ENTERTAINMENT | APPLICATION REPORT
supplying new hoists to supplement those rental fleets that supported live events to basically supplying hoists for permanent installations and already-approved projects. Most of those were delayed at the beginning of Covid but slowly started to get back on track towards the end of 2020. “Our Lodestar D8+ chain hoists were
R CM Integrated Load Cell
CM Entertainment technology (CM- ET) is the specialist division of Columbus McKinnon. In normal times their Lodestar chain hoists – the range was first introduced in 1955 - equip venues across the continent and indeed the world. These are not normal times. “As Covid put a halt to all live events, gear returned from the field and was shelved at all the rental companies throughout the US,” says Ken Tilson, vertical market specialist entertainment, Columbus McKinnon. “Included in that gear were the many thousands of chain hoists that were used at live events. CM business went from
VIDEO ON ICE
The new video cube that hangs home stadium of the SCL Tigers ice weighs over 5 tons. It hangs on three GIS electric chain hoists whose synchronously raise or lower the cube into the desired position. The frequency-controlled GIS
moving overhead loads in public places. The frequency control from 0.32 to 3.48 metres per minute. Control of the hoists by wireless safety radio with a selector switch housed in an ergonomic hand- held transmitter. The motors can individually.
predominately the unit of choice for those venues revamping or being built out new altogether,” he says. “These units are unique because the Lodestar has always been a robust design, with typically higher design factors than most equivalent hoists in the market. This allowed CM to maintain original capacity ratings of our standard D8 models when upgraded to D8+ features.” (D8 rating allows static holding of loads as long as additional back-up support is present in case of failure. The superior D8+ rating is required when loads are to be suspended or moved above personnel, either stage staff or the public, without secondary support.) “So, the upgrade was done without de-rating the hoist to meet the design factors required by the code of practice. Our D8+ Lodestar is also third party certified to meet the requirements. We are as far as I know the only hoist on the market with this certification. “The Integrated Load Cell is another
new product that adds another level of safety to hoisting,” he adds. “This load cell is designed to fit both the Classic and
New Generation Models of the Lodestar Hoist, integrating the load cell into our standard suspension. So there is no loss of headroom as with external cells, and it is protected and prewired as the hoist goes from show to show or hangs permanently in a venue. This load cell is designed to adapt to most monitoring systems in the field. Interest for this product was high right before Covid shut down our industry. We expect that interest to pick up and continue as the market starts to rebound.” And there is indeed, at last, the glimmer of a rebound. With vaccination programmes progressing and lockdowns easing, public gatherings are, in some places at least, beginning to be possible again.
In March this year (2021) CM
Entertainment surveyed the market and found a sharp increase in Stateside quoting activity, at least for permanent installations such as theatres and concert halls. “March saw ‘green shoots’ in quoting activity,” says the report, “with $1.7m of new activity in this sector, making it the best month since the pandemic began; the first ten days of April saw $500k of new activity, so it was no one-off exception. Rental companies servicing conferences and meetings, however, showed no sign of a rebound. Indicators here are trade show inquiries, hotel reservations activity and rental company hire rates; some companies are
26 | June 2021 |
www.hoistmagazine.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49
