FIRE CURTAIN HOISTS
HME's EFH Electric Fire Hoists have been developed for the lifting and dropping of proscenium fire curtains. The hoist raises the curtain electronically, however, the curtain will fall and decelerate under gravity and will operate regardless of whether power is still present in the building.
The final close position can be set to allow for false floors.
for when you need to be in control
The purpose of the Electric Fire Hoist is to open and close a fire curtain commonly found in large theatres. A fire curtain is used to separate the stage from the auditorium in the case of a fire. A fire curtain typically weighs 5 to 7 Tonnes and has a counterweight to compensate the load to an out of balance of approximately 400kgs.
To open the fire curtain an operator pushes a button and the hoist lifts the fire curtain up. To close the curtain, the operator activates one of the releases on either side of the stage and the fire curtain closes without needing the operator and under gravity.
The release mechanism can also be triggered by the building fire system.
MECHANICAL SYSTEM
The basic components of the mechanical system are:
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1.5kW brake motor gearbox unit
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Bi-directional hydraulic pump connected to an auxiliary output shaft of the gearbox
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Proportional flow control valve
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Hydraulic Fluid Reservoir
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High-pressure filter
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An overpressure release valve
- A secondary flow control circuit
- External contact closure interface for building fire control
FAIL-SAFE FEATURES
As the hoist is an emergency device and critical to a theatre’s operation we have designed a number of failsafe features.
These are:
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A 1kW commercial grade UPS. Minimum 30 minutes duration in the event of power loss
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A secondary flow control circuit. This is spring-activated so that in the event of a control system failure the hydraulic system will automatically move to this circuit (this circuit does not have precise control of door deceleration as the main circuit)
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Normally closed contactor to control the motor brake and warning beacon. In a fire event, with a power failure the brake will be released and the warning device activated. The door will then close on the secondary flow control circuit.
- A redundant variable speed drive is included within the cabinet to open the door. In the event of a control system failure, a second temporary power supply may be connected and the safety curtain opened under special conditions.
CONTROLS
The control system has been developed specifically for a fire type application. All components used are safety rated by nature.
Diagnostics are available for the critical parts of the system such as UPS status.
The control system also allows for the final door closed height to be adjusted. This allows for the installation of machine decks or false floors which may be over the proscenium threshold.
FEATURES
Industrial Safety PLC
Incremental encoder to provide positional information to the PLC
Two variable speed drives, main and backup
240VAC 1000VA commercial grade UPS. This will supply the control system with a minimum of 30 minutes of power in the event of a power loss (Fire rated cabling required)
The UPS shall be enclosed within fire-rated construction with a Fire Resistance Level (FRL) 120/120/120
Audible and visible warning device
