Conway make the grade for Tyne tunnel

Conway Security Products have supplied their external camera housings to the £260m New Tyne Crossing between Jarrow and North Shields in the north-east of England.

The enclosures being used are a variant on Conway's stainless steel EH4 housing. The unit, which is manufactured to weatherproof level IP66, is usually produced in 304-grade stainless steel but for this project, installers 2020 Vision Technology asked for 316 grade. The request was in order to meet rigorous Department for Transport requirements All of Conway's units are manufactured in their entirety at the company's headquarters in Buckinghamshire, England, and this made it possible to provide a tailor-made solution within short lead times which was a major benefit for the integrator.

Steve Hall of 2020 Vision Technology described the benefits of using the Conway equipment. He said: "Most camera housings come off-the-shelf to a standard specification and the manufacturer is not in a position to make changes, and certainly not promptly. But Conway met our brief on the grade of stainless steel and also created bespoke bracketry which meant the housings could be mounted in a manner that allows them to withstand exceptional vibration levels caused by traffic volumes. The design also optimised cable access and containment issues for our engineers, another plus factor in an environment where space is at a premium."

Chris Newman of Conway, said: "The application had a number of challenges for the installer. By offering a solution that was a variant of the EH4/ss along with a mounting bracket that was based on design and manufacturing principals already been proven in similar applications throughout the UK we could quickly and confidently supply products that would meet and exceeded these challenges."
The New Tunnel Crossing became fully operational in late 2011 after a construction period that started in October 2008.