Shook shakes it up with PLC-controlled LED mobile screen

Shook Mobile Technology has delivered what is believed to be the first PLC controlled entrant into the growing mobile outdoor LED video screen market. A Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) automates deployment and positioning of the massive display to the point that it can be operated by a single person.

Shook designed and built the 53-foot long trailer for the Diamond Vision Systems Division of Mitsubishi Electric Power Products Inc., who in turn provided it to their customer, Texas A&M Athletics. The system made its d but on November 4 in connection with A&M s highly charged football game against the University of Oklahoma at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas.

Capable of operation in winds of up to 40mph, the screen can be raised 30-feet above the ground and rotated in any direction by Shook s unique telescoping mast system. A Mitsubishi Diamond Vision LED screen is 26-feet wide and 14-feet tall. A complete TV Broadcast Production Studio is also on board, enclosed in a 19-foot housing on the front of the trailer. A 70kw generator and full length retractable canvas cover complete the package.

This was a very exciting project that put all our capabilities to the test, says Shook CEO John Heaney. In order to fit neatly on the trailer and be legal for over-the-road transport, the giant screen has to split in half. Precise realignment of the two screens each time it is deployed is essential for proper operation. Ease of use and safety were the two main factors driving us to incorporate PLC controls says Heaney.

The operator has complete control over the mast and screen system via a handheld touch-screen control panel. The system incorporates highly accurate encoders and sensors to constantly monitor the mast and screen s position and movement. The PLC also monitors numerous safety inputs and will not allow operation if an unsafe condition exists.