New Equipment Digest: AeroLock connector technology eliminates common risks associated with traditional steel shackles and knotted synthetic connectors, making it a game-changer for high-risk industries like commercial marine towing, offshore operations, and heavy lifting.
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Reading and looking into the AeroLock Connector was interesting as at initial glance (despite learning its load capacities) I was skeptical of this product and its ability to actually be a safe, reliable, and stronger way of holding some loads. I remain impressed at what it is capable of, yet this feeling showed me that it takes time for consumers within a certain industry to trust a product even when there is empirical data that directly proves the product performs better and is safer in many applications. Further, that appearance as it relates to structural qualifications also plays a role given that initial glance should tell us to trust the steel over the new product. But, as materials engineering takes more advances in synthetic materials that actually do have the structural capabilities of metal options, they ought to be considered more seriously. As a final note, when looking more into the applications of this product I found this on their website under ‘Applications’: “This product has not been designed or specified for use in overhead lifting applications”. So for the moment, this likely is not something to be considered for theater.
When I clicked on this article, I had imagined that it would be a metal quick link, but it's much cooler than that. I don't think I've ever seen something like this made out of soft material - I've only ever seen shackles, carabiners, and the like. I can certainly see the benefits of having AeroLocks in a theater's rigging stock, but I think it's geared much more for other industries. It can't replace a shackle everywhere in our theaters - I doubt, for example, that it can be sideloaded, or that it can connect more than two things. I'd also be interested to know if it stretches at all when loaded for a long period of time. That being said, it can definitely make other jobs easier, faster and safer, like hauling things up to the grid or deadhanging pieces of scenery. Unfortunately, I'd worry that it would be misused and become more of a danger than a safety in a theatrical environment like ours.
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