FAQ

Vortek® is committed to educating our customers on automated rigging and to ensuring proper operation of the Vortek hoists within their facilities. If you cannot find an answer to your questions in the below FAQ section, please e-mail us at sales@vortekrigging.com.


 

General System Questions:


  1. What happens when the e-stop is pressed?

    2. The hard-wired e-stop circuit disables the drive and sets the motor brake.

  2. Can you interconnect to a DMX or other lighting system?

    3. Not currently.


  3. What power is required for the Master Control cabinet?

    4. One 380 – 480 Volt 3 phase 20 amp circuit.

  4. What power is required for each Vortek hoist?

    5. 380 – 480 Volt 3 phase, ampacity is dependant on Model #.

  5. How many Vortek hoists can be installed on one network?

    6. There can be a total of 250 nodes (each Vortek is a node) installed on one ArcNet network.

  6. Where can I find extra operation/installation/troubleshooting instructions for my Vortek system?

    7. All instruction manuals are featured on Vortek Project Central. You will need a username and password to log into Project Central; if you do not already have an account, you can register a username/password combination at any time.


  

Vortek Automated Rigging and Safety:

  1. What safety benefits are there with regard to automated rigging?

    2. The Vortek hoist’s drive through mechanical load brake (described below) represents a significant improvement in motorized rigging safety. It remains engaged at all times when the load is either descending toward the stage or not moving.

    Because the mechanical load brake is continuously engaged, it reduces the likelihood of an emergency stop shaking the pipe batten and causing the load to fall or imposing enough impact on the building’s structure causing building steel to deform. This latter issue is a major concern on the stages of existing theatres, which may have been designed with little or no consideration for the effects of very fast decelerations of moving loads.
    Finally, and in many venues of most importance due to the lack of skilled users, Vortek packaged hoist rigging eliminates the need to load and unload counterweight arbors, a significant event during which accidents can and do occur. Users merely attach or remove the show loads then “teach” the batten’s software what the operating weight the hoist is raising and lowering.

  2. What training is required to operate the automated rigging?

    3. Vortek Field Service Technicians need to be involved in the system commissioning and the initial training of users. This provides users with a much better understanding for the principles of basic rigging safety as well as the features and procedures involved with operating the Vortek Automation Center (VAC). It is always important for users to compliment the training provided by our knowledgeable technicians, by becoming familiar with basic operation and troubleshooting steps in the user’s manual.



 

Electrical Questions:

  1. What size electrical service needs to be supplied?

    2. The service depends on how many hoists are going to be run simultaneously. The electrical service will be sized to operate this number of hoists and the software will be programmed to limit the operation to this number.

  2. How far away from the end of the Vortek hoists should the high voltage and control wire ways be?

    3. The standard pigtail length from the wire way is 6 feet. Vortek must be notified if this is not suitable for a particular application.

  3. What are the power requirements for a Vortek hoist system?

    4. S-Control and Single-Hoist systems are capable of utilizing either 208V or 460-480V, 3 phase service. Pro Control systems operate on 380-480V 3 phase power.

  4. What type of network is used?

    5. The network is an ArcNet network.

  5. Is there additional software in order to run the backup laptop to the VAC? If so, what is it?

    6. The additional software can be loaded onto your laptop for free. However, an ARCNET PCMCIA expansion card (available from Vortek) is required to communicate with the existing network.

  6. Can the Pro Control system be run on 208 Volt 3 Phase?

    7. The Pro Control hoists are designed to operate on 380-480V 3 phase power. If 208V is the only available power, Vortek recommends installing an appropriately sized isolation step-up transformer.


 

Structural/Mechanical Questions:


  1. What size of structural steel can the head unit physically mount to? I know they refer to a range on the CD but what is the range?

    2. Flange width can range from 4 inches-12 inches. For standard assemblies, beam flange thinkness cannot be more than 1 inch. If a beam is thicker than 1 inch, custom mounting is available.

  2. Do the steel beams for the head unit need to be exactly 10 feet apart or could they be in the range of 8-12 feet apart?

    3. 7 feet-0 inches [2134mm] to 11 feet-0 inches [3353mm] for single purchase and 8 feet-0 inches [2438mm] to 11 feet-0 inches [3353mm] for double purchase line sets.

  3. What is the amperage draw from each motor unit? I understand we need 480V, 3 phase but what about amps?

    4. Highest capacity single Vortek will draw no more then 12 amps at full load.

  4. What is the HP for the motor on the hoist mount and is it TEFC or ODP?

    5. HP varies with the capacity. They are TEFC but are IEC sized motors. Standard unit is 5HP 480 volts 3 Phase. Standard 5 HP unit draws 8 amps.

  5. What is the HP for the motor on the hoist mount and is it TEFC or ODP?

    6. HP varies with the capacity. They are TEFC but are IEC sized motors. A standard Pro Series hoist (model number V66A) is 7.5HP at 480 volts 3 Phase. A standard S Series hoist (model number VS2020) is 2 HP at either 208V or 460-480V, 3 Phase.

  6. Where will the electronic controller be mounted?

    7. The controller will be mounted at the motor end inside the extrusion. Drive and control relays will be mounted in a power inlet panel mounted on the motor end of each Vortek hoist.

Theatre Renovation Considerations:

  1. What are the maintenance clearances around the hoist?

    2. This depends on the site. The more access to the hoists the better. We do suggest to customers that a catwalk be installed at the drive end of the hoist. The side clearance will be dictated by the installation.

  2. Does the hoist have redundant braking systems with at least one of them not relying on building power or electronics that have the potential to fail?

    3. Yes, each Vortek hoist is equipped with a primary holding brake located on the motors shaft. A continuously applied secondary brake is also supplied to the output of the gearbox for maximum protection against free fall condition caused by the drive train, power, or electronic failures.

  3. Can you suggest a location to supply conditioned air to the unit? I see only two locations from the top or from the motor end. Could you provide a duct tap on the unit?

    4. If the ambient air can be controlled to 100 degrees or less, there should be no problem. If this cannot be done, then the cooled air will need to be directed somehow to the motor/controller end of the unit. Provisions for a duct on the unit may be provided where necessary.