Doughty aluminium tubes and couplers: the lightweight solution for portable lighting installations

When it comes to the entertainment industry, the behind-the-scenes work is just as vital to the performance itself. If the stage is not properly lit, or if the sounds can’t carry through the crowd, there isn’t much value to the performance.

Besides the audiovisual components that create a distinction between a good performance and a great one, safety must always be considered first. Fortunately, finding rigging equipment that meets all standards of excellent—from safety to performance—is not all that difficult.

At MTN Shop, we are the entertainment professionals with nearly 40 years’ experience designing and building custom stages. So, we know what works. We recommend Doughty’s entertainment equipment because we know their products promise quality, safety, and efficiency.

Since 1985, Doughty Engineering has been a world-leading manufacturer of rigging, suspension, and lifting equipment for the film, TV, and theatre industries. From their EasyDeck mobile staging to their Tank Trap and Tank Trap Dolly, Doughty offers both creative solutions to rigging as well as piece of mind.

Lighting Equipment for a Spectacular Performance

Proper lighting is key when it comes to film, television, and theatrical productions, as well as concerts and fashion shows. When it comes to light design, riggers can hang lighting using a catwalk, truss, and pipe batten.

How you chose to rig your lighting will depend on a number of factors. Touring applications, for example, will likely want a lightweight and easily portable option. For lightweight and touring applications, we recommend using aluminium pipes and Doughty lighting clamps. As a member of Professional Light and Sound Association (PLASA), Doughty adheres to all PLASA standards.

Aluminium Tubes

Doughty’s 48mm Aluminium Barrel, also known as aluminium tube, is a popular option for hanging lighting equipment, especially when a lighter option is preferred.

DOUGHTY ALUMINIUM TUBE / ALUMINUM BARREL (SELF-COLOUR)

These aluminium tubes are commonly used in trusses and are capable of withstanding high-stress applications. Compared to steel, aluminium barrels are much lighter. Not only are they a popular option for permanent installs, but they are also often preferred for touring applications due to their lighter weight.

These pipes are available in multiple stock lengths ranging from 1m-6m and can even be custom cut to your specifications upon request. With endless possibilities, Doughty Aluminium barrels can be used to construct vertical lighting booms and lighting towers.

This product is available in self-colour or anodised black. The metallic self-colour will provide a glittery effect under the lights while the anodized black will blend in more with black backdrops or curtains. Both finishes have excellent corrosion resistance.

DOUGHTY ALUMINIUM TUBE / ALUMINUM BARREL (ANODISED BLACK)

Note: we do not recommend painting aluminium lighting pipes, as paint tends to chip and flake off the surface after prolonged use. If you’d prefer a lighting pipe that you can paint, we recommend Doughty 48mm galvanized steel tubes, which can be custom painted after cleaning and priming.

Doughty Lighting Clamps

If you’re looking to utilize Doughty’s aluminium barrels specifically for lighting or building scaffolding, you will need Doughty couplers and clamps. Their line of aluminium clamps/couplers is specifically designed to attach to round tubes or truss chords to suspend equipment and luminaries in the theatre, film, and television industries.

Doughty offers a variety of clamps/couplers with various specifications to meet your rigging needs, no matter what they are.

Doughty Atom Couplers

Atom clamps are the smallest of the Doughty Clamp range of extruded aluminium couplers. All clamps from this range will fit tubes with external diameters ranging from 25mm to 38mm and are slotted to hold captive a nut or bolt head. They have a safe working load and TÜV approval of up to 100 KG.

 At MTN Shop, we carry the following Atom clamps/couplers:

• Doughty Atom Half Coupler (25mm Diameter)
• Doughty Atom Half Coupler (32mm Diameter)
• Doughty Atom Half Coupler (35mm Diameter)
• Doughty Atom Half Coupler (38mm Diameter)
• Doughty 35mm Atom 90 Degree Coupler
• Doughty 35mm Atom Parallel Coupler

Aluminium Half Couplers

For additional lightweight options, we also carry a variety of Doughty Half Couplers. These standard Doughty clamps are constructed from high tensile aluminium extrusion. These clamps have all been designed and developed in conjunction with the German engineering construction inspection service TÜV.

At MTN Shop, we carry the following Standard Doughty half couplers:

• Doughty Half Coupler - TÜV Tested and Approved
• Doughty Half Coupler (Lightweight)- TÜV Certified
• Doughty Half Coupler (Slimline & Lightweight)- TÜV Certified
• Doughty Half Coupler (Slimline) - TÜV Tested and Approved
• Doughty Half Coupler (Super Lightweight)- TÜV Approved
• Doughty Half Coupler (Slimline Mammoth Clamp) - TÜV Certified
• Doughty Half Coupler (Mammoth Clamp) - TÜV Tested

 

You can find our full range of safe and efficient entertainment equipment at shopmtn.eu!