Creative Conners CM Varistar Smart Chain Hoist User manual

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Creative Conners, Inc
½-TON SMART CHAIN HOIST-CM ™ 
REFERENCE MANUAL V1.0
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Copyright 2020, Creative Conners Inc.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
GETTING STARTED 1
A Word About Safety 2
What’s included 2
Features 2
Overview 2
INSTALLATION 3
Required Tools 3
Installation Options 3
MAKING THE CONNECTIONS 4
Motor/Brake 4
Signal 4
UNDER THE HOOD 5
OPENING THE MACHINE 5
SETTING THE LIMITS 7
POSITION SCALE 11
BRAKE TESTING 13
VFD SETTINGS 16
TROUBLESHOOTING 21
Common Problems 21
Motor is Jerky 21
Lubrication 21
Stagehand Displays Drive Fault 21
Limit Switch 21
TECHNICAL SUPPORT 22
SPECIFICATIONS 23
Drawings 24
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Smart Chain Hoist Reference Manual
Published 4-14-20
GETTING STARTED
Congratulations on your purchase of the  Smart Chain Hoist  from Creative Conners, Inc.! Connect the
Smart Chain Hoist  to a  Stagehand Pro  ,  Showstopper 3 Base  and a PC running  Spikemark  to Make It
Move!  You can extend functionality by pairing it with the Spikemark Pendant, allowing you to operate
your Smart Chain Hoists wherever they are located.
This manual will direct you through:
1. Unpacking
2. Installing & Testing
3. Operation Procedures
If you need help along the way, contact us!
●Online: www.creativeconners.com
●Email: [email protected]
●Phone: [phone] x2
A WORD ABOUT SAFETY
Hoisting a load overhead can be dangerous, and the Smart Chain Hoist is no exception. Though this
looks like any other chain motor, it is much quieter and faster than your everyday fixed speed chain
motor. Exercise extreme caution when operating this machine. Although there are 2 brakes inside,
there is no tell-tail brake clap to alert folks that the rig is moving. All standard rigging practices should
be used when installing and operating your Smart Chain Hoist.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
1. Smart Chain Hoist - CM
2. CM Product Manual
FEATURES
●Motor Up or Motor Down installation
●Quiet operation
○65dB when installed motor up
●Variable Speed up to 20”/sec
●BGV D8+ Rating
●Dual brakes
●Dual encoders
Page 1

Smart Chain Hoist Reference Manual
Published 4-14-20
OVERVIEW
The Smart Chain Hoist is a Columbus McKinnon (CM) Varistar which is customized to work exclusively
with the Stagehand Pro and Spikemark control. Now you are able to leverage the ease of installation,
familiarity of rigging a chain hoist, and the trusted name of Columbus McKinnon’s products in your
productions. The CM Varistar combines a powerful 3.5HP motor with a 10:1 safety factor, dual brakes,
initial & ultimate limits and dual encoders to make precision, high speed moves safe and reliable while
also meeting the BGV D8+ hoisting standard.
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Smart Chain Hoist Reference Manual
Published 4-14-20
INSTALLATION
REQUIRED TOOLS
The Smart Chain Hoist is sent to you with the intent that you can simply hang it, plug it in, and Make It
Move!  If for any reason the enclosure needs to be opened, the following tools may be required:
●Flat head #1 x 5.5 screwdriver
●Philips head #2 screwdriver
●5/64” Hex key
●3/32” Hex key
●5/32” Hex key
●3/16” Hex key
INSTALLATION OPTIONS
The Smart Chain Hoist can be installed motor up or motor down depending on your needs. Hanging
the machine motor up is most often best to reduce chain noise and the need for any cable
management.
In either orientation, it is important to confirm that the hook latch is fully closed and that the hanging
point is sufficient for the load prior to declaring victory. Be sure to employ safe rigging practices each
and every time a chain hoist is installed - the process should be completed by a competent and
qualified rigger.
Once the machine is safely and securely rigged, it's now time to think about connecting the scenery (or
any load) to the other hook. Be sure that the latch is fully closed and that the connecting point is
sufficiently stout to handle the load.
The Smart Chain Hoist is not rated for performer flying. Do not use the hoist to lift a performer, either
directly to the chain, on a prop, or on a piece of scenery.
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Smart Chain Hoist Reference Manual
Published 4-14-20
MAKING THE CONNECTIONS
The Smart Chain Hoist is nothing more than counterweight unless connected to a Stagehand Pro
controller. The Smart Chain Hoist will not function with any other Stagehand controller, nor any other
manufacturers’ controllers.
MOTOR/BRAKE
The motor and brake connections are made through a Harting or similar 24B locking connector. The
Smart Chain Hoist includes a latching hood to ensure the connection is maintained even under the
stresses of production use. Below is the pinout of the connector and cable.
