Stagehand Pro 4: Brake Test

Brake Test

The Stagehand Pro operates two brakes, a motor side brake and a load side brake, for use in hoisting applications. The Stagehand Pro will internally check the electronic systems to ensure the brake circuits are working properly before releasing either the motor brake or the load brake to prevent dropping a suspended piece of scenery. However, the Stagehand cannot confirm that the brakes are mechanically operating correctly.

Since the Stagehand cannot confirm that both brakes are functioning mechanically and that neither has jammed in a released state (very rare, but possible), nightly pre-show check should include a brake test. The Stagehand has convenient buttons on the faceplate to assist you with testing the brakes.

To test that your brakes are operating correctly in a hoisting application, read through the following steps in their entirety and then perform each action as follows:

Test the Motor Brake by releasing the Load Brake

1. Clear the stage below the suspended scenery

2. Press the Brake Test Enable button

3. While holding the Brake Test Button, press the Load Brake button. This will manually release the Load Brake. The Motor Brake should still be engaged and will hold the load. If the suspended scenery slips down, release the Load Brake button immediately. Since the Motor Brake did not hold the load as expected, that brake has failed.

DO NOT OPERATE THE MACHINE UNTIL THE MOTOR BRAKE IS REPAIRED OR REPLACED. FAILURE TO REMOVE THE MACHINE FROM SERVICE COULD RESULT IN DAMAGE, INJURY, OR DEATH.

Test the Load Brake by releasing the Motor Brake

1. Press the Brake Test Enable Button

2. While holding the Brake Test Button, press the Motor Brake button. This will manually release the Motor Brake. The Load Brake should still be engaged and will hold the load. If the suspended scenery slips down, release the Motor Brake button immediately. Since the Load Brake did not hold the load as expected, that brake has failed.

DO NOT OPERATE THE MACHINE UNTIL THE LOAD BRAKE IS REPAIRED OR REPLACED. FAILURE TO REMOVE THE MACHINE FROM SERVICE COULD RESULT IN DAMAGE, INJURY, OR DEATH.

If you press all three buttons at once, all brakes will engage

If you are using the Stagehand to control a hoist, this procedure must be executed every night to ensure that all equipment is operating in a safe, reliable manner. If you are not using the Stagehand to control a hoist, it may be convenient to manually release the safety brakes at times, but it is not required.