News

2-5 April, Frankfurt Messe

Anyone with a query about load monitoring should find all the advice they need at this year’s Prolight + Sound where Broadweigh, a leading brand from Mantracourt Electronics, is exhibiting on four of its product partners’ stands. The Broadweigh TwistLink is set to take centre stage, along with the Broadweigh Wind Speed Sensor, both of which will be set up in demonstrations on the stands of Hof Alutec (Hall 12.0, E49), PSRig (Hall 12.0, C80), Sonoss and Louis Reyners who are exhibiting together (Hall 12.0, C94). And with representatives from Broadweigh on hand too it’s set to be the perfect opportunity for anyone who needs some expert advice on how and why they should monitor their loads.

Kelly Voysey, Sales & Marketing Manager at Mantracourt commented:

“Prolight + Sound is a very important event for  us in that it puts our brand in front of a truly international audience. We have been supplying load monitoring equipment for years, but it’s only relatively recently that entertainment riggers have started to embrace the concept. With the necessity to prove due diligence on all projects, riggers now are really interested in knowing the weight distribution of video walls, and complex lighting rigs and to understand how the elements can impact on outdoor events to the point that the readings change from minute to minute. So as well as being at Prolight + Sound to exhibit our new products, we’re also looking forward to engaging with potential new customers and providing any information they feel they need about the importance of monitoring their loads, but also to hearing their opinions and learning from them”

Broadweigh is a brand born out of Mantracourt Electronics – a world leader in high precision measurement electronics. It’s a name probably unfamiliar to most in the entertainment sector but world-class in industrial sensing. Mantracourt has spent the last 45 years designing and innovating electronics and software for internationally renowned OEM’s who deliver sensing solutions into all manner of industrial sectors. It’s the sort of technology you’d find buried deep inside the thousands of aerial work platforms found around the world at convention centres and building sites or on the lift arms of tractor brands or even within the test lab of F1 race teams.

“Behind Broadweigh is a team of talented engineers who are committed to responding to new ideas and developing our solutions,” explains Kelly. “Over the years we have collaborated with our Broadweigh partners to develop and improve our systems so ultimately we can support them to achieve really creative solutions and we’re not standing still in terms of development’.

The new TwistLink was launched at the end of 2018 and allows a 4.75 tonne Broadweigh shackle to be connected to a 3.25 tonne or 4.75 tonne shackle without having to mess around with the pin, nut and Rclip. It has holes at 90 degrees to minimise potential torsion loading in the load pin and to maintain accurate measurement. It also conforms to the European Machinery Directive.

“We’ve already had some feedback from some customers who have had the opportunity to put the TwistLink to the test”, says Kelly. “It’s currently on tour with Brit Award Winners, The 1975 and we’ve been told by the head rigger on the tour, Simon Lawrence, just how invaluable it is in terms of time saving. Getting feedback like this is great and of course we’ll be looking forward to hearing what visitors to Prolight + Sound have to say when they see the TwistLink in action on our product partners’ stands.”

The updated Broadweigh Wind Speed Sensor which made its debut at Prolight + Sound in 2018, will also be demonstrated at the show. The pre-calibrated BW-WSS anemometer provides both real time display and full logging of wind speeds. It measures wind speeds over the range of 5-125mph and can be configured to provide readings in a number of standard units including mph, fps, km/h and m/sec. It can transmit average windspeed over a pre-set period but users also have the option of a 1, 3, 5 or 10 second gust value. The Wind Speed Sensor also requires the Broadweigh Handheld or LOG100 software for viewing purposes.

Kelly concluded: “There’s still plenty more to come from Broadweigh in 2019 and beyond – for example the upcoming launch of Broadweigh Bluetooth, our Bluetooth load shackle which is really set to make waves as we take advantage of Bluetooth low energy technology to provide close range, static monitoring direct to our iOS and Android App, without the need for any other accessories. We’ll be looking forward to sharing news of what’s in store with those who come and chat to us at the show.”