EDF's Durance Verdon hydroelectricity basin consists of 17 dams and 30 power stations with a total installed capacity of 2200MW and production of 6.5 billion kWh. Most of the power plants have been in use thirty years or more and maintenance operations are vital to ensure optimum production. Verlinde hoists are installed at all plants and have to meet very specific operating conditions.

The Prolight & Sound 2014 trade fair at a Frankfurt venue early April gave VERLINDE the opportunity to officially announce a contract for 1000 STAGEMAKER SR motors placed by AED Rent, a world leader for stage decoration equipment rentals. A gilded hoist with identification number 1001/1000 was symbolically handed over as a gift to Glenn ROGGEMAN, CEO of AED group.

This range of STAGEMAKER controllers has been specially developed to control Verlinde STAGEMAKER motors, series SR. Three versions are available: ECO, RIGGER and THEATER with 4, 8 and 12 channels. STAGEMAKER SR motors can also be remote controlled, individually or as a group. Very simple to very complex scenographic effects can thus be obtained safely by merely pressing a button. By connecting several controllers together up to 60 STAGEMAKER motors can be simultaneously managed. The whole range was displayed for the first time at the last Prolight&Sound trade show.

Dalkia operates district heating installations most of which run on gas, recovered energy by-products, heavy fuel (sometimes combined heat and power systems [CHP]) enabling the resale of electricity to electricity distributors. The company decided to build a new heating system at Mantes la Jolie using biomass as fuel. Biomass is untreated wood that is chemical-free (no painted or varnished wood) and shredded and calibrated for size and moisture content. This fuel source is derived from shredded wooden pallets, lopped off branches in the town environment and green waste and branches from neighbouring forests. This material, unusable for the wood transformation industry, is collected within a radius of 80 km around the Val Fourré heating facility.

A supplier of building equipment for construction companies, Sateco is a leader for the design, production and marketing of concrete forming and safety equipment for construction and civil engineering sites and has 2 profit centres (Sateco BTP and Sateco services). But SATECO is also an experienced mechanized welding specialist at the service of major accounts (RATP-BOMBARDIER-OTIS –etc.). SATECO has 2 production plants each relying on Verlinde hoists for handling heavy and cumbersome products.

Hoist UK are proud to announce and welcome Wayne Ridgeley to their technical team as Design / Project Engineer. Wayne has been in the lifting industry all of his working life, having been previously employed by Aabacus Cranes, The Rossendale Group, Camlok and more recently with Stahl Cranes working predominantly within the explosion proof (ATEX) equipment sector of the industry. He brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience of standard & specialised lifting equipment, which Hoist UK feel will be a major asset to the company’s growth and development.

LOISELET Foundry, whose specialty is the production of cast iron products, is situated at Dreux, 70 km west of Paris. Founded by César Loiselet in 1850, the company is still owned by the family. The fifth generation, currently represented by Sylvain Loiselet, Chairman and Managing Director of the company and Sébastien Loiselet, is still very much at the helm. It will soon be the turn of sixth generation children to integrate the company, little by little, in various capacities.

In the heart of Venice historical centre there is a new hoisting plant. This plant is sturdy but gentle in movements, and it completely ‘disappears’ when the freight vessels have been completely loaded or unloaded. All the hoisting equipment – as the EUROCHAIN VL10 hoist, ZHR Heavy duty Hand chain block, ME winches and PLV lever-hoists - where supplied by Verlinde.

Verlinde has added a heavy loads version to its range of new generation STAGEMAKER SR hoists. With its one-metric ton lifting capacity, StagemakerSR10 is ideal for the handling of grids and scenographic equipment of large capacity. STAGEMAKER SR hoists are the only ones on the market to be equipped as standard with double brake, special CHAINFlux ^® chain guide, patented Perfect Push ^® hoist load wheel, retractable carrying grips and protective rubber coating where necessary. The Stagemaker SR range thus offers the most appropriate model for a specific application. SR2 for loads to 250kg, SR5 to 500kg and now the SR10 for loads to 1000kg.

Hand-held remote control unit for VERLINDE hoists and overhead cranes