A European first at ABTT was the Vortek rigging system - a theatrical system designed and manufactured by Hoffend in the USA and represented in the UK by Slingco. The hub of every Vortek system is a patented brake, designed specifically for theatre applications. This continuously applied, variable-load, back-up brake is claimed to eliminate overspeed brake and 'shock-load' problems and operates independently of any electrical or drive-train system. It also features overload and underload protection, and is capable of operating multiple battens, controlling up to 250 Vortek units as a system.
