Mechanical safety
SB18
conguration
rigging accessory
maximum / safe limit
ground-stacked
no rigging accessory
4
Assessing mechanical safety
Mechanical safety of the rigging system
Before any installation, always model the system in Soundvision and check the
Mechanical Data
section for
any
stress warning
or
stability warning
.
In order to assess the actual safety of any array conguration before implementation, refer to the following warnings:
Rated working load limit (WLL) is not enough
The rated WLL is an indication of the element resistance to tensile stress. For complex mechanical systems such as
loudspeaker arrays, WLLs cannot be used per se to determine the maximum number of enclosures within an array
or to assess the safety of a specic array conguration.
Maximum pullback angle
If a pullback accessory is available, the pullback angle must not exceed a 90° negative site angle.
Mechanical modeling with Soundvision
The working load applied to each linking point, along with the corresponding safety factor, will depend on
numerous variables linked to the composition of the array (type and number of enclosures, splay angles) and the
implementation of the ying or stacking structure (number and location of ying points, site angle). This cannot be
determined without the complex mechanical modeling and calculation offered by Soundvision.
Assessing the safety with Soundvision
The overall safety factor of a specic mechanical conguration always corresponds to the lowest safety factor
among all the linking points. Always model the system conguration with the Soundvision software and check the
Mechanical Data
section to identify the weakest link and its corresponding working load. By default, a
stress
warning
will appear when the mechanical safety goes beyond the recommended safety level.
Safety of ground-stacked arrays in Soundvision
For ground-stacked arrays, a distinct
stability warning
is implemented in Soundvision. It indicates a tipping hazard
when the array is not secured to the ground, stage or platform. It is the user's responsibility to secure the array
and to ignore the warning.
Additional safety for own arrays
When ying an array, use available holes to implement a secondary safety.
Considerations must be given to unusual conditions
Soundvision calculations are based on usual environmental conditions. A higher safety factor is recommended
with factors such as extreme high or low temperatures, strong wind, prolonged exposition to salt water, etc.
Always consult a rigging specialist to adopt safety practices adapted to such a situation.
Kiva II owner's manual (EN) version 1.0
25
