Press releases

 

Charitable commitment by Movecat

Movecat has been supporting social institutions in the Nufringen region for many years and is constantly making donations. This year, the company, which is one of the world's leading manufacturers of high-tech equipment for the stage, is providing an equipment upgrade for the first aid team of the newly established German Red Cross station in Nufringen. ► more...

In 2017, it was the Red Cross station in the neighbouring town of Gärtringen that benefited from the company's generosity, the donation in that case being for the provision of key accessories for defibrillators. This year's donation will make it possible for the Red Cross in Nufringen, where the company itself is based, to acquire an AED. The letters AED stand for 'automatic external defibrillator', a device which, in view of its design and way of operation, is particularly suitable for the provision of first aid when, for example, the nearest ambulance and emergency doctor are still some way off, but prompt action by a well-trained first-aid team, such as that of the German Red Cross in Nufringen, can play a crucial role in ensuring the patient's survival.

Photo: KD Busch, Compamedia

MOVECAT again awarded innovation prize and TOP 100 accolade

This year, MOVECAT has once again won recognition as an innovation leader among Germany's medium-sized businesses: as part of the "TOP 100" initiative, the enterprise from Nufringen, for the second year in succession, won inclusion in the list of Germany's TOP 100 innovators. This outcome was the result of an analysis by the TOP 100's Scientific Director, Prof. Dr. Nikolaus Franke. The event's patron, Ranga Yogeshwar, together with Franke and Compamedia, made the presentation on 29 June 2018 at the awards ceremony held in the context of the 5th Summit of German Medium-sized Businesses in Ludwigsburg.

The award underlines MOVECAT's expertise as a leading innovator in the field of kinetic solutions for stages, studios and shows. ► more...

"Almost every challenge our customers bring us calls for innovation," says MOVECAT CEO Andrew Abele. "Since every event is different, a standard solution is seldom sufficient."

Compamedia has been bestowing the TOP 100 accolade since 1993 on companies demonstrating exceptional ability to innovate and superior innovative success. The scientific direction is in the hands of Prof. Dr. Nikolaus Franke. Franke is both the founder and the chairman of the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Economics and Business Administration in Vienna. The scientific journalist Ranga Yogeshwar is the TOP 100's patron. Project partners are the Fraunhofer Society for the Advancement of Applied Research and the German Association for Small and Medium-sized Businesses (BVMW).

Movecat CEO Andrew Abele is delighted to have received a P.I.P.A. Award at the Prolight+Sound 2018
Movecat wins P.I.P.A. Award 2018 for Touring Rack 2

Movecat is delighted to have received a P.I.P.A. Award at the Prolight+Sound 2018. The P.I.P.A. Awards are presented by over 40 international trade magazines to honour the best products at the trade fair in 13 categories. Due to the fact that they represent the views of industry specialists from all over the world, they are often described as the "Grammys of the pro audio and lighting industries".

Movecat won its P.I.P.A. Award in the category "Best Stage Technology" for the development of the Touring Rack 2 in the TD8 series. The prestigious trophy was presented to Movecat CEO Andrew Abele, who commented: "We are extremely gratified by the recognition of this development, with which we have set new standards in compactness, user-friendliness and safety for motor controllers in the BGV D8 and IGVW SQ P2 D8 Plus categories." ► more...

The All-in-One Touring Racks in the Movecat TD8 series comply with the EN 60204-32, EN 13849-1 and VDE 0113 guidelines. The racks unite all the control components required for operation in a compact, shock-absorbent road case. The integrated power station not only assumes responsibility for the distribution and protection of the controller units but also monitors the power supply and even corrects automatically the rotating field, should that ever prove necessary. The safety strategy is complimented by an intelligent bypass concept as well as the tried-and-tested Movecat M-Link system, which provides forthe combined operation of up to twelve TD8 racks and a maximum of 384 drives in a network.

Movecat I-Motion system controller Expert-T III
Available now: Movecat's I-Motion system controller Expert-T III: state-of-the-art solution for complex kinetic applications

The I-Motion system controller Expert-T III is now available from Movecat; the commencement of shipping coincided with the Prolight+Sound 2018 in Frankfurt. It represents, in combination with the I-Motion and V-Motion power controllers from Movecat, a highly efficient solution for complex scenic kinetic applications in the trade fair, events, studio and touring sectors.

The device was actually shown to users last year as a design study for discussion and interdisciplinary consultation with the development team. Numerous features of the prototype – such as the daylight and outdoor PCAP display in 24" format, the extended hot-key keyboard level and above all software features at the operating and object level – subsequently found their way into the final, series-production model. ► more...

