Gala Systems is an OEM, Headquarter in Montreal suburb, Quebec, Canada. Gala systems is the world’s largest manufacturer of under-stage equipment and a leader in automated multipurpose halls. Since 1980, Gala has now completed installations of remarkable electromechanical systems at more than 1,750 public assembly and performance venues in 65 countries. Gala’s solutions – using specialized technologies like Spiralift^®, the world’s most compact lifting system – empower venue operators to completely reconfigure their sites in breathtaking fashion. Gala makes it easy to switch from event to event in a matter of minutes, no matter how dramatically different the seating and space arrangements may be, such as transforming a room from a lecture theatre into a dance hall. Initially, the company’s engineers created their own customized, proprietary control system for each electromechanical package that was installed. This quickly proved to be far from ideal. For each site, a 20-foot-high master control panel had to be created, with all the needed inputs wired into it in a physically awkward set up. This unwieldy centralization could be tough to work with for everyone involved, particularly when it came to maintenance, repairs and upgrades. “We’re known for our high-quality mechanical solutions, developing software or hardware for control systems has not been our focus,” explains Robert Heimbach, Vice President of Business Development at Gala. “So, we had an internal meeting and decided we and our clients would be best served by partnering with a really strong brand name for automation – one that is well known throughout the world, and with a great distribution network.”

Gala’s analysis quickly pointed toward Siemens – with its unmatched global footprint and technology leadership. Well established worldwide, the obvious choice to be that automation partner.    “By using Siemens, we knew we could give great confidence to our clients wherever they might be in the world. We knew there would always be a Siemens representative nearby to handle what was required, whether it was for an upgrade, or if they needed an exchange of the interface or controller, whatever it might be,” notes Robert. And most importantly, describes Roger Cool, Automation Engineering at Gala, it meant a vastly superior architecture was made possible thanks to Siemens innovation. That unruly master control panel was replaced by a drastically simplified system that was decentralized. There is now a small panel for each individual element in the system – such as one for each row of chairs to be moved, and each lift motor being used. All those discrete elements are remotely synchronized together over a single platform that is easily managed using an intuitive computer screen interface, all with a physical footprint that’s a fraction of what it used to be. Much easier to adapt and standardize. The decentralized Siemens platform have minimized the impact on engineering drawings efforts. There is no longer any reinventing the wheel when starting on a project at a facility. With a uniform baseline arrangement in place, all that’s needed is scaling up or down, depending on the size and shape of the venue, and the nature of its needs. It reduces engineering cost by using an integrated programming platform (TIA Portal). Also, scalable with the S7-1500 and expendable with the ET200S, to meet our diverse project needs. It’s all about much greater simplicity and flexibility, so whether it’s cost estimates, commissioning, ongoing venue operations, or eventual upgrades, the improvements have been spectacular. It allowed to access to a consistent portfolio of products truly scalable for our customer’s requirements. In short, everything is now faster, easier and less costly for Gala and its clients. Roger describes exceptional software from Siemens linking the entire system – TIA Portal – as the magic ingredient to make all that possible. “Everything is fully integrated so easily. All controls matter in a single platform, avoiding multi-software and adaptation. Mistakes are eliminated compared to systems with different vendors. It’s just so efficient on any project,” he says. “When we hire engineers, we can train them on TIA Portal so fast. They love it. They are able to start unleashing their talent to create great solutions for our clients and focusing on the design almost immediately.”  

Saint Hubert, Quebec, Canada