Where are cables used?
chainflex cables in stage technology

Sascha Mais | 11. November 2020

Sometimes, our business actually resembles show business. So we can identify wonderfully with the slogan “The show must go on”. And in the events industry this is probably also true. Failures cannot be afforded here. It must go on forever. How cables in stage technology contribute to success is the subject of today’s article.

Stage technology

We need reliable and fail-safe technology. Stage technology does not only influence optical factors. Also, the safety of the actors and audience depends on the technology.

Apart from fail-safe operation, inconspicuousness is the second requirement that must be met. The components used must work silently and invisibly so as not to disturb the performance. After all, the audience should concentrate on the stage and not on the technical details.

Every stage and every show is unique. That is what makes this industry so exciting for us. At the same time, stage technology always presents us and our products with great challenges. Besides high load, noise is also an issue.

Why do we need cables in stage technology?

Do you remember your last concert? How many lights turn back and forth, how the stage set changes? How the singer disappears into the ground or flies above the audience? This is exactly why we need cables in stage technology. For all the moving applications that are concealed there.

There is no standard product here. We constantly adapt to new challenges, demands and designs of our customers. For this reason no special cable can be recommended for all cases. The applications in the industry are too versatile.

These include, for example:

• Moving stage sets
• Mobile spotlights
• Movable stage elements
• Extendable stage parts
• Moving cameras
• Transmission of the loudspeaker signals

Which cables are used in stage technology?

Various factors are important when using the cables. Where exactly is the cable used, what load does it have to withstand, and what are the exact customer requirements?

To move stage sets, it requires motors with wire rope hoists. These are often reliably supplied with power by our chainflex motor cables. In the Cologne Opera House, for example , the following cables were used for this purpose: CFPE.160.01, CF130.UL, CFLG.4LB.50/125, CF30.60.04, and CFBUS.PVC.045.

In addition, our control cables are often used to supply power to the lighting.

For data transmission, however, our high-quality bus cables can be found in a wide variety of applications. As there is often a lot of data to be transmitted, CAT7 bus cables are often used, for example, the CFBUS.PVC.052.

Advantages of chainflex cables for stage technology

In stage technology there is often a lack of space. One wants to implement as much as possible, but only in rare cases does one have the spatial possibilities. The possibilities and applications of our cables are versatile and often very individual. In the following, we would like to discuss a selection of possibilities for the use of chainflex cables in stage technology.

To save installation space, we use zig-zag energy chains. This enables us to efficiently transport our chainflex cables in vertical hanging applications. This makes the energy supply system not only cost-effective, but also space-saving and unobtrusive.

Zig-zag e-chains

As the name zig-zag suggests, the energy chain makes an alternating bend here. This means the maximum stress for the routed cables. Our chainflex cables enable the smallest bend radii and contribute considerably to the realisation of space-saving overall solutions.

e-spool as a cost saver for stage and theatre technology

The solution of an igus e-spool is also often used. It serves as an alternative to the cable reel in order to guide many different cables in a very confined space. They can be used, for example, to move an entire stage podium. Here too, the cables must be able to withstand extreme demands. So this solution is not only space-saving but also quiet. It is compact and yet can carry a large number of cables at once.

Strictly speaking, this construction is a combination of the components of e-chains and twisterband.

Both components together provide their services in the podium pit of the Cologne Opera House. There they ensure the movement of the stage podium by providing energy, data and hydraulics.

It is good that all chainflex cables are extensively tested in the in-house igus test laboratory and were specially developed for such applications.

chainflex cables in stage technology

The requirements of the industry are varied and exciting. We are always amazed at what is being done. If you face a big challenge at the beginning and deliver a perfect stage show at the end, then we have done everything right. This is only possible with the right cables and energy supply systems for stage technology.

You can find the complete brochure on this topic here. If you need help to implement new projects or with planning new elements, we would be happy to help you. Talk to us.