Structural & Mechanical Design
ZONE is a vehicle inspection system developed by Security and Electronic Solutions Ltd - a company within the same group as DEP Pipes. The system automatically documents the condition of every vehicle entering a premises, using ANPR-triggered cameras to capture multi-angle imagery of bodywork, wheels and trim before the vehicle reaches a workshop, valet bay, or handover area.
The metalwork design brief covered everything structural: the camera stanchion posts, the internal insert boats that locate and hold the dome camera modules within the post body, the base plates, and the base cover assemblies. The system needed to be rugged enough for a working dealership forecourt environment, visually presentable to the customer, and flexible enough to accommodate single-lane and multi-lane site layouts.
The product launched in 2019 and underwent a significant revision later that year, introducing a reduced post count for standard installations and a new dual-opposed camera insert design. A further refresh followed in 2022. The system remains an active product with its own dedicated website at zonesystem.co.uk.
System Overview
As a vehicle approaches the ZONE, the ANPR camera reads the numberplate and creates a timestamped file reference. This triggers the dome cameras mounted in the stanchion posts to begin capturing - multiple cameras cover the vehicle simultaneously from both sides, documenting bodywork, alloys, and any existing damage in high definition as the car passes through at under 5 mph.
ANPR Camera
Automatic numberplate recognition triggers the capture sequence and uses the plate as the unique file reference for storing all footage associated with that vehicle entry.
Rugged Construction
Stanchion posts fabricated from 150mm square-section tubular steel with powder-coat finish. Designed for permanent outdoor installation on a working dealership forecourt.
Ultra-HD Cameras
Multiple compact dome cameras capture the vehicle from every angle as it passes through, documenting bodywork condition, wheel condition and trim detail in exceptional resolution.
Speed Humps
Bought-in speed humps limit vehicle speed to below 5 mph through the ZONE. The central hump on a two-post installation contains the electrical and data connections between the posts.
Installation Views
The renders below show the system in single-lane configuration with the camera coverage zones and the annotated feature breakdown used in customer-facing presentation material.
Metalwork Components
The structural design covers six principal fabricated components, each with its own drawing package and revision history. All components are designed to fit together as a dimensionally controlled assembly, ensuring consistent camera positioning across multiple site installations.
Stanchion Post
150mm square-section tubular steel. Standard and centre versions for different lane positions. 1230mm tall on revised 2-post configuration. Apertures for camera inserts, cabling, and base fixing.
Insert Boat
Pressed sheet metal component that locates within the post and carries the dome camera mount flange. Revised 2019 to smaller form allowing greater camera overhang and improved field of view coverage.
Base Plate
Ground-fixing plate for each stanchion. Slotted fixing holes for position adjustment during installation. Concealed by the base cover assembly in the finished installation.
Base Cover
Standard and centre versions matching the stanchion type. Cable entry via a mouse hole at the base. Provides a clean finished appearance at ground level, hiding fixings and cabling.
Top Plate
Caps the stanchion post. Houses the ANPR camera on posts where fitted, with a clean angled face that sheds water and maintains sight lines for the numberplate camera cone of vision.
Speed Humps
Specified and positioned within the layout rather than fabricated. Yellow and grey modular hump sections. Central hump carries inter-post electrical and data connections in a two-post installation.
Component Details
The insert boat design is the critical interface between the structural post and the camera system. The clearance between paired camera modules within the post body is 46mm - tight enough to keep the post width compact while giving each dome camera sufficient space to sit correctly in its aperture.
Development History
The system went through two significant revision cycles after the initial 2019 launch, each driven by installation experience and customer feedback.
Original System Design
First release of the full stanchion system. Multi-lane configuration with separate posts for each lane side. Standard and centre post variants. Camera mount via interface plate and insert boat. Base plates with M24 threaded anchor bolts.
