Weather-proof wire-rope winches from Pfaff-silberblau raise "ShaftSign" in Germany’s Ruhr region

Versatile GAMMA aluminum console-mounted wire-rope winch takes Europe’s largest artistic installation to lofty heights for RUHR.2010

Kissing, 19 August 2010 – The RUHR.2010 program as the “European Capital of Culture” will be underway for the rest of the year. There, the Bavarian company Pfaff-silberblau Hebezeuge GmbH of Kissing, Germany, was among the participants in one of the most spectacular Ruhr events: As the world’s largest display of installation art, the huge “ShaftSigns” (SchachtZeichen) project employed 311 yellow helium balloons spread out over an area of 4,000 square kilometers to mark the locations of the former coal mineshafts. This symbolizes the former coal and steel region’s transformation to a metropolis of the future. Volunteers on site raised the balloons – with the aid of easy to operate, self-locking console-mounted wire-rope winches from Pfaff-silberblau’s GAMMA series. The Pfaff-silberblau SW K GAMMA aluminum console-mounted winches were tasked with raising the helium-filled balloons tethered on a wire as easily and safely as possible to a maximum height of 80 meters. To do this, the volunteers only had to crank the handle of a wire-rope winch anchored to a trailer. When necessary – for instance, when too much wind or heavy rains arose – they could also use these winches to quickly reel the “yellow works of art” back in. Made of aluminum, the GAMMA wire-rope winches with an enclosed chain drive are perfectly suited for outdoor jobs such as this. With a tensile load capacity of up to 500 kg, the winch reliably secured all 311 balloons. Furthermore, thanks to its removable crank with a spring-loaded safety brake, even untrained users were able to operate them safely and reliably after receiving brief instructions. The winches can be installed in any position, and they are equipped with an additional high-speed mode for quickly rolling or unrolling the wire rope when it is not bearing a load. Pfaff-silberblau’s GAMMA aluminum console-mounted wire-rope winches are available in different versions with a tensile load capacity of up to 800 kg. They are used in a wide range of areas, from industrial applications to sporting events. In the Ruhr region, Pfaff-silberblau’s GAMMA wire-rope winches have since pulled the RUHR.2010 yellow ShaftSigns back in. This art project, which was visible from far away, concluded on May 31, 2010.

About Pfaff-silberblau The Pfaff-silberblau Group with headquarters in Kissing (near Augsburg), Germany, is part of the Columbus McKinnon Corporation (CMCO). Pfaff-silberblau Hebezeugfabrik GmbH is a technological leader in lifting and materials handling and in drive technology. The Pfaff-silberblau Group, which also includes ALLTEC Antriebstechnik in Heilbronn, Germany, and Pfaff-silberblau Verkehrstechnik GmbH & Co. KG, in Kissing, Germany, has some 300 employees worldwide and is represented internationally by numerous regional agents. Further information about Pfaff-silberblau is available at www.pfaff-silberblau.com.