Rigging / Staging

Putting safety to the test

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Following the change in ownership of Mean Fiddler earlier this year, 2005 is a year that its former managing director Melvin Benn will remember. L&SI met up with him at the Leeds Festival and talked about the event, and about Mojo's new Barrier Load Monitoring System which was being tested at the site.

Noticing there were several representatives from the Clear Channel management team 'monitoring' things on site, it begged the question, how is the new marriage affecting things? "It's business as usual this year," explained Benn. "I'm aware things may change, but I've been left to get on with what is already working, with no interference."

"This is the 7th Leeds Festival and the third on this site and I think it has evolved over the years to what we have today. You always look to learn and improve things and I think we've created a better site this year, a

Doughty Engineering

Details: 14 March 2016

The theatrical, chandelier-hung Doughty Engineering stand featured a wide range of the company's rigging, lifting and suspension hardware, with its Six Track curtain tracking in constant motion. New for PLASA was a portable meat rack for lighting bars and the company was also showcasing its redesigned Superclamp, now also available at a lower price.

Wenger

Details: 14 March 2016

Wenger has been manufacturing audience seating systems, acoustic shells, sound control rooms, music stands and chairs for many years, and at PLASA was represented by its UK distributor, Black Cat Music. The company specifically highlighted its Upper Deck Audience Seating System, which offers fast, tool-free set-up and de-rig: a 200-capacity audience system can be setup by two people in two hours. When not in use everything breaks down and is stored on custom wheeled carts.

Slingco

Details: 14 March 2016

Slingco showcased the Vortek theatre rigging system, manufactured in the USA by Hoffend and distributed by Slingco in the UK. It's driven by the Vortek Automated Control system, which allows up to 250 individual Vortek units to be controlled as a complete system. With a number of efficient safety mechanisms built in, it complements Slingco's Cablenet, a tensioned wire grid system that can be installed below lighting rigs to provide a safe working platform, yet not cast shadows from luminaires installed above (see news this issue, page 36).

ChainMaster

Details: 14 March 2016

Wire winches on flying situations have one shortcoming, the feeding mechanism that spreads the wound wire evenly onto the winch drum means there's always a slight displacement of the main lift wire as winding progresses. This can be corrected in static house system rigs through devices such as diverter pulleys, but for touring use, where space is often a problem, Chainmaster has developed a solution. As yet un-named, this mobile winch device uses a simple 'double fall' type configuration, with dual mechanical winding compensators to give a static winch point. Smooth and fast, it's a neat solution.

Record Cablenet grid installed at BIC

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Slingco has installed the largest Cablenet tensioned wire grid system in the world to date at the newly refurbished Bournemouth International Centre (BIC). The 2,500sq.m installation, covering the entire roof space of the BIC's main Windsor Hall was part of a £22 million refurbishment project for the building, undertaken by construction contractor Warings for Bournemouth City Council.

It expands the seated capacity of the Windsor Hall to 4,500 and the standing capacity to 7,200, making the BIC a truly world class multipurpose venue suitable for all types of productions - from conference to arena sized stage shows. The Cablenet installation pips Slingco's previous world record, held by the IFEMA venue in Madrid, by approximately 100sq.m. The installation was completed in just seven weeks.

The Cablenet, which uses 36 miles of steel cabling, is an elegant, practical solution

Rope Assemblies

Details: 14 March 2016

Rope Assemblies, sharing a stand with HSL, was concentrating on promoting its new PPE kits, which include harness, helmet, gloves and the company's Frog quick release system (winner of this year's ABTT Widget of the Year Award). The company was visited by customers from UK and overseas and took orders from new customers in Greece and Estonia, as well as plenty of other good enquiries.

Triple E

Details: 14 March 2016

UK manufacturer Triple E majored on its new three-way track system which won the 2005 ABTT Product of the Year Award. Few components, easy assembly and a great price are three of its big selling points and the track is also elegant and aesthetically pleasing. It keeps the cord within the track cavity, preventing any chance of it sagging and circles and curves are also possible. The product is aimed at schools and drama studio-sized venues.

Maquinas de Precisao

Details: 14 March 2016

A range of bespoke lifting equipment was on show by Maquinas de Precisao, its S3 lighting hoist demonstrating the versatility of the company's custom systems. The lightweight S3 can be mounted beneath or on the grid and has a slimline design to take up as little space as possible.

Gala Systems

Details: 14 March 2016

Lifting and handling technology company Gala Systems showed its new Rigid Spiralift Column, which features mechanically interlocked bands that provide a self-guided rigid lift column. The interlocked bands allow for a higher level of travel than a normal spiral lift, with quieter operation.

Milos Structural Systems

Details: 14 March 2016

Metalwork specialist Milos Structural Systems showed several new products, including the MRT1 and MRT2 rigging towers for speaker arrays at small and medium-sized events respectively. The MRT1 has a height of up to 8m and a loading capacity of 560kg, while the MRT2 stands up to 9.5m high and can bear a load of 1100kg. So new was the M950 quick truss system that no information is available on it, but Jeff Broitman, president of Milos America, was able to demonstrate its advanced construction which allows for a 35m span and high loading capacity. The Xstage S4 system was also on show, which can be constructed up to a height of 2.5m and has a loading capacity of 750kg/sq.m.

Cavotec Group

Details: 14 March 2016

From ports to PLASA might seem like a bit of a leap, but the Cavotec Group's range of industrial motor driven cable reels and lifts is finding an interested audience in the theatre industry. Although this was the company's first experience of the show, the fact that it has offices in 25 countries worldwide means that it's well able to support the entertainment industry across the globe. A steady stream of international visitors proved that Cavotec may well establish itself as a major force in the stage motorization market.

