2011-06-13

Draper® Screens Go Modular

Before the innovative Draper® StageScreen® was introduced, the company asked several rental and staging dealers to visit their Spiceland, Indiana facilities to have a look. One of those early witnesses to the development of the StageScreen was James LeBoeuf, Operations Manager for MassAV in Billerica, Massachusetts.

“It was hard to contain my excitement,” according to LeBoeuf. “When I came back I said ‘imagine a screen with no cranks and no snaps-can you imagine that?’“

The StageScreen® is a totally new concept in projection screen design. The truss system is completely modular. All available sizes of StageScreen® are built from combinations of the same 6 standard color-coded frame sections. StageScreen® utilizes a 20 cm truss that is significantly stronger than traditional truss folding screens. It is engineered to hold tolerance after repeated usage. Color coded frame sections ensure fast and easy assembly. You are always certain that you are using the right piece. Simply follow the instructions included with your StageScreen®. Draper performed in-house testing of the strength of StageScreen truss compared to a folding truss screen. The results were dramatic: StageScreen® proved to be over 60% stronger, holding strong long after the folding truss failed at its weakest spots. In addition, after extensive cycle testing, the StageScreen yielded no broken parts.

 “It’s much more durable according to the tests I saw,” says LeBoeuf. “I saw them put a huge bow into a long section of StageScreen®, and put the same bow into a traditional truss screen. When they took the bow out, the hinges on the truss screen were destroyed. The StageScreen® bounced back perfectly into position, ready to go again.”

However, the strength of the truss system isn’t the most impressive item for LeBoeuf, who says the StageScreen® solves all the problems inherent to folding screens.

“People catch their fingers in the latches, they’re not that durable, they’re prone to breakage, they have snaps that get crushed, they have cranks that get lost,” he points out. “StageScreen® solves all of those problems.”

Once he saw it, LeBoeuf was so impressed by the StageScreen® that he was keen to get one out on a job and into the hands of technicians.

“The first event I had it on was a large meeting for a pharmaceutical company. We were erecting a large truss structure in the glass foyer they had. They wanted to fly a screen, and I immediately jumped on the fact that I had the StageScreen®.” LeBoeuf adds that his opinion of the screen was quickly reaffirmed by the technicians who were onsite.

“There’s no trouble setting this up. I don’t have to find cranks. It goes together. It’s rigid. It’s strong. And that was the exact feedback that I got.”

Quick assembly is aided by a revolutionary new viewing surface attachment system. Using the attached DuraLoop™ bungee cord loops with handy nylon pull-tabs, simply hook the surface to the posts on the frame. DuraLoops are longer lasting than traditional snaps, and provide even self-centering tension for the viewing surface. The viewing surface is stretched perfectly flat, resulting in the highest picture quality.

Another major factor in favour of the StageScreen® is its return on investment. AV rental dealers can easily streamline their inventory with the StageScreen®. You can change a Multiformat to an NTSC, HDTV, or 16:10 format at minimal cost by exchanging or removing a few modular frame pieces.

“Instead of my techs having to take a whole system down and put it away and re-erect another complete system, they could have half a system, bring it down to the ground, pull apart a couple of the setscrews, put in other sections, change the fabric, I take the fabric and they just roll along. It’s a time-saving, labor-saving, money-saving effort.”

LeBoeuf says even small items such as the move away from cranks, snaps and hinges affects the bottom line. “Just the fact of not having snaps is a huge burden off of my shoulders,” he says. “I’m sure there are a hundred techs out there somewhere with piles of cranks sitting on their dresser that they took out of their pockets after a show and they never made it back into my frame kit.”

The return on investment becomes immediately evident when comparing the cost of several sizes of folding truss screens to the StageScreen®. Legs are constructed using the same truss sections as the frame.

“It’s just really the way to go and I hope it’s the way of the future,” enthuses LeBoeuf, “so much so that I hope I can abandon a lot of the other stuff and work with the more modular design that the StageScreen® offers.”

Feedback on this screen has been so positive Draper® has introduced a smaller screen for meeting rooms that also utilizes a modular frame and the DuraLoop surface attachment system. The FocalPoint™ utilizes small profile modular frame segments made of sturdy extruded aluminium. The FocalPoint™ is extremely rigid and durable, while remaining lightweight. With no hinges, the FocalPoint™ is strong, and still features quick and easy assembly.

For more information on the StageScreen and FocalPoint, visit Draper in stand #9.0 C 30 during Prolight + Sound, April 6-9 in Frankfurt, Germany, or visit www.draperinc.com.

Information about the company: Enyroom AB

The news is presented in cooperation with MyNewsdesk