The company was established in the late 1970's to provide a range of innovative wire rope-based solutions to a diverse range of industries including mining, civil engineering, telecommunications, architecture, marine/offshore, defence & aerospace. Since, Slingco has grown into a major specialist in and supplier of wire rope and associated products, achieving ISO9002 quality assurance.
Launched earlier this year, Vortek is a complete theatrical rigging system designed and manufactured by Hoffend Inc. USA, for which Slingco is the exclusive UK representative. Work that used to take four-to-six weeks can now be completed in days utilising Vortek, says Slingco.The hub of every Vortek system is a brake, specifically designed for theatre applications. This continuously applied, variable-load, back-up brake totally eliminates over-speed brake and "shock-load" type problems.
The VAC (Vortek Automated Controls) centre is at the core of the Vortek installation.Intuitive Touch Screen control and Menuing make the system simple to administer and use, complete with three levels of password access.The CABLEnet tensioned wire grid system is created by weaving and tensioning high tensile steel cable within a frame, which is then hoisted to the required level in a theatre or concert hall to create a safe 'virtual floor'..Virtually invisible from ground level, the system has the key benefit of casting no shadows from lighting rigs positioned above.
CABLEnet Systems can be modular or custom woven on site to accommodate any layout or room shape. CABLEnet can be installed around features such as columns, pillars and arches, and sleeves can be incorporated into the mesh to allow the movement of cable-controlled equipment through the platform. Recent Slingco CABLEnet installations include RADA, Norden Farm, Hampstead Theatre, the Western Studio at the Millennium Centre in Cardiff and the new Junction 2 theatre in Cambridge.
(Jim Evans)
