Guy Tec Posted February 8, 2019 Share Posted February 8, 2019 Hi All, at the venue I work in we have retractable 240 seating, we don't have a maintenance contract as the powers that be decide it would be too expensive. Last night we had to pull the show as it got stuck out half way. we managed to eventually get it all the way out and locked off but too late for the show. so my question is if you have a maintenance contract what do they do ? just trying to see what other venues do, we are a college so not doing shows all the time just at busy periods and we see no revenue from the sales as monies just go back to the groups to support the next productions cheers Guy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave m Posted February 8, 2019 Share Posted February 8, 2019 Who made it? Tryhttps://www.auditoria-services.com/servicing/Normally retrak seating gets stuck if it is pulled/pushed too enthusiastically on one side compared to the otherI am guessing that a contract would cover you for loose seats and lost screws/worn parts that would be checked on an annual basis but no use if it sticks a couple of hours before the half. You need someone on site who understands the seating and is happy to crawl underneath to fix things. In my experience they aren't that complicated but need to be treated carefully. Ours were made by auditauria and originally would fall through the sprung floor as they put too much weight on a point which was fixed by doubling up on wheels.They blew the hydraulic seals on the jacks repeatedly until bigger jacks were supplied and the locking devices that stop the seats retracting would catch and stick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce Posted February 8, 2019 Share Posted February 8, 2019 Hi All, at the venue I work in we have retractable 240 seating, we don't have a maintenance contract as the powers that be decide it would be too expensive. ....., we are a college so not doing shows all the time just at busy periods and we see no revenue from the sales as monies just go back to the groups to support the next productions While it’s completely up to you whether you have a maintenance contract, it is very likely that a retractable seating system would be covered by PUWER. This means, amongst other things, that it needs to be maintained by competent people, and regularly inspected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junior8 Posted February 9, 2019 Share Posted February 9, 2019 Ours ... originally would fall through the sprung floor as they put too much weight on a point which was fixed by doubling up on wheels.They blew the hydraulic seals on the jacks repeatedly until bigger jacks were supplied and the locking devices that stop the seats retracting would catch and stick Snap. It needed a lot of care and you couldn't rush. In the end they stayed out most of the time and when they were retracted prior to a show I always insisted on two days notice of putting them out. I think we did have them serviced annually but frankly permanent seating would have been a better solution for us. I'd get yours checked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerry davies Posted February 9, 2019 Share Posted February 9, 2019 Ha'porth of tar? The couple of systems I used to encounter had the same problems as Dave did when one side was pulled more than the other and it all jammed solid. The remedy for both was to get extra bodies, lift the corner that had been dragged furthest and "shiggle" it back square. The fix was never to let over-enthusiastic Yoof get involved in the first place and only do it with people used to the job, in other words competent staff. The worst one was also a college where students used BF&I to jam it up tight and vanish when we wanted a hand to re-stack it so we could rig and focus lights. No matter how many times I told them they always tried to "do us a favour" so the first hour of get-in was undoing the mess so I had a flat floor for the Tallie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jivemaster Posted February 9, 2019 Share Posted February 9, 2019 While a maintenance contract might keep up with a possible PUWER requirement, nothing but skilled and competent users and plenty of time will stop it failingimmediately before a show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Some Bloke Posted February 9, 2019 Share Posted February 9, 2019 I can heartily recommend Camtrak (01328 701909) for servicing of retractable seating. Much cheaper than the Audience Systems of the world (about half the price usually) and they do an excellent job. You may find your venue can afford to pay a lower amount and keep the system working. I've used them at the last 3 venues at which I've worked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm Gordon Posted February 9, 2019 Share Posted February 9, 2019 Our local venue is now on its third set of retractable seating in 45 years. Divided into three sections, when closed the sections would be trundled across the floor into the lower scene dock. The latest is electrically driven and stays at the back of the hall when closed; it can be brought forward to any desired position to give variable depths of stalls seating. Its installation was prompted partly by the lack of staff available to manipulate its predecessor. This, in addition to the problems listed above, had faults arising from poor design and lack of preventive maintenance. Wheels would collapse and the jacking system would fail, not hydraulically but because the linkage spindles were supported in brackets made from 10mm (approx)steel plate without any bushings. Over the years the holes enlarged to the point where there was no lifting motion left at all, and the seating could not be moved. Not ideal in a multi-use venue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Tec Posted February 13, 2019 Author Share Posted February 13, 2019 Hi All just to update you we have gone for option C take motor unit off and get it rewound as best and hopefully cheapest option Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave m Posted February 13, 2019 Share Posted February 13, 2019 That's the first mention of a motor! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Tec Posted February 25, 2019 Author Share Posted February 25, 2019 That's the first mention of a motor! Hi Dave, sorry for the confusion yes was not sure what the issue was but we managed to assess it was a motor not working. had motor fixed put it back on and after realising one side was going in when the other side was coming out, rewired the plug they put on , it now is back in service for lee than £100 result thank for all your help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knightdan65 Posted March 3, 2019 Share Posted March 3, 2019 Glad you got it sorted. Had a similar instance of this myself last week - college theatre, 70 retrak seats stuck out below the first light bar, thus preventing any rigging. After two days scrabbling around underneath lubricating parts, checking connections etc with no joy I eventually went and checked the fuse board. Guess what had tripped! Duh. For future reference, if you find it difficult convincing finance departments of the need to spend money on maintenance, you could appeal to H&S for support on the basis that any structure with moving parts built to hold the weight of people warrants the attention. It’s remarkable how money suddenly materialises when someone sniffs a potential lawsuit. Of course this could backfire tremendously and lead to your theatre simply being condemned, so don’t take this advice lightly (if at all) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave m Posted March 3, 2019 Share Posted March 3, 2019 Also- if your seats stick and cause a performance to be cancelled, the refund on one night in most theatres is probably equal to a service contract Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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