Ron StageMaster 6000 G4 Wireless & Wired Shackle Pin Load Cell

Eilon Engineering Offers New Ron StageMaster 6000 G4 Wireless and Wired Shackle Pin Load Cell

Talk about a mouth load! With heavy loads above our heads and safety on every ones mind, monitoring the weight of truss has be come an inportant topic in the industry.  Eilon Engineering offers a new load cell monitoring system that is built right into the shackle for ease of use. If you are one of those that don’t truss wireless signals for an important task such as load monitoring, have no fear, the new Ron Stagemaster 6000 is offered in both wireless and wired.

Here is more from Eilon Engineering:

Eilon Engineering announces launch of the new Ron StageMaster (RSM) 6000 G4 Wireless and Wired Shackle Pin load cell for load monitoring and overload prevention. The advanced load cell features a new shackle pin design that makes it ideal for applications where headroom is extremely limited while its wireless capability makes for a quicker installation.

The RSM 6000 G4 Shackle Pin load cell includes a 5/8″ standard shackle enabling an extremely low headroom loss of only 2.4 inches (61mm), especially important in indoor applications where ceiling height is often an issue. Made of aerospace quality, high-strength alloy steel, the RSM 6000 G4 Shackle Pin load cell, like all Eilon Engineering load cells, is fatigue rated to withstand unlimited load cycles without the risk of failure or damage to the steel. The RSM system features continuous monitoring up to 5000 hours (10,000 hour battery life option), and unlike other systems on the market contains absolutely no standby or sleep modes, which are risky and unacceptable from a safety perspective.

Safety above all

In addition to the fatigue-rated load cells and continuous monitoring up to 5000 hours, the RSM system includes a raft of other safety features including independent data flow and multi-channel transmission, as well as internal verification, an internal safety check that ensures the displayed data is always an exact match with that being transmitted by the load cells. An extended transmission range up to 2km adds an additional layer of safety. Furthermore, Ron StageMaster load cells work with any motor control system to provide automatic emergency stop (E-stop) and overload/under-load alarm (visual and audible).

Ease of operation and setup

The IP 65-rated system communicates wirelessly to a PC laptop via a receiver, eliminating messy cabling and lengthy setup time. The result is a quick-to-install plug and play system, essential in many facets of the entertainment industry like tours and on-the-road productions. And thanks to a Slave-Master option, a nearly unlimited number of load cells can be used.

Real-time monitoring

The laptop-based Ron StageMaster safety system features real-time monitoring of all loads from a single screen and from any location. And for simple integration with the plot, the RSM system software allows for overlay of the load map right onto the plot on screen, making it easy to see where motors, weight, etc. are on the plot. This enables the rigger to immediately identify the location of an overload and take swift preventative action. In addition, the set point option enables immediate motor stop in case of an overload. The system provides a record at the end of the show, is compatible with smart phones and tablets and can even send SMS alerts.

RSM compatibility

The RSM 6000 G4 Wireless and Wired Shackle Pin load cell is compatible with all Eilon RSM G4 systems (wired and wireless), including the Ron StageMaster Classic and the recently launched Ron StageMaster Hoist Integrated load cell.

For more details visit www.eilon-engineering.com

Squint Abroad – Preparing For International Travel

There is no doubt that Americans are highly cautioned by the state department any time they leave the relative safety of our borders for a tour abroad.  I’m currently working in Istanbul, Turkey, arguably one of the most incredible cities in the world.  Before hopping on a plane I checked my passport, flight information, the weather, and as always I made a brief stop at the US state department’s travel website.  There you can find info about the culture, visa requirements, safety and security, American consulate information, and even medical emergency precautions.

I was a bit apprehensive to travel to this part of the world, especially with the daily news about social unrest in neighboring countries.  It certainly did not help that the international community has decided to take military action in the past week against Libya, one thousand miles away.  Luckily I am traveling with a large group of coworkers, all of whom take great care in being caution not to draw too much attention when abroad.  That doesn’t always calm fears though, especially after reading this CNN article about a suicide bombing in a city square only a few blocks from our hotel.

