Product Focus
Datamodul´s daughter-company, CONRAC GmbH was awarded by Kelvin Hughes for the delivery of Type Approved TFT Displays in their new and future IBS Programs. Next to the superior performance and quality aspects, one of the main reasons for this decision was, the high level of own development integrated in the concerned TFT monitors. The result can be recognized in the Queen Mary 2 bridge. All TFT displays are delivered in an OEM Chassis-Only version, ready for integration in the special design of the bridge. During the late 1990's Kelvin Hughes realized that the availability of cathode ray tubes (CRTs) for use in bridge navigation displays, such as Radar and ECDIS, was becoming limited.
A Manta in Dutch environs
Flat-screen technology can be expected to make its mark on commercial vessel bridges in future years, once the necessary type approvals are forthcoming and once the manufacturers' costs come down on the back of volume demand for flat-panel TV displays in the equivalent size ranges. Kelvin Hughes used the recent Europort Exhibition in Amsterdam to demonstrate how the advantages offered by flat screens might be married with the concept of bridge system multi-functionality on an unprecedented scale in the commercial shipping field. Its revolutionary Manta bridge layout caught many an eye for its styling and array of flat panels. But the thinking behind the good looks and ergonomic design springs from entirely pragmatic considerations.
