CABLES IN CONTROL

7 September 2014

Two neat cable management solutions from Germany’s Igus solve a raft of installation problems for those with moving monitors, projectors, lighting bars and speakers.

E-SPOOL

The Igus E-spool is a space-saving alternative to cable reels and zigzag set-ups that allows you to route numerous different cables – electrical (power or signal), optical fibre, pneumatic piping, hydraulic hoses – with no breaks through the system. Typical applications include stage and theatre where the E-spool can be used to manage power and data cables in all directions. The maximum cable diameter is 17mm, the maximum deployment and retraction speed is 1m/s and extensions of up to 14m are possible.

E-spool main features:

Allows different media and diameters in one drum
No tensile load of the cables
Energy supply in all directions (horizontal, vertical, diagonal)
Cables can be retroactively added or changed

LIFTBAND

The Liftband system is a modular chain strip designed for high vertical travel applications where space is limited, and particularly suits stage technology. It’s designed to achieve heights up to 13m but the actual installation area is flat, so only the space and height of the recoiled cables in required. The system comprises three basic elements: straight and curved polymer strips and clip-on cable clamps. The connected strip segments determine the basic shape of the whole system as it is lifted into the air, while the cable clamps connect the segments and route the cables. The system allows multiple configurations – its basic shape can be circular, rectangular or square – and is easily customisable to different requirements and space restrictions.