Despite local current events, our first 48 hours has been a completely positive experience.  The Turkish people are kind and respectful, the city is clean and well maintained, and the food is delicious.  A large group of us spent the first day on the ground exploring historical sites in the “old city”, including the Blue Mosque, the Hagia Sophia, and the Grand Bazaar.  After walking through a 1,500 year old cistern you realize that human civilization has already accomplished so much.  You begin to wonder what you could possibly do to make any sort of meaningful contribution.  Remember, this is a city where you can cross a bridge and be in a completely different continent.

Check back over the next 10 days as I explore one of the largest cities in the world with the rest of my coworkers.  Don’t miss my next blog about loading in a large-scale corporate event and working with locals on a live event.   Feel free to ask questions, especially those I could answer in a future blog, by emailing me at Scott.Renick@isquint.net or on twitter @sdrenick.

 

 

JR Clancy on Facebook, Show Us Your Scariest Rigging Photos

In JR Clancy’s latest Rigging Report email, they are calling for photos. No, not photos of your beautiful self, but photos of scary rigging. We have all been then.  We have walked into a theatre, looked up and had to do a double take. “Are they really hanging pipes with dog chain?!?”  Yup, I have seen that done and I RAN.

If you are like me, you take photos of these scary situations to show friends and co-workers just how un-safe that space is.  JR Clancy is looking for those photos to add to their Facebook page.  The collection of photos is not intended to make fun or laugh at a venue, but to serve as a remind why annual rigging inspections are so so important. Life would not be good if a schedule 40 pipe came crashing down from ANY height.

Dig through your scary rigging photos and be sure to add them to JR Clancy’s Facebook page to shed some light on some of the scariest rigging out there.  And yes, you can withhold your name and venue location by contacting JR Clancy to add the photo for you.

UPDATE:

In response to one of our readers comments, JR Clancy wanted to follow up about scary rigging photos of their products as well.  Here is what Patrick Finn from JR Clancy has to say:

This is Patrick Finn from J.R. Clancy. We want to see scary rigging photos of our equipment most of all. We can have fun posting the scary rigging photos on Facebook because we know that shortly after the shots are taken the issues are corrected. Please send me some pictures and let me know what theatre you are referring to. If this is an old system we can recommend an ETCP certified rigger who can inspect and repair the issues, and if this is a new installation the equipment may be under warranty. We want to know about all Clancy equipment installation good and bad so we can we address any issues. Thanks and I look forward to seeing your scary photos.

JR Clancy: Cable Management for Lighting Battens

In JR Clancy’s September Rigging Report email, they cover the topic of Cable Management for Lighting Battens.  They cover the importance of proper cable management not only form a safety stance, but also a cost savings. If you work under light battens for a living, read this rigging report.  It will make you think about what is hanging over your head and how well you want to protect yourself, others and your theatre!

Read more on the JR Clancy Rigging Report (more…)

J. R. Clancy Raises Safety Standard with ETL-Listed PowerLifts

J.R Clancy is making the stage a better and safer place for everyone to work with their popular automated theatre hoist, the PowerLift being listed as meeting the rigorous UL 1340 Hoist standard for safety by ETL. This means that the PowerLift hoist will now be able to carry the ETL Listed Mark.

More on Why this listing is important from J.R. Clancy:

There are many standards intended to make equipment safer – but how do manufacturers prove that they meet the standards? An NRTL such as ETL or UL is authorized to list items that the lab has tested and found to meet the requirements of a standard. Listing assures all who use the equipment that the product is up to the latest published standard for safety.

UL Standard 1340 for Hoists governs overhead hoists intended for material lifting service, using either chain or wire rope.  The standard covers electrically powered hoists, as well as the safety of the product design and the shielding of the component parts.

To be listed, the product must undergo extensive testing: normal operation tests, a strength test of 250% of the rated load, grounding, starting current, temperature, power failure, and short-circuit testing.

“Watching an independent lab come and put these hoists through such rigorous tests gives me even more confidence that our equipment is designed and fabricated to extremely high standards,” said Craig Eagleson, Clancy’s engineer in charge of listing the hoists.

“Like the ISO 9001 certification of our Quality Management System, UL and ETL listing is a way that we can help our customers get the best products,” Tom Young, Clancy vice president of marketing observed. “Working to achieve national and international quality and safety certifications shows our customers that we care about their health and safety, and we’re willing to put our products on the line to prove it.”