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SIGNAL
All encoder and limit signals are transmitted through the Signal cable with Harting or similar 6B locking
connectors. The Smart Chain Hoist includes a latching hood to ensure the signal connection is
maintained even under production conditions. Below, is the pinout of the signal connector.
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Smart Chain Hoist Reference Manual
Published 4-14-20
UNDER THE HOOD
Typically, you will not need to open your Smart Chain Hoist. However, you may need to adjust the
limits due to installation conditions, or you may need to access the terminal blocks for advanced
troubleshooting.
OPENING THE MACHINE
On each side of the hoist, there is a hood to protect the mechanics and electrical connections inside.
The limits are covered by the hood that has a label with the load rating of the machine and (4) SHCS.
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These screws need to be loosened to take the limit enclosure hood off and access the inside of the
Smart Chain Hoist. To open the Smart Chain Hoist, you will need a 3/16” Allen key. Be aware, each
hood has a gasket which must be reseated properly.
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Smart Chain Hoist Reference Manual
Published 4-14-20
Inside the limit enclosure hood, you’ll find the Smart Chain Hoist’s rotatable limit switch and position
encoder, as well as its motor and load brakes.
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The motor enclosure hood protects the motor, speed encoder, and most of its wiring. This hood is held
in place with (2) SHCS and has a label with the CM/Lodestar logo.
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Like the limit enclosure, you will need to loosen the two screws with a 3/16” Allen Key. Once taken off,
you will see the motor and signal wiring, as well as the motor and speed encoder.
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Smart Chain Hoist Reference Manual
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There shouldn’t be a need to open this side of the hoist, however it’s always nice to know what you’re
looking at.
SETTING THE LIMITS
Setting limits is important for operating any automated effect. Setting limits prevents the machine from
moving past a safe location, protecting the machine and the load attached. The limits for the Smart
Chain Hoist are inside the enclosure and are pre-set from the factory to allow the maximum chain
travel while keeping the machine from damaging itself.
There may come a time when your installation requires resetting the limits for a particular installation.
Keep in mind that you will also need to restore those limits at the end of the run.
The Smart Chain Hoist includes four limits:
●FWD Ultimate
●FWD
●REV
●REV Ultimate
The initial and ultimate limits are factory set the correct distance apart to not inadvertently trip an
Ultimate Limit.
These limits are actuated by rotary discs on a threaded rod driven by a worm gear. The discs are
indexed for a capture plate to keep them from free spinning once the limit is set. As the motor runs, the
discs are pulled along the threaded rod until they make contact with the limit switch.
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Smart Chain Hoist Reference Manual
Published 4-14-20
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To adjust the position of your rotary discs, you will need to loosen the two 5/32” SHCS that keep your
capture plate engaged with your discs.
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Smart Chain Hoist Reference Manual
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Once the screws have been loosened and the capture plate has been disengaged from the rotary
discs, you can freely spin the discs to your desired position to adjust where they will engage the limit
switches.
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Once set, place the capture plate back into position, indexing with the rotary discs, and tighten the
5/32” screws. Once you test that the limits are engaging where you want them, you can replace your
limit hood onto the hoist enclosure.
It is also possible to move the initial limits closer or farther away from the ultimate limits, although we
don’t recommend doing so. The two initial limit plates are locked in place by (3) PHCS. The middle
screw locks both plates down, while each plate has an individual screw locking it down as well.
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Smart Chain Hoist Reference Manual
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When both screws on one plate are loosened, you can pivot the limit on an indexing pin, moving the
initial limit closer or farther away from the ultimate limit.
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Smart Chain Hoist Reference Manual
Published 4-14-20
POSITION SCALE
Each Smart Chain Hoist has its own position scale. This is a departure from most of our stock
machines and is due to small variances in each hoist. The Spikemark Machine Library has a stock
position scale, but to achieve the most accurate positioning you will need to set the position scale for
each Smart Chain Hoist. To ease this process, each machine has the Position Scale noted on a label,
directly above the electrical specs.
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This number will need to be set in the Position Scale field in Spikemark. If you are having trouble with
the scaling on your Smart Chain Hoist, you can calculate and adjust either by using our Position Scale
Wizard or by calculating the math yourself.
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Smart Chain Hoist Reference Manual
Published 4-14-20
To adjust your scaling, bring the Smart Chain Hoist’s hoisting hook down to where you want your
“zero” point to be. Bring up the Position Scale Wizard, reset your zero, and run the hoisting hook to
your maximum allowable height. Measure the distance from zero to this height and input that number
into the position wizard and it will calculate the position scale for you. If you do not want to use the
Wizard, you can calculate your position scaling with the formula shown below.
