The University of Sydney
Upgrading the Sydney Dental Hospital Sim Centre with Atdec Monitor Arms
Location: Australia
Client: The University of Sydney
Sector: Higher Education
The University of Sydney’s Sydney Dental Hospital Simulation Centre is a state-of-the-art training facility for postgraduate dentistry students, designed to replicate real-world dental surgeries. The facility, a specialist lecture hall, features 11 circular tables with five student workstations each. To update the space and integrate new technology, the university’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Learning Environment team, deployed 60 Atdec AWMS-HXB monitor arms to support 24-inch Dell OptiPlex 7420 all-in-one (AIO) touchscreen computers. This project is a small but vital part of the team’s management of 6,500 computers (plus peripherals) across the university, highlighting the need for reliable, low-maintenance solutions.
Objective
The refurbishment aimed to enhance the Simulation Centre by integrating 24-inch Dell OptiPlex 7420 AIO touchscreen computers into compact student workstations, each with a 0.09m² or 1ft² footprint. Used by multiple classes daily, the lab required a robust, space-efficient, and ergonomic mounting solution.
Challenges
Space constraint: the monitor arms were required to have minimal footprint to preserve desk space.
Ergonomic: the monitor arms must allow smooth adjustments with light pressure, for optimal monitor position for each student over prolonged study sessions.
No-hands adjustment: to mimic real dental surgeries, students avoid hand contamination by using a stylus for computer interaction and position adjustment, requiring smooth monitor arm movement without compromising stability.
Durability: the shared high-traffic lab, used by hundreds of students weekly, demanded monitor arms that withstand frequent adjustment over a long service life.
Cable management: the monitor arm needed to neatly manage power, data, and Kensington lock cables to maintain a clean, secure environment.
Guy Kabos, Learning Environment Manager, ICT
The University of Sydney
Solution
The ICT team selected Atdec’s AWMS-HXB monitor arm for its robust design and features that met the unique demands of the space.
Features
Strength: engineered for heavy monitors, including deep AIO and curved ultrawides, AWMS-HXB has capacity to 16kg or 35lb, for stable support of the 24-inch Dell OptiPlex 7420 AIO computers.
Smooth light-touch adjustment: students would primarily adjust focal distance (in-out movement) and pan. AWMS-HXB extends 602mm (23.7”) and pans +/-90°. It additionally allows tilt adjustment -30° to +35° and landscape-portrait rotation, with a 90° rotation limiter to prevent cable twisting, addressing past issues in other university setups.
Durability: built from recyclable materials with a 10 year warranty, the monitor arm is designed for frequent use in high-traffic settings, aligning with the ICT team’s need for reliable, low-maintenance hardware.
Small footprint mounting: the compact desk fixing AWM-FF would occupy less than 5% of the available student desk space of 0.09m2 or 1ft2.
Cable management: built-in channels have more than sufficient capacity to hold power, data, and Kensington lock cables.
As a solution, AWMS-HXB addressed the immediate mounting requirement needs and aligned with the team’s low friction hardware approach.
Result
The installation of 60 AWMS-HXB monitor arms across 55 workstations was seamless, aided by installer-friendly features like drop-on VESA plates and visual tension indicators.
Key outcomes
Space efficient and professional: small footprint desk fixings and concealed cabling resulted in a clean, professional setup with maximum usable desk space.
Reliable and ergonomic: students adjust the arms effortlessly with styluses for collaboration and comfort, with no reported failures or issues, proving durability in the high-use environment.
Low maintenance: to date no issues, including that of over-rotation, have occurred.
Fit for purpose: easy installation and trouble-free operation have enabled the expansion of AIO technologies at the Simulation Centre and more widely across the university.
FAQs
Atdec mounts every monitor in any configuration. We have standard mount solutions for popular setups, and create custom solutions for specialist requirements with Atdec Modular.
Yes. Atdec has numerous options for curved and ultrawide monitors.
Yes. Atdec is channel agnostic and works with clients to ensure timely delivery and warranty coverage. We have relationships with international, national, and local distributors. We work globally so it is best to speak directly about any procurement ments you have.
Yes, the same components are used throughout the range so your monitor mounts can be reconfigured.
Yes, that’s what we’re here for! Let us know what monitors you have and how you want them positioned and we’ll make a recommendation. For more complex environments we may produce scale renders so you can easily better understand how the solution will fit in your space.
