August 1st, 2006–Prime Industrial Design has announced the introduction of the Xspot family of products (www.xspotproducts.com). The reusable Xspot system is groundbreaking–Xspot enables A/V integrators to precisely and quickly locate pre-wire termination points after sheetrock has been hung in place. Xspot dramatically reduces labor costs by eliminating far less accurate devices such as wire toners and stud finders, while providing installers with the reassurance that their wires will be safe and sound, right where they left them.
Xspot is also the first ever locating system that works without any wiring present whatsoever–installers can run 1-inch conduit and mount an Xspot at each termination point–nothing more is required before sheet-rocking! Installers can now skip the costly “extra step” of driving back to the project after the sheet-rockers have finished, just to place plugs or wall plates over wire holes. The Xspot system enables installers to quickly locate termination points through the wallboard and access their wiring at any time!
Xspot products combine to create a precision tool that saves both Integrators and builders substantial time and money. There are six modular components within the Xspot system (patents pending) that provide this invaluable solution for the A/V and Low Voltage industries:
THE Xspot PRODUCT FAMILY
1) The Xspot is a reusable wire locating device to which installers can firmly anchor their wiring (during pre-wire) at any termination point inside a wall or ceiling. Xspot prevents other tradesmen from damaging or relocating wires left vulnerable at pre-wire, a common headache for A/V installers. After the sheetrock has been hung, Xspot enables the installer to locate pre-wire termination points (accuracy to within ¼ inch) and cut the perfect hole in the sheetrock to accommodate the installation of phone, cable jack, volume control, keypad or speaker. Xspot can then be removed through the installation access hole and reused again and again. Note: Xspot offers builders potentially huge labor cost savings as well, because sheetrock will no longer need to be pre-cut for outlets or pre-wire locations during installation.
2) The Xspot-mini functions identically to the standard Xspot, but was designed to be the first ever wire locator for the security industry’s use of small gauge wire. The Xspot-mini can be extracted through a 1-inch hole in the sheetrock, rather than the 2-inch hole required for the standard Xspot.
3) The Xstrap is a universal mounting system (for Xspot and Xspot-mini) that will adapt to any size location –The Xstrap has been engineered not only to secure the Xspot in place, but also as a precise measuring device so that installers can quickly and easily attach Xspot or Xspot-mini exactly where they need it. The mounting pins on Xspot and Xspot-mini snap into the holes on the Xstrap, securing either locating device between wall studs, ceiling joists, beams, or any variety of framing member. Xstrap also provides integrators with an additional competitive advantage, completely eliminating the need for costly and time consuming proprietary speaker brackets for in-wall audio installations.
4) The Xtreme Locator has been designed to quickly detect Xspot or Xspot-mini through increased density or distance in wall materials (up to 1-inch thick) such as stucco, wood paneling, or shear wall. The Locator Xtreme uses an ultra-high strength magnetic field, enabling the installer to scan large areas of wallboard and “feel” for the Xspot devices on the other side. Once located, the installer can then switch to using the Xcentric in order to mark the four points on the wallboard as needed.
5) The Xcentric is the locating tool that uses magnetic fields to align itself precisely with Xspot or Xspot-mini through the sheetrock or paneling! Four holes in Xcentric enable installers to mark the sheetrock, draw an “X” (based on the 4 hole markings), and create a centered drill point for the Xspot hole saw bit. The resulting access hole reveals the Xspot, which has safely secured the wiring behind the wallboard.
6) The Xbox is the very first (patent pending) low voltage wall box, designed for installation at the pre-wire stage to accommodate such devices as volume controls, keypads, infra-red eyes, and touch screens. Installers can precisely locate the Xbox using Xspot, preventing the errant cutting of sheetrock or colliding with studs that results in time consuming and costly cosmetic repairs. Thanks to Xbox, installers can say goodbye to retro-boxes with unsightly wall plates that don’t fit flush to the wall! The Xbox has also been engineered to accept 1-inch conduit, enabling integrators to install the combination of Xbox and conduit at pre-wire, but wait to pull their wires until after the sheetrock has been hung.
About Prime Industrial Design: Prime Industrial Design is an Arizona based company founded by Mark Sipe, who has logged over 25 years in both the commercial and residential cable TV, telephone, and A/V industries. Prime Industrial Design has been chartered to create and market innovative solutions engineered to improve overall effectiveness and efficiency within the construction trades. Sipe, a D-Tools certified partner, also operates Abacus Prime Consulting with his wife Susan. Abacus Prime is dedicated to assisting A/V industry principals and key managers in the review and development of business processes and the training of D-Tools and QuickBooks software. Mark Sipe has also copyrighted a sales and budgeting software program designed to interface with D-Tools called Salez Toolz© (www.saleztoolz.com).
