Motorized Screen

[Denny586]

any ideas for motorizing a projector screen?

 

[chausman]

Drill? Stuck on the side if you took the end cap off. Attached to something to keep the drill from spinning in circles?

 

[Van]

There are tons of options. What size ? How's it rigged at present? Do you want to haul from above or roll it like an Olio ?

 

[ruinexplorer]

Is there a reason that you don't want to use a pre-built motorized screen? There are differences in the construction of the screen (unless you already have a drop down and you are trying to change it from manual to motorized) of drop down and framed screens.

 

[museav]

What do you currently have and what are you trying to achieve?

 

[Denny586]

its in my high school...what i have to work with is a maybe 12' wide broken screen that wont roll up anymore.. it appears to be manual, and i was thinking something like an olio... but it would be nice to motorize it and have some type of control from the booth.. i even need ideas on how to motorize the main curtain...

 

[museav]

its in my high school...what i have to work with is a maybe 12' wide broken screen that wont roll up anymore.. it appears to be manual, and i was thinking something like an olio...

Although maybe initially sounding a bit odd, but many schools I've worked with use electric screens specifically because people don't yank on them, see how fast they can get them to retract, etc., thus they tend to be less likely to be damaged and as a result, to cost less in the long run. To motorize an existing manual screen you'd probably have to strip everything out of the case, try to install a motor and roller or motor-in-roller assembly in the existing case, add in some form of motor control that includes adjustable limit stops, send it off to get UL listed and then if that happens, reinstall the screen. It's probably much easier and less expensive to simply purchase a new motorized screen that incorporates the desired control interface.

 

[ruinexplorer]

I agree that it would be much simpler to purchase a motorized screen than to adapt a manual screen. In addition, you will need to be extremely careful when disassembling a manual screen. The springs installed to be able to roll up the screen can cause serious injury if you do not have the proper tools to take them out.

 

[thesigma]

I work for a school district and under no circumstances would what you are suggesting be acceptable. no one would want that safety liability. Buy a proper motorized screen. they're not cheap but when it kills someone it's the manufacturers problem, not yours (assuming it was installed according to the manufacturers instructions).

End of Story.