The controller was designed for the systematic control of fixed or variable-speed kinetic drives in the context of larger or complex projects involving up to 240 drives in conformity with the DGUV V 54 (BGV D8), D8-Plus and DGUV V 17 (BGV C1) standards. Furthermore, not only the control of different types of drives in mixed operation but also the integration of existing drives and items of stage machinery into a new set-up are possible.

The controller corresponds in its basic configuration to the DGUV V 17 (BGV C1) and EN 61508 SIL 3 standards and is therefore equipped for overhead scenic runs (i.e. the movement of loads over human beings). The Expert-T III System Controller controls and supervises via I-Motion network the Movecat MPC-4ID8/C1 and V-Motion Power Controller and forms with them a closed safety network. If any of the devices malfunctions, a central evaluation with visualization is performed and – depending upon the system configuration – the drive or hoist affected, the group to which it belongs, or the entire system, is shut down safely.

The control of key operating and run parameters is facilitated by a backlit input keyboard with tactile feedback in combination with a multifunctional 3D control knob, which makes for intuitive and efficient operation. The PCAP display in 24" format takes over the visual display of the operating, input and system parameters in 2D or 3D according to choice. The user has at all times therefore an overview of the rig and instant access to parameters and details. Provided the hoists and drives are suitably equipped, complex target and group runs can be programmed and played back.

For direct operation, two dynamic control levers are available, as are five CUE Start buttons for the recall and triggering of scenes. An integrated SSD hard disk allows the saving of all system parameters and numerous shows. The data can be exported and saved to an external storage device.

Christmas donations from Movecat support social projects in the region

At the end of another successful year, Movecat is once again pursuing its idea of allowing social institutions in the Nufringen region to partake of its success. This year the chosen beneficiaries were the DRK Ortsgruppe Gärtringen, the GWW in Herrenberg and the Waldhaus in Hildrizhausen. Movecat of Nufringen is one of the leading manufacturers worldwide in the field of modular scalable stage kinetics. ► more...

The Christmas donation from Movecat will enable the DRK Ortsgruppe to supplement the equipment used by its eight first aid workers. They will be receiving a special attachment for the defibrillators of their emergency backpacks that is suitable for children. The defibrillators hitherto available in the emergency backpacks were only suitable for adults. Thanks to this small additional electrode, it will now be possible to treat children from 0 to 8 years of age. True to its motto "safety first" for all, Movecat felt very strongly that such treatment should also be extended to children. From now on, the excellently trained volunteers of the DRK Ortsverein and the volunteer fire brigade of Gärtringen attending emergencies will be able to intervene immediately rather than having to wait for the arrival of an emergency doctor or fire rescue services. The first minutes are often crucial to the survival of children.

Also considered was the woodwork shop of the Waldhaus in Hildrizhausen, which offers help and recognition to young people from socially disadvantaged families as well as young people with personal difficulties, by supporting initiatives to integrate them into schools and professional life. The donation from Movecat will make it possible to expand the workshop and equip it with additional woodworking tools.

The GWW charity workshops in Herrenberg offer the mentally ill as well as the mentally as well as physically handicapped an opportunity to enter the labour market, thereby giving them the chance to live as independently as possible. For their production, Movecat has purchased additional large mobile containers to supplement those that formed part of last year's Christmas donation. The containers will be used to store cardboard and paper for shredding. The raw material used for Karopack cushions – an environmentally friendly packaging material – is produced from the shredded material in a closed recycling process.

The Christmas donations were presented by Movecat CEO Andrew Abele and Marketing Director Angelika Dallman in person.

Foto: KD Busch / compamedia

Prize for innovation and TOP 100 seal of approval awarded this year to Movecat: prestigious award for medium-sized enterprises

This year, Movecat has been recognized as one of the leading innovators among Germany's medium-sized companies, winning one of that country's prestigious TOP 100 awards. Since 1993 this accolade has been awarded annually to honour exceptional, innovation-driven achievements by small and medium-sized German enterprises. ► more...

The TOP 100 seal of approval attests to the company's status as a leading innovator in kinetic solutions for the stage, studios and shows. With its developments in this sector, Movecat is realizing a clearly defined concept: systemic solutions and maximum safety. One example of this was the radio-operated remote control developed by Movecat specially for the 2016 world tour of the British singer Adele – the first of its kind on the market.