Mojo Barriers

Details: 14 March 2016

Mojo Barriers launched its Barrier Load Monitoring System (BLMS), which provides realtime readings of crowd pressure on barriers. Driven by an uninterruptible power supply, the system records the results and produces graphs which show a time line, along which is plotted the pressure measurement and where it occurs - a real boost to crowd safety. Managing director Patrick Jordan confirmed that initial tests in 2004 at one high profile UK outdoor event saw amendments to the site for 2005, because the BLMS readings revealed significantly uneven pressure on the barriers. Read more in this issue's news, pages 26-27.

Columbus McKinnon

Details: 14 March 2016

PLASA 2005 marks the 50th anniversary for the CM Lodestar and was therefore the cause of much celebration on the CM Entertainment stand. This was the final PLASA for CM's Wally Blount who will have retired by this time next year. Asked if he was looking forward to it, he replied: "You bet. Wouldn't you?"

Intensive Care for Robbie from Summit

Details: 14 March 2016

Germany - Robbie Williams prepared for the launch of his latest album, Intensive Care with a special one-off gig at Berlin's 8,000 capacity Velodrome, complete with production rigging by Summit Steel. The live show was beamed to over 20,000 fans across Europe via high definition cinecast to selected cinemas. The show was also recorded for a TV show to be screened the night preceding the album launch.

Summit serviced the last Robbie Williams tour in 2003 with rigging and automation, and has also worked with the artist before then. The Summit team in Berlin was led by Jon Bray and five riggers from the UK plus nine local riggers.

The show involved a 50 tonne total load - the maximum allowed in the venue - comprising various elements of production lighting, sound and set. The hoist count was 180, and three trucks were needed just to transport the rigging to site.

The sho

Europoint

Details: 14 March 2016

Europoint (Elcom srl) from Italy, was showing the electric telescopic elevator which it manufactures. This is simple to rig and operate and is extremely lightweight at 65kg. It's capable of lifting up to 200kg to a maximum height of 5m, and the elevator can be rigged to extend from a truss downwards as well as being a floor-standing lift.

Steeldeck

Details: 14 March 2016

Steeldeck Sales showcased a range of innovations for the staging world, many designed to either disappear or fold into a very small space when not in use. The motorized NIVOflex Professional Motor scissor platform needs a 200mm pit depth to accommodate a platform which will rise to up to 1m and bear a 750kg/sq.m load. Also on show was the non-motorized Stabilo version, which is simple to manually raise and lower. Spiderflex-based portable staging was another highlight of the stand, designed by Claus Fleischhauer and using technology which allows the all-metal legs to fold away into a tiny, lightweight package, yet having a point load bearing capacity of 216kg when the stage is deployed.

LiteStructures

Details: 14 March 2016

Promoting its new name, new staff and most of all its Arena production rehearsal, television and film sound stage facility in Yorkshire, the LiteStructures Group stand had a significant makeover from last year. Rather than fill the stand with product, this year it was a lounge where the company could - as national sales account manager James Light put it - "get to know clients all over again." The Group's purpose-built Arena (see L&SI September 2005) is a premier league facility which LiteStructures is keen to promote. First used by Coldplay, forthcoming production rehearsals include Phil Collins and The Osmonds.

Stage Technologies

Details: 14 March 2016

Stage Technologies Beamhoist may have picked up an Award for Innovation (see pages 58-59), but the new entry-level Illusionist console was also on display, running the Chameleon control software which is common to all Stage Technologies controllers.

CyberHoist for Chichester Theatre

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - This summer saw a CyberHoist / InMotion 3D motion control system, installed by Vertigo Rigging, make automated flying possible for the first time at Chichester's Festival Theatre in an acclaimed performance of How To Succeed in Business without Really Trying. The theatre, which opened in 1962, enjoys an international reputation for creating exceptional live performances, but its design does not include a fly tower.

The musical, which originally opened in the same year, played at the city's summer-long Chichester Festivities arts festival. The production was directed by Martin Duncan, designed by Francis O'Connor and choreographed by Stephen Mear. Lighting design was by Chris Ellis.

At the centre of the set is a large ceiling piece that serves several scenic purposes and is required to fly in and out, along with a large light box. Both elements also had to be removed to th

Metalworx

Details: 14 March 2016

Trussing manufacturer Metalworx came to PLASA to meet up with everyone the company knew in one place at one time and talk about new projects. Metalworx, manufacturer of the Penn brand, carries out a lot of custom-based trussing work as well as complete non-truss aluminium fabrications for anything from exhibition stands to nightclubs.

Serapid

Details: 14 March 2016

Serapid, the French stage machinery and motorization supplier, was promoting its Linklift rigid chain lifting system. There are four Linklift products currently available - 100, 80, 50 and 30 and it consists of a sprocket-driven chain and a drive housing. The chain becomes rigid after passing through the drive housing and the system can carry loads of up to 10 tonnes per chain, and for the 100 model at up to 7m high.

Roden Staal BV

Details: 14 March 2016

Dutch stage technology manufacturer Roden Staal was enjoying its third PLASA. The company sells a full range of winches and control systems, and engages in all types of steel work as well as complete stage machinery systems. Its newest products was the UCQ control system, based around a 19" TFT touch screen, back-lit keyboard and two joysticks and Roden Staal's unique 'I-Drive' special functions. The monitor and the stage plan being show on it can be flipped in all directions for viewing in different orientations.

Trekwerk BV

Details: 14 March 2016

Dutch firm Trekwerk specializes in theatre and fixed installations. Its modular SyncroDisk vari-speed winches can easily be fitted next to each other in a theatre flywall situation, and each has a control panel attached to the machinery for easy access and maintenance. Each motor also has its own drive unit - just plug in power and data and the winch is ready to use. The company's Point Hoist also works on the same principles.

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