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Smart Chain Hoist Reference Manual
Published 4-14-20
BRAKE TESTING
The Stagehand Pro can control two brakes for use in hoisting applications. The Stagehand Pro will
internally check the electronic systems to ensure the brake circuits are working properly before
releasing either the motor brake or the load brake to prevent dropping a suspended piece of scenery.
However, the Stagehand cannot confirm that the brakes are mechanically operating correctly.
Since the Stagehand cannot confirm that both brakes are functioning mechanically and that neither
has jammed in a released state (very rare, but possible), the brakes should be tested at every install
and nightly pre-show check. The Stagehand has convenient buttons on the faceplate to assist you with
testing the brakes. To test that your brakes are operating correctly on your Smart Chain Hoist, read
through the following steps in their entirety and then perform each action as follows:
●Clear the stage below the suspended scenery
●Press the Brake Test button
●While holding the Brake Test Button, press the Load Brake button. This will manually release the
Load Brake. The Motor Brake should still be engaged and will hold the load. If the suspended
scenery slips down, release the Load Brake button immediately. Since the Motor Brake did not
hold the load as expected, that brake has failed. DO NOT OPERATE THE MACHINE UNTIL THE
MOTOR BRAKE IS REPAIRED OR REPLACED. FAILURE TO REMOVE THE MACHINE FROM
SERVICE COULD RESULT IN DAMAGE, INJURY, OR DEATH.
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Smart Chain Hoist Reference Manual
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●Provided the Motor Brake passed the functional test, release the Load Brake button.
●While holding the Brake Test Button, press the Motor Brake button. This will manually release
the Motor Brake. The Load Brake should still be engaged and will hold the load. If the
suspended scenery slips down, release the Motor Brake button immediately. Since the Load
Brake did not hold the load as expected, that brake has failed. DO NOT OPERATE THE
MACHINE UNTIL THE LOAD BRAKE IS REPAIRED OR REPLACED. FAILURE TO REMOVE THE
MACHINE FROM SERVICE COULD RESULT IN DAMAGE, INJURY, OR DEATH.
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Smart Chain Hoist Reference Manual
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●Release the Motor Brake button
Pro Tip: If you press all three buttons at once, all brakes will engage
For use with the Smart Chain Hoist, we suggest that this procedure be executed every night to ensure
that all equipment is operating in a safe, reliable manner.
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Smart Chain Hoist Reference Manual
Published 4-14-20
VFD SETTINGS
The parameter settings on the Mitsubishi Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) are tailored to make the unit
work effectively with each machine. The Smart Chain Hoist uses a different set of VFD parameters
than all of the other Creative Conners, Inc. stock products. Below is a list of the parameters that are
changed from the factory defaults, and what they do. Viewing and changing the parameters is a
straightforward process. On the VFD keypad press the MODE button until a ‘P’ is displayed. Use the
wheel to scroll to the desired parameter number and press the SET button. The display will change
and display a number value. Use the wheel to adjust the value and press SET. To make no change,
simply press the SET button. When all settings are confirmed/adjusted, press the mode button 3 times
until the display shows 0.00. A more detailed explanation of this process can be found at
http://cci.fyi/vfd.
We have designed a few variants of the Stagehand Pro and they each need slightly different
parameters to run your Smart Chain Hoist efficiently and effectively. To know what Stagehand Pro
and VFD you have, look at the VFD keypad on the face plate and notice where that keypad is located
on the Stagehand itself. If the keypad is square and is located on the bottom right of the faceplate, it is
a Stagehand Pro 3 with an A800. If the keypad is square on the bottom left of the faceplate it is a
Stagehand Pro 2 with an A800. If it is rectangular and is located on the bottom left of the faceplate, it
is a Stagehand Pro 2 with an A700.
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YOU MUST SET PARAMETER 77 = 2 PRIOR TO BEGINNING THE MANUAL RESTORE
PROCESS
Pr.
No.
Name
Description
Stagehand
Pro 3
Stagehand
Pro 2 A800
Stagehand
Pro 2 A700
1
Maximum frequency
Set the upper limit of the output
frequency.
110
110
110
2
Minimum frequency
Set the lower limit of the output
frequency.
0
0
0
3
Base frequency
Set the frequency at the rated
motor torque. (50Hz/60Hz)
106
106
106
7
Acceleration time
Standard time to accelerate a
movement.
0
0
0
8
Deceleration time
Standard time to decelerate a
movement.
0
0
0
9
Electronic thermal O/L relay
Current rating from the motor
nameplate.
13
13
13
10
DC injection brake operation
Set the frequency at which the
0.5
0.5
0.5
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