Technological expertise at Movecat goes hand in hand with a highly developed service mentality, in this case oriented towards the needs of the global market. "We are just as much in demand as a partner among show designers as events technicians, because the practice-tested solutions with which we bring each new creative idea to the stage are combined with reliability and safety", says Andrew Abele, who with his brother Thomas founded the company. The prize was presented on 23 June 2017 at the 4th German Summit for Medium-sized Companies in Essen.

The TOP 100 award honours exceptional capacity to innovate and above average success in the implementation of innovative ideas exhibited by medium-sized businesses. The competition is organized by Compamedia with, as project partners, the Fraunhofer Society for the Advancement of Applied Research and the Association of Medium-sized Companies BVMW.

Fotos: ManoloPress © Eric Tran-Quang/SUSANNE KRUM FOTOGRAFIE

Award for VPLT member – Innovation brings success

The Stuttgart-based company Think Abele has demonstrated with its smart kinetic system Movecat how research and development, creativity and good product design can enrich the entertainment equipment sector. And now it has an innovation prize to prove it. ► more...

Everyone with rigging experience knows how important a reliable load measuring system is. Upon this truth, the Stuttgart-based enterprise Think Abele has built its business model. With Movecat, the team led by the Abele brothers Andrew and Thomas has developed a kinetic system, which, thanks to the use of shackle-integrated, active load-measuring sensors, its intuitive handling and an integrated test and calibration system, is set to facilitate the work of events technicians worldwide involved with rigging.

Within the entertainment technology sector, the value of such a system was immediately apparent, but even outsiders are coming increasingly to an appreciation of the fact that such characteristics are of vital importance to everyone working day-to-day in the industry.

A case in point: Think Abele was this year awarded the Innovation Prize for Medium-Sized Companies by the cooperative financial group Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken. In addition to the prestige that came with this recognition for the innovative quality of its work, Think Abele was rewarded with a prize of 20,000 euros along with an enhanced profile in the media and within the trade.

"We are absolutely delighted with this award," stated CEO Andrew Abele. "It is the first time that a product developed by the company has won recognition from a neutral source. It is far harder to interest those unfamiliar with the events and entertainment sector in details of this kind, and persuade them that a load measuring system such as Movecat's really does constitute an innovation, than it is to convince insiders who work with such equipment on a day-to-day basis."

Think Abele has been around since the mid Eighties, among Movecat's many prestigious references being an installation in the Estrel in Berlin, one of the leading hotel, convention and entertainment complexes in Europe.

Ralf Stroetmann, the head of VPLT's national policy department, also sees this development in a positive light: "In the events industry too, the capacity to innovate and a focus on practical experience are essential to long-term success. This has long been our watchword and I am delighted that these things are now also being recognized and honoured outside our own industry."

Member of the Bundestag visits Think Abele in Nufringen: Exchange of views on issues regarding economic policy

In the course of his summer tour, CDU politician and Bundestag member for Böblingen Clemens Binninger visited companies and institutions in his constituency. This involved him in a behind-the-scenes look at Think Abele, the Nufringen-based enterprise, and at the development and production of kinetic systems from Movecat. ► more...

Founded in 1986 by Andrew and Thomas Abele, Think Abele of Nufringen numbers today among the most highly respected suppliers in the events and entertainment sector. Think Abele began life in a double garage (frequented at the time, among others, by Die Fantastischen Vier) as a custom supplier of stage and events equipment. From these beginnings emerged, first of all, a distribution company, followed ten years later by Movecat, a second company operating alongside it, specializing in the development of kinetic solutions for shows and events. Movecat develops and produces professional kinetic solutions such as chain hoists, events winches, drives, controllers and accessories 'Made in Nufringen' for the world's stages, its equipment having been used inter alia for The Eurovision Song Contest, the TV production The Voice of Germany and The Helen Fischer Show as well as in fixed installations such as the City Cube Berlin, the German capital's new events, trade fair and convention arena, and most recently the newly opened Estrel Berlin, Europe's largest hotel, convention and entertainment complex.

Andrew and Thomas Abele discussed with Clemens Binninger in particular the latest developments in economic policy. "I never cease to be impressed by the sheer variety of companies operating in the Böblingen district," commented Binninger. "Medium-sized businesses here are among the main pillars of our economic prosperity. The entrepreneurial spirit, technology, know-how and innovation form the essential basis for success stories such as these. Only recently, Think Abele won the VR Innovation Prize for Medium-Sized Companies for the development of its new Load Control System for measuring loads."