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January, ’08 – Star Trek, The Tour
Star
Trek, The Tour opened at the Queen Mary, inside the Dome. The
Tour, is a 50,000 square foot traveling show filled with sets,
costumes, props and hundreds of visual and audio effects.
Several motion base rides, interactive sets, and the Encounter
Theater. The show is scheduled to travel to over 40 cities
around the country.
Hefner Products inc. was contracted to provide electrical and
control systems for the all new multi media Encounter Theater
audience platforms. After completion of the installation, Hefner
Products, Inc. was contracted to build and install the show
control cabinet for the Encounter Theater. Working on site, the
road case mounted control system was designed and built. As each
sub system of the show was completed and installed. Hefner
Products, Inc. wired and tested each effect to the control
system. After completing the installation and testing, the show
elements were turned over to show programming.

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The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
Standing
in the midst of downtown Los Angeles, the Cathedral of
our Lady of the Angels serves the total Archdiocese of
over 4 million Catholics. The Great Bronze Doors were
designed by the Mexican born, Los Angeles sculptor,
Robert Graham. Graham divided the 30’ x 30’ space for
the South Doors into five, geometrically balanced
shapes. He created a door within a door, with four
separate parts that operate in various configurations as
they open and close. Although they weigh 25 tons, they
open easily, rotating on steel posts with a
sophisticated electro mechanical system. The powerful
motors can open either the solid inner doors or the
hollow outer doors, or for maximum effect, the two pairs
of doors in majestic sequence.

Hefner Electric was
contracted to manufacture and install the door
controller. The control panel was certified and listed
to Underwriters Laboratory UL508 industrial control
panel listing.

Hefner Electric designed
and built the motor control center which operates four
(4) independent electric motors, which allow the doors
to open to any of the five (5) preset positions.
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Budweiser – Traveling Beer
School

Busch Bud World 2000 –
Hefner Electric was contracted by Showmaker Productions
of Burbank, CA to participate in the conversion of two
(2) existing pair of “Bud Beer School” 45-foot semi
trailers.
The
existing 5 year-old rigs were converted into the new
“Bud World 2000” series of high tech audio / video
display trailers. These rigs travel across the country
to major sporting events such as the Long Beach Grand
Prix, NASCAR events, and other sporting venues.
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Automated People Mover (APM)
Prototype Development 2004

Hefner Electric was
contracted by Entertainment Engineering Inc. to design,
build and commission the propulsion, steering and
guidance system for the Automated People Mover (APM) for
a wilderness park setting. Once the frame assembly and
drive system were installed on the frame, the prototype
vehicle was delivered to our facility in Burbank,
California for wiring, testing and preliminary wire
guidance testing. Our staff designed and built a
temporary control system enclosure for all the
electrical components, contactors, fusing, etc. The
system was brought up and operated in a test manual
mode, checking forward and reverse operations,
preliminary manual steering as well as manual hydraulic
brakes. Later on, we added the wire guidance antennae,
and closed loop servo motor and control onto the
steering system. A wire cable was taped to the driveway
and adjacent street, and the vehicle was launched along
a 450 foot long test track while the system was proven
and calibrated.
Upon
completion of the testing and commissioning of all
systems, the prototype unit was delivered to the
Southern California facility and test operated in there
environment. Several hours of testing and approval by
the executives secured a contract to complete the
prototype vehicle and proceed with first article
construction.
Some
of the features of this prototype vehicle are:
-
Fully Automated Operation with Wire Guidance -
Manual override for special events operations and maintenance
- Battery Powered with Opportunity Charging
- All Wheel Steering - Independent Suspension
- 9 Passenger Loading |
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Monorail System

Hefner Electric and James
Hefner have many years of experience on Monorail Systems
and Ride Control Engineering. James Hefner’s first
monorail experience dates back to his previous
employment at a Special Effects Company. While employed
by this company, James supervised, installed, tested,
and commissioned this large monorail system in a major
theme park environment.
Fifteen
years later Hefner Electric, working with Magnetek
Electric, (Now Yaskawa Electric Drives) accepted a
contract to upgrade the same monorail system that Mr.
Hefner had worked on 15 years earlier. This contract
required the replacement of all propulsion motors and
controllers, and the conversion from dc traction motors
to ac flux vector motors and variable frequency drives.
Hefner Electric and its team fulfilled this contract
over a 2 ½ year time period, and broken into 4 different
phases. Each phase consisted of one complete train, 5
cars, and the new installation of the new propulsion
system, complete wiring replacement, and a new control
system. Hefner Electric wired into the ride controller
dual redundant Allen Bradley SLC500 family of
controllers. The system has performed so well, that the
customer has requested a bid package on updating its’
fifteen train monorail system in Florida.
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Private Residence – Sherman Oaks, CA

This
private residence was designed and built prior to
the creation of Home Automation. The owner, working
with his architect, hired the top engineers in their
field to produce a “Home of the Future”. Two years
later, this thousand square foot mansion was
completed. Hefner Electric was contacted by an air
conditioning consultant who was having trouble with
the five IBM PC computers which
failed to operate the house smoothly. After Jim
Hefner
consulted with the owner, a plan was adopted to
bring the house into the future, and investigate a
home automation system. Hefner Electric selected the
Unity Home Manager to control all of the existing
facility sub-systems. Three months of installation
and integration created a home with computer touch
screen control of ten central air conditioning
systems, four exhaust fans, complete burglar alarm
system with voice annunciation, and lighting and
appliance control. The system also allowed for
remote sight access, and integrated with various
sub-systems including electric locks, whole house
audio system, and mail delivery notification. |
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Madonna
Hefner
Products Inc. was asked to complete a fast paced
project for a world renowned major recording artist.
A 1930’s Auburn was to be retrofitted into a battery
operated stage prop to deliver the well known Diva
Madonna for her 2008 “Sticky and Sweet” world tour.
Hefner Products designed, acquired, and installed
the motor, controller, battery pack and associated
wiring into the vehicle in 7 days. 2 way radio
enabling, electric operated brakes, and on board
camera and monitoring were added during the
installation.

After
completing the Electric Vehicle, Hefner Products was
contracted to complete the wiring for this turntable
/scissor lift for the upcoming world tour. On a
Thursday afternoon at 4:00p.m. Joe and Jim reviewed
the equipment, and placed orders for material
delivery the next morning. Joe and Jim wired the 24
conductor slip ring assembly and associated wiring
devices to allow for shipment the next morning . The
unit was shipped out Saturday morning for show
rehearsal Sunday morning.

Turntable top deck
Power
distribution real estate was very limited under the
turntable deck. Custom machined electrical junction
boxes were machined to house the twistlock wiring
devices. This allowed for maximum connectivity with
minimum space requirements under the deck.
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