The Kinesys - Vari-speed System for high capacity lifting solutions is billed as "a dynamic, fully programmable vari-speed hoist and winch control system, complimented with 32 double brake CM Lodestar Hoists capable of running at speeds of up to 21m/min." The system provides accu
Falls from height and particularly from ladders, are responsible for the majority of accidents and serious injuries within the work place, with as many as 50 deaths and 4,000 injuries sustained across all industry sectors in a single year. Looking in detail at how to conduct
Visual Act recently provided all the stage & flying automation equipment for the Eurovision Song Contest finals in Kiev. The staging for the event, one of the most advanced ever, included 46 separate moving components. VA control was used to create a range of stage configurations and dynamic scene changes during each act.
(Jim Evans)
A regular fly-bar does not have the required strength if the uniformly distributed load needs to be upgraded from 300kg to 500kg and the point load from 40kg to 150/200 kg. Therefore, the single round tube is often replaced with ladder beams, usually made from steel. ProTrac offers a better alternative than these steel ladder beams, being specially designed to meet the demands from a modern theatrical environment and the CE compliance for lifting equipm
Equipchaine is appreciated by theatre consultants and architects throughout Europe; it has been installed in a diverse range of over 130 theatres and multi purpose spaces. Existing applications range from single to 40-device projects. Using simplifies any structural problems, as it fi
In March 2005 Stage Electrics was appointed UK distributor for Prolyte trussing, Stage Dex Staging and Prolyft chain hoists. Both Prolyte H30 and X30 trusses are light to medium duty and offer strength flexibility and compactness.
"The relationship with Prolyte has been a natural development for Stage Electrics. We have made a large investment in inventory but the wide range of products they offer and the quality of their manufacturing meant that it was an easy choice to make." said Adam Blaxill, head of purchasing at Stage Electrics.
Ed Gamble Business development manager Ed Gamble adds, "Customers have been extremely receptive to the Prolyte range, both the durability and the design features of the products make them intuitive to
In February this year the Theatre Royal hosted two days of intensive training workshops on behalf of Stage Electrics, which included courses on electricity at work and pyrotechnics safety awareness. As Brian Cleary, business development manager for Stage Electrics explains, support from organisations like the Theatre Royal is key to raising awareness across the industry of important health and safety issues. "We think it is very important to raise the standards within our industry and recognise the skills people have achieved."
He continues: "We have a wide range of courses on offer and it's great
For The Far Pavilions, award winning set designer Lez Brotherston had to create sets which took the action from the snow-capped Himalayas to the hot and dusty deserts of Rajasthan. A raked triple concentric revolve - the three sections of which can move simultaneously, in different direction
The latter elements are a particular area of Protec's strength, as a tour around its facilities reveals. Everywhere are the remnants of large-scale motorized set pieces, waiting to be called upon. There are set pieces purchased from the selling off of the Millennium Dome's contents; there are large, customized, articulated truss sections, huge spheres and steel and aluminium forms of all kinds of construction; it's like a giant's Meccano kit, with lots of bits that you can't get from the shops. There's enormous potential for creativity here.
Protec is owned by Stephen Lakin, the industry veteran wh
The event included four hair shows (by hairdressers Charles Worthington, Antoinette Beenders, Trevor Sorbie and Toni & Guy), a three-course dinner, and an after-show party. The action took place on a main stage with an array of mobile and fixed
Mojo Barriers UK director Jim Gaffney managed the project and liaised with Clear Channel's festival manager John Probyn and site manager Andy Pearson to agree an effective barrier design to create a safe environment for the exuberant fans. Jim explained: "There a lot of factors to consider when deciding on the best barrier configuration for the show. We have done lots of shows at Donington, as has John (Probyn) so it was great working with someone who had some great ideas whilst listening to our advice. The music/audience type and slope of the ground (left to right) were the two over-riding factors in deciding on t
A large, backlit LCD displays the operating state (including the run direction, run speed, position and other operating parameters) of all the connected hoists. The main and safety processor monitors all functions. All the contactors and safety circuits needed to protect against overload and slack chain are integrated along with work limit switches and emergency shutdown systems. In addition, the execution of, and internal ope
Stardraw Control generates standalone, customized control programs that can manage and monitor any type of addressable equipment from any manufacturer using any protocol over any communications infrastructure. This approach frees systems integrators from closed or proprietary architectures and applications, offering instead the ability to create a single application that can control many different products with as much or as little complexity as the end user needs.
