3M brings innovation to life with Crystal LED
Two members of the Corporate R&D team at 3M Japan Innovation Co., Ltd discuss the company’s decision to equip its Customer Technical Centre with Sony’s Crystal LED video wall technology.
- 3M Japan sought best-in-class AV solutions during refurbishment of its Customer Technical Centre
- Crystal LED video wall with SLS-1A line array speakers
- PXW-FX9 full-frame camera
- 4K displays and PTZ camera
- High quality pictures and sound showcase breadth of 3M’s global product innovation
3M Japan Innovation Co., Ltd.
Corporate R&D
Customer Technical Center
Director
3M Japan Innovation Co., Ltd.
Corporate R&D
Customer Technical Center Evangelist
Country Digital AE Leader
Showcasing global technological innovation
Originally founded in 1902 in Minnesota, USA, 3M is a global manufacturer of chemical and electrical materials. 3M Japan Innovation Co., Ltd. is a science company that provides products and services in the fields of automotive, commercial solutions, consumer products, construction, electronics, electric power installation and energy, healthcare, manufacturing and personal protective equipment as a member of 3M’s Japan subsidiary.
Kaori Hanashima: “Attached to the Sagamihara Plant in Kanagawa Prefecture, the Customer Technical Centre is largest R&D and manufacturing base of 3M Japan, showcasing technologies that form the basis of product development. We want to help people understand 3M’s wide variety of technologies through hands-on experience and demonstrations, and to work together to create new innovations that will lead to solutions to customers’ problems.
“In June 2023 the CTC was refreshed in order respond more flexibly to changes in society and customer needs, further strengthening our ability to make proposals. On the right hand side of the CTC entrance is a space called the Theatre Room. Its purpose is to introduce 3M’s history, overall business overview, and culture that creates innovation through videos, as well as to make presentations and discussions to customers. After considering the display to be installed in this area while renewing CTC, we concluded that the combination of Sony’s Crystal LED video wall technology and the SLS-1A Line Array Speaker would be optimal in terms of image expression, realism, and size. And so we decided to introduce it.”
Crystal LED installation in the Theatre Room in CTC, with SLS-1A Line Array Speakers positioned at top, bottom, left and right sides of the screen.
Creating new experiential value with vision and sound
Michitomo Kugimiya: “From the start, we wanted the equipment in the Theatre Room to be the best available at the time. And by coming into contact with high-quality equipment, we would also thought that we could also learn a lot as a manufacturer. While comparing various products, the display that I felt was the best was Crystal LED. The moment I saw the video for the first time, I immediately thought ‘I want to introduce this’ because of its power and high sense of realism. We also learned that a number of automobile manufacturers are using Crystal LED. Some of the end users of 3M Japan are also automobile manufacturers, so that was also a factor that encouraged the introduction of Crystal LED. We also evaluated Sony’s SLS-1A Line Array Speakers, that are installed on the top, bottom, left and right sides of the Crystal LED display. These speakers can add new experiential value to viewing images: the audio sound sounds as if it’s coming directly from the centre of the screen.
SLS-1A Line Array Speaker installed adjacent to Crystal LED screen.
Michitomo Kugimiya: “We currently use Crystal LED to display videos and presentation materials produced by our employees that introduce 3M. It’s so powerful that some customers we’ve invited have reached out to try and touch the images the screen. 3M products from decades ago are also displayed in the ‘History Area’ near the Theatre Room. These are captured with Sony’s FX9 Cinema Line full-frame camera and displayed on the Crystal LED in real time . The fact that customers can see the smallest details of cellophane tape in a tin on such a large screen is very well appreciated. We also take a commemorative photo in front of the Crystal LED that shows the image
Sony FX9 camera captures close-up images of exhibits in the history area, displayed on Crystal LED.
Imagining future applications
Kaori Hanashima: “Even if you just present images and videos that you’re used to seeing on other displays or projectors, with Crystal LED the impact is different. I feel that it’s powerful enough to enhance the impact of the presentation materials. Although it’s only been a few months since it was introduced, we hope that this Theatre Room gives opportunity to create innovations that will lead to solving customer problems. In the future, I would like to focus more on creating content that further benefits from the very high definition of Crystal LED.”
Michitomo Kugimiya: “3M also produces full harness-type fall prevention devices that are worn when working at heights, such as on construction sites. We also use video to explain the correct way to wear such equipment, and to reaffirm the need for fall prevention equipment by projecting images taken at the actual work site on Crystal LED so that people can experience the realism of the work site.
“3M operates CTCs not only in Japan but in 35 countries around the world. If you were to take pictures of CTCs in each region and reproduce them with Crystal LED, you’d be able to experience CTCs as if you were going around the world. It’s also conceivable to use virtual production methods to capture images, making it seem as if you are in outer space. In this way, we would like to continue to explore various new ways to make use of Crystal LED.”
Wide range of Sony products
Kaori Hanashima: “In addition to the Theatre Room, CTC also introduces Sony products in the multipurpose demonstration exhibition area and in the studios set up within CTC. First, in the technology platform exhibit in the multi-purpose demonstration exhibition area, Sony data projectors and 4K displays are installed, and a ceiling remote camera system is used to display images taken by 3M employees in their hands, providing customers with an easy-to-understand introduction to 3M’s technology.”
Electric vehicle demonstrator, data projector displaying document images, 4K display, and ceiling-mounted remote camera system.
Kaori Hanashima: “In the studio that was opened when CTC was closed to visitors during the Covid pandemic, we have introduced Sony FX9 cameras and displays for corporate use, and we are using it to distribute webinars introducing 3M’s products and technologies. Even now that the pandemic has ended and customers are able to come to us, we are still producing webinars at a rate of about once a month: it has become established as a new means of digital communication.”
Studios used for webinar production.
Michitomo Kugimiya: “The reason we’ve introduced many Sony products into various areas of CTC isn’t only to standardize operability and ease of maintenance, but also to promote 3M Japan’s advanced equipment to our overseas bases. As a global company, I would like to continue to refer to Sony’s manufacturing, and I hope that Sony will continue to create products and services that bring new experiences that have never been seen before.”
System Overview - 3M Customer Technical Centre
Theatre Room:
- ZRD-C12A Crystal LED
- Overall dimensions: 4.256 × 2.394 m
- Number of cabinets: 7×7 = 49
- Resolution: 2688 × 1512 pixels
- SLS-1A Line Array Speaker
- 2 modules × 4 sets
- PXW-FX9 full-frame camcorder
Multi-purpose demonstration exhibition area:
- 7x VPL-FHZ85/B data projectors
- 2x VPL-FHZ85/W data projectors
Remote camera system
- 3x SRG-X40UH/B PTZ (pan/tilt/zoom) 4K video cameras
- RM-IP500 remote controller
Studio:
- PXW-FX9 full-frame camcorder
- PXW-Z280 camcorder