Every day, rescue and rescue technicians must expose themselves to and adapt to a variety of situations. That is why PETZL works together with them, observing the scenarios in which they must develop the rescue work, as well as the deficiencies and difficulties they encounter during the process, in order to know their needs perfectly and develop innovative high-performance solutions that facilitate their operations. This is how PETZL’s MAESTRO range came about.
PETZL’s MAESTRO descenders are compact and lightweight (1100g) and have been developed for technical rescue operations.The main mission of the PETZL MAESTRO is to be able to deal with the unexpected. This means that the PETZL MAESTRO offers the most suitable solution for technical rescues in different scenarios, be it walls, canyons or confined spaces.
In the following video we can see the testimony of Steve Petty, part of the “Track and Rescue” team for 17 years in the Wasatch Range, Utah. He comments that the PETZL MAESTRO is a breakthrough in rescue technology because it is an intuitive device which makes operations more efficient.
The following are the functions, parts and particularities of the MAESTRO.
FUNCTIONS OF THE PETZL MASTER
The PETZL MARESTO is a device whose engineering combines the capabilities of a blocking pulley and those of a descender.
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- As a blocking pulley, it enables the lifting and lowering of
- As a descender, it controls the uncoupling and lowering of the load.
In addition, the PETZL MAESTRO features the OUTO- LOCK system that automatically locks the load and ensures the return of the handle to the stop position.
Intended for technical rescues, the PETZL MAESTRO has been developed as a versatile and easy to use device. Do you want to know how to use it safely as well as its particularities? read on!
To begin presenting the device, the most characteristic parts that make it an ergonomic and versatile device will be mentioned.
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- Integrated locking handle, this allows the device to be used for lowering and lifting.
- Bottom connection point that allows the installation and integration with the device of different hoists.
- The grip, especially ergonomic, allows progressive rope release, facilitating a comfortable descent.
- Hole located in the handle in which a distance control cord can be installed.
- The AUTO-LOCK system allows the rope to be locked when the handle is not in use.
- Large diameter sheave with sealed ball bearing with a single direction of rotation. The sheave is faceted which provides friction zones with the rope providing additional braking during descents.
- Brake integrated in the device, allows to modulate the friction or friction of the rope depending on the load and the diameter of the rope.
In the following video, PETZL shows us the parts of the MAESTRO as well as the most significant features of the MAESTRO S and L.
Following, knowing the parts and engineering of the PETZL MAESTRO and in order to create a better understanding of the device, the following sections will discuss in detail the features and peculiarities that make the PETZL MAESTRO a high performance device.
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- OPERATING PRINCIPLE
- BRAKING MODULATION FOR
- CONTROL THE DESCENT
- PERFORMANCE AND EFFICIENCY FOR LIFTING
- DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MASTER S AND MASTER L
OPERATING PRINCIPLE
The PETZL MAESTRO as mentioned above uses a freewheel pulley. This allows the rope to circulate rapidly through it in the direction of rotation of the pulley. On the other hand, in the opposite direction to the natural direction of the pulley, the rope is blocked by pinching between the mobile slider and the braking slider and remains blocked in this direction.
In the following graphic, PETZL shows how the MAESTRO works.
BRAKING MODULATION. DESCENT CONTROL
Braking and, above all, braking control is one of the most decisive factors when descending, which is why a series of premises and warnings must be taken into account.
For any descent the rope must pass through the external brake of the device. In this case the rope must be oriented so that it remains positioned on the brake at all times. Special attention should be paid to any curls or loops that could appear in the rope during the process and that may cause the rope to leave its position.
The following graph shows how braking occurs with the PETZL MAESTRO.
This factor has exceptions where the rope can leave the outer brake of the device, which are cited:
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- During the descent, a significant braking is perceived due to the condition of the rope (dirt).
- The load is too light.
In these exceptional cases the rope may be removed from the brake.
It must be taken into account that at all times the descent is done by holding the rope on the braking side.
The movement of the handle disengages the lock, be careful! The more you pull on the handle of the device, the more the mobile skate will separate, thus allowing the rope to circulate through it. Therefore, if the handle of the PETZL MAESTRO is pulled too much, the skate will not brake the rope.
The following video explains how to control a load and braking during operation at all times.
LIFTING PERFORMANCE AND EFFICIENCY
The PETZL MAESTRO has a large diameter sheave as shown in the attached graphic. This sheave has bearings for optimum performance at the head of a hoist or counterweight.
In addition, as shown in the third image of the graphic, the PETZL MAESTRO has a connection point at the bottom for more complex lifting operations.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MAESTROS AND MAESTRO L
The purchaser should be aware that, in their engineering, the MAESTRO S and MAESTRO L are of identical construction and have the same principle of operation.
The difference between the two models would be in the level of travel of the mobile slider. This changes the way the rope is clamped against the braking slider in both models allowing to optimize the locking quality for each rope diameter range. The rope ranges being:
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- MAESTRO S ⇒10,5-11,5 mm.
- MASTER L⇒12.5-13 mm.
In addition, this factor influences the resistance of the device, both of which can work efficiently with the loads cited:
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- MAESTRO S ⇒Q=250 Kg
- MASTER L⇒Q=280 Kg
For more information, please consult the product data sheet, visit our facilities or contact us by phone, e-mail or chat in our store.