O2M8 Ltd is a UK-based company creating innovative smart home products and solutions using standard technologies and open source software to reduce costs and drive growth in the smart home industry. WebBri
The VMK hoists are equipped with high resolution incremental encoders that make it possible to position the hoist to within +/- 1 mm (in combination with V-Motion) permitting precise target runs with the highest degree of reproducible accuracy. Combined with the V-Motion controller modules, the VMK hoists can execute va
From a stackable, self-contained transport position to a functional rigging position when flown, Swing Wing Truss is an intelligent pre-rig, say Tomcat. Designed to hold a wide variety of conventional and intelligent fixtures from the X.Spot and VL1000 ERS to the Martin 2000 and Studio Colors, Swing Wing accommodates virtually any fixture. Simi
The exhibition takes visitors on a journey from Arthur Dent's kitchen to the far reaches of outer space. It brings to life the witty and satirical narrative of Douglas Adams' iconic story. Blackout's hire and sales co-ordinator, Nico Beukes, collaborated with Silver Knight's project manager, John Nearn, to ensure that the three bespoke drapes met his exacting specifications.
Designed in a range of sizes, the fibre-optic starcloths, measured 12.2m x 12.2m, four metres by one metre and three metres by four. They played an integral role in the rich set design, which combined over 200 original props, creature
Kinesys initially approached Carallon to help realize K2 because: "Their pedigree is second to none" explains Dave Weatherhead The Carallon design team has extensive experience producing specialist entertainment industry hardware and software, including iconic products such as the WholeHog range of digital lighting consoles. The team's track record, combined with their energy and enthusiasm for K2, meant Kinesys knew they'd found the right partner with the right skil
This year Glastonbury's famous Pyramid stage was flanked by two of Serious's new Goal Post PA towers, enabling SSE's Nexo Geo-T PA to be flown at a height of 60ft. The deck for the towers was two metres above the ground and each tower was ballasted by eight tonnes of concrete. This allowed SSE to angle the PA to throw right back across the hill. Pyramid highlights included headliners the White St
It was the first year that the new events team from Liverpool Culture Company organized this event. "It was the 25th anniversary, 2005 is the 'Year of the Sea' and we wanted to refresh and revamp the event, make it more contemporary and broaden its appeal to a wider public than the traditional River Festival audience. We also wanted to
Stagecraft produces conferences and exhibitions, as well as providing equipment and technical support for corporate events, festivals, parties and meetings in the UK and abroad. Stagecraft Theatre Services supplies and installs equipment from all leading lighting and sound manufacturers to the educational, amateur and professional entertainment sectors.Managing director, David Goodrich commented: "It is incredible to think that 25 years has passed and I am proud to be part of an exciting and innovative industry . . . the trend has
Making its second appearance after becoming a huge success among participants in the 2005 Workshop will be the Advanced Workshop. This two-day workshop covers a variety of interesting topics on hoist motors and truss design and is meant for those who have already completed Tomcat's four-day workshop and/or those with extensive experience working with motors and truss in the field. The advanced workshop is scheduled to take place from 3-4 March, also in Midland, Texas. Further information is available from the e-mail address below.
Mojo Barriers MD Patrick Jordan liaised with U2's Jake Berry from its Netherlands head office, to ensure the barrier design integrated into the U2 stage set to create a safe environment for both the band and their audiences. The tour started in San Diego (USA) where the Mojo Barriers US office supplied them with 130m of black powder-coated aluminium Mojo Barriers to go around the 'egg'-shaped walkway and to create a pen inside the 'egg'.
In Europe, Mojo Barriers supplied a total of 300m of its proprietary aluminium stage barriers for the outdoor shows. The U2 Vertigo outdoor stage has two 'bull horn' like thrusts on stage left and stage right and the Mojo Barriers followed the contour of these with its front of stage barrier. The company also provided a large curved sec
