What do the carbon upgrade for the new artemis ACT 2 spring arm and a Formula One racing car have in common? Their “drivers” love speed and treasure lightweight materials. That’s why the Sachtler developers’ decision to use carbon fiber was a natural choice. Following extensive testing, the world’s first carbon upgrade for a spring arm is now ready for large-scale production.

Compared to conventional materials, carbon fiber is not only extremely light-weight, it also offers other advantages. "The ACT 2 carbon upgrade is an exceptionally lightweight arm with outstanding resistance and an even more sensitive response behavior than all existing spring arms," comments Curt O. Schaller, himself a camera operator and one of the developers of the artemis systems. In the carbon upgrade the aluminium arm bones of the existing ACT 2 aluminium model are simply replaced with carbon arm bones.

Proven and innovative new features tested in extreme conditions
Just like the original ACT 2 aluminium model, the carbon upgrade is based on a lightweight, torsion-free design and features three, quick-to-change spring sets from 11 to 26 kg / 24 to 57 lb. During the development stage the Sachtler engi-neers benefited from intensive cooperation with experts from the motor racing industry, profiting especially from their extensive knowledge of the sensitive na-ture of carbon fiber. The prototype was tested for its stability and safety in ex-treme material tests. The Development Team reported that "in one test we used a vibration table to subject the spring arm to continuous impact and shaking for three hours. Even after continuously being subjected under full load to 40,000 lifts in one session in the simulator at the Sachtler Development Laboratory, the material was completely unaffected."

Steadiness and speed for the hectic world of day-to-day production
The characteristic of carbon fiber makes the ACT 2 most suitable for fast movements. Direct comparison with the aluminium version reveals very clearly the useful nature – and difference – between the two versions. The aluminium version of the ACT 2 has a characteristic that is ideal for normal walking paces and slow jogging. If the operator speeds up from a normal walking pace into a slow jog, the spring arm becomes even steadier the faster he goes.

The ACT 2 spring arm with the carbon upgrade likes it even faster. For carbon fiber, the characteristic causes the arm to move in an extremely steady way, the faster the operator runs. For example, when used by an operator running along the sideline of a soccer field, the ACT 2 carbon upgrade is in its element. At such speed the spring arm follows exactly the operator’s movements without producing any additional vibration or bouncing whatsoever. With the ACT 2 aluminium spring arm, Sachtler developers created an amazingly fast and agile arm. The new carbon upgrade represents a further advance in speed and comfort during long periods of shooting.

More information under www.artemis-hd.com.