One of the most prestigious projects that Polaron Controls of the UK has executed is the complete lighting control solution for the new Burj Al Arab tower in Dubai, UAE.

''The project was a landmark in Polaron's 25-year history,'' a company spokesman says. ''The lighting control system specification required centralised and local control for each of the 202 suites and the public areas. Also required was a system that co-ordinated control of a 600-ft-high moving image sequence together with corridor lighting, a water feature, photocells and a BMS (building management system). Products supplied were from Polaron's Millennium range of intelligent dimming solutions. In total, over 20,000 channels of lighting are being controlled. The total contract value was several million dhirams.''

Joe Stelzer, chief executive of Polaron, comments: "The Burj project was probably the most technically-complicated control project in the region this decade. Our ability to be able to manage such a complex scheme was one of the principal reasons that our customer, BK Gulf (a Balfour Beatty Major Projects company) went with us. Control protocols such as RS485, RS232, MIDI, DMX, 10BaseT and Contact Closure were brought together throughout the building to provide one unified control system that could be centrally controlled. The management teams of BK Gulf, WS Atkins and the client's office expected adherence to an extremely tight timetable with no margin for error, a task that Polaron was able to meet."

Polaron's standard range of unit dimmers provides simple, off-the-shelf solutions for four- and 12-channel installations with controls to match customers' requirements. The customer design service manages the project from start to finish and after-sales service includes extended warranty care.

Polaron has been one of the leading manufacturers of architectural lighting control systems throughout the company's life.

Following a period of targeted growth into complementary product areas, the Polaron Group has consolidated growth into a restructured business unit and now offers products in a number of building system disciplines.

These include architectural lighting control, environmental lighting, show control, audio-visual, public address , CCTV (closed circuit television) and voice evacuation systems.