2-Post Configuration & Revised Insert
System redesigned to require only three posts in a single-lane installation, reducing material and installation cost. New dual-opposed insert designed to carry two dome camera modules back-to-back within a single post. Smaller insert boat form allows cameras to overhang the post more, improving lower-body and wheel coverage. Base fixing holes changed from M24 threaded to 25mm clearance for simpler ground installation. ANPR camera cone-of-vision geometry added to drawings for alignment on site.
Updated Specification
Further refinement of the system specification and component drawings following deployment experience. Product remains active and commercially available.
Design Background
How the system works, what was designed, and the key engineering decisions behind the metalwork.
ZONE is a vehicle inspection system that automatically captures multi-angle photographic and video evidence of every vehicle entering a premises. An ANPR camera reads the numberplate as the vehicle approaches and uses it as a file reference, triggering multiple high-definition dome cameras mounted on the stanchion posts to capture the vehicle's bodywork, wheels and trim as it passes through at low speed.
The purpose is to provide documented evidence of pre-existing damage before a vehicle enters a workshop or valet bay, protecting both the operator and the customer. In a franchise dealership context this is particularly valuable - it eliminates disputes about damage that occurred on-site versus damage that arrived with the vehicle.
The structural metalwork scope covers the camera stanchion posts (150mm square-section tubular steel, powder-coated), the internal insert boats that locate and mount the dome camera modules within the post body, the base plates that anchor the posts to the ground, and the base cover assemblies that provide a clean finished appearance at ground level.
Multiple post configurations were developed to suit different installation types: standard single-post versions, centre posts for multi-lane installations, and 2-post installation variants with modified insert arrangements for the dual-opposed camera configuration introduced in the 2019 revision. Each configuration has its own drawing package with full part numbering and revision control.
The dome camera modules cannot mount directly to the square-section post body - they require a precisely positioned interface that presents the camera at the correct angle and height relative to the vehicle passing through. The insert boat is a pressed sheet metal component that locates within the post, holds the camera mount flange at the correct geometry, and seals the aperture in the post wall around the camera body.
The design was revised in 2019 to a smaller boat form that allows the camera to overhang the post more, improving the field of view for close-range coverage of the vehicle's lower bodywork and wheels. The insert fits to the post with between 0.4 and 0.9mm clearance depending on the fold angle achieved in manufacture, and is welded all the way round after fitting.
The dual-opposed version carries two camera modules facing in opposite directions from the same post, with 46mm clearance between the module bodies inside the post section - enough to fit cleanly while keeping the overall post width compact.
The speed humps are bought-in components, specified and positioned within the overall system layout rather than fabricated as part of the metalwork design scope. Their function is to limit vehicle speed to below 5 mph as it passes through the ZONE, ensuring the cameras have sufficient exposure time to capture clean images and the ANPR camera can reliably read the numberplate.
In a two-post installation the central speed hump serves a second structural function - it contains the electrical and data connections that run between the two stanchion posts, avoiding surface cable runs across the driveway. This keeps the installation clean and eliminates a trip hazard.
The system has been developed in single-lane and multi-lane configurations. A typical single-lane installation following the 2019 revision uses three posts in total - two outer posts and one central post carrying the dual-opposed camera insert - with speed humps between them. This reduced from the original four-post arrangement, cutting installation cost and complexity.
Multi-lane installations use additional posts and can accommodate parallel lanes simultaneously, with the post arrangement and camera coverage zones configured to suit the specific site layout. The drawings include ANPR camera cone-of-vision geometry to assist with alignment during installation across all configurations.
Yes - the post body provides a substantial flat surface area on each face that can be finished with customer graphics, dealership branding, or manufacturer logos. The post height and the flat faces of the 150mm square section make it a visible and presentable element in a customer-facing environment.
In dealership installations the posts typically carry the franchised brand identity alongside the site name, so the system functions as part of the customer welcome experience rather than purely as a back-of-house security installation. This dual function - visible brand presence plus technical vehicle documentation - was part of the original product concept.