoles. Td were able to come up with a customised solution for this concept. We designed cabinets that housed local PCs plus an IT rack for network switches and patch panels. Situating IT cabinets at the rear of the console maximised the user’s comfort. It allows them plenty of space to stretch out their legs under the desk. It’s a great solution if you have enough floor space to accommodate the slightly larger desk footprint.
The Cork consoles had a curved formation allowing optimal monitor viewing.
Ervia Dublin dual desktop control room desk at standing height
Ergonomic design vital for operator focus
Ergonomic design is key to Ervia’s control room desk setup. The dual surface desktops are height adjustable for comfortable working. This is especially helpful when desks are used for long hours or shared between different users. The operator can set their preferred height on each surface. The control room workstations are easy to adjust for either sitting or standing.
A separate surface for monitors is a useful feature. It allows greater flexibility in the number of monitors supported, and the systems used for support. This offers a higher level of functionality. It's ideal for operators who spend long shifts at their control room desk.
Fully Bespoke IT housing
Each cabinet had a large opening at the back for convenient cable management into the desks. This makes it easy for technicians to access IT equipment. Operators don’t have to be distracted by IT updates or repairs.
Desk height freestanding and integral IT cabinets
The cabinets enabled more efficient heat management for the extensive IT equipment housed. The air vents on the doors and underside of the cabinets allowed cool air into the enclosure. Air warmed by the PCs rises through a flue on the top of the enclosure.
Quick release doors with optional IT racking or PC housings
Accessories to make life easier
All desktop monitors were mounted on SmartArms. This is Technology Desking's flat panel monitor mounting system. It features quick and easy monitor removal, fine height adjustment and complete flexibility. The system is designed to meet changing monitor specifications and configurations. It also allows for either landscape or portrait orientation. Extensions can be added with no disruption to existing monitors. Our monitor arms offer the perfect solution for layouts with multiple screens.
Smartarm monitor arms in two tier configuration with attached LED task lighting
Desktop connectivity was provided by our Technology Links solution. Desktop PC power and data outlets enhance user access and speed up connectivity. There's no need to reach awkwardly under the desk to access power. Technology Links also allows PCs to be changed in seconds, for rapid swap-out and moves.
Each of Ervia’s consoles were fitted with flexible LED task lighting. Operators could adjust the brightness and angle of light in their own workspace. The Task lighting was incorporated into the monitor arms, helping keep the consoles clutter free.
SmartArms with task lighting mounted to rear monitor arm
Conclusion
Technology Desking’s design team took into account Ervia’s ergonomic, and technology requirements. They created a bespoke console solution that maximised operators' comfort and focus.
Looking to upgrade your control room? Technology Desking create tailored solutions for your unique requirements. Whether it’s a slight tweak or a custom solution, our principles of ergonomic design and technology management will always be met. Checkout our range here.