Park Safety parkworld-online.com


not defaced in any way? Y


ay? You need to standon Yo


the outside looking in as well as on the inside looking out.


SK – Given the special characteristics and features of amusement park rides, visual checks will always remain an indispensable element of inspection and maintenance procedures. Today visual inspections are complemented by new technologies such as non-destructive test methods, enabling more in-depth examination of actual material properties to be performed, particularly at critical points or structures. TR – Ride systems have improved greatly over the years. New technologies help diagnose issues easier in some instances, however these systems will never eliminate the visual inspection, nor do they check every component of a ride. Not only are there numerous items that must be visually inspected, audible inspection of an amusement device is also important, but often overlooked. Operators should know how their ride sounds normally and be aware of any changes. A change in the sounds emitted by a device may be inconsequential, but they could be the only sign of an issue that could be corrected before some type of failure.


Does new technology make inspection/ maintenance easie , or are visual checks as important as ever? the specia


er, K To


What new technologies in particular have been a benefit in recent years? Marco Savegnago, Auxel – Technology such as sensors can help to improve predictive maintenance or to estimate the next failure, but new technologies are not just IT or electronic- based. Improved quality and affordability of spare parts and components like shafts, wheels, bearings and lubricants that are able to stand up to more onerous extreme environmental conditions (hot/cold, wet/dry


Te wet/dry Brian Ondrey, Iy,, Irivne O ey y,, sand) can make


rides cheaper and more reliable to run over time. e Ondrey Engineering :


Magnetic braking has been an incredible advancement for several reasons. The brakes come in two forms: static and moveable. W ith static brakes, maintenance is reduced to almost


nothing because there are no brake pads to be replaced when worn. Simple visual inspections are the


e then all that is necessary. Moveabley.. Movea


brakes are similarly low -maintenance, lacking brake pads as well, and just require periodic maintenance on any moving components.


Do park managers pay enough its plays i


consideration to potential maintenance costs/issues when buying new rides? BA – There is always room for parks to increase their knowledge of the control systems on their rides. It ’s critical for maintenance to be aware what new technology is being used, what role plays in maintaining safety , a d what to do when maintenance work is needed. Being aware of the lead time for replacement of components is important as well, but especially so for new technology as demand might not meet supply. As ride manufacturers take vantage of new technology, , buyersy, buyer need to become knowledgeable on the computer and electrical components, not just the mechanical.


y,, and w adva e of


Motor cars today are said to be more reliable, but mo e e


liable, but more ex expensive t sive to fix


when things go wrong. Is the same true of amusement rides?


MS – It is almost the same. Rides today are much more complex than in the past and the components with which they are constructed are in general much more expensive, however a modern ride, if properly maintained, can work safely for much longer than a few generations ago. Unlike the car industry though, rides (not taking into account kiddie rides) are usually only manufactured in units of tens or hundreds, which makes it more difficult to achieve economies of scale.


BA – With the addition of computer - controlled safety systems to attractions several decades ago, both parks and manufacturers saw an increased project cost. R ecall, though, that when a technology is first introduced, the purchase price can be very high but then drops dramatically as the technology matures. The same thing has happened with attraction control component technology . The good news is so much of the newest technology is incredibly reliable, meaning that while rides may utilise more expensive components, these components are made to be extremely durable.


How can park operators improve the reliability of thei ex Re


liability of their existing attr BA – Retrofitting an aging attraction w


A


xisti g att actions? with a


modern control system is where we have helped ease the burden on many parks. On one coaster built in the 1960s, for example, the original relay logic had no monitoring system to identify failures. If an error occurred, it could take maintenance staff hours to track it down and solve the issue. Further


r,, the age of the meant that tracking down replacement parts was MARCH 2015


New control systems, like this one by Irvine Ondrey, can increase efficiency of old attractions


Rides today are much


more complex than in the pas t and the components with which the y are


constructed are in general much more expensiv e, however a modern ride


howev er a modern ride, if properly maintained, can work saf ely for


much longer than a f e w generations ago


a tions ago


Marco Savegnago, Auxel Automation


xe el Autom


difficult and costly. Wey..We replaced the relay logic with a new programmable logic control (PLC) system, including drives for the lift. Downtime was reduced from hours to minutes when a failure occurred, spare parts were now cheaper and easy to find, and as the lift was now controlled by a drive it meant the chain no longer had to run at full speed at all times, reducing wear on lift components and extending their life.


How soon should newcomers to the industry engage with exp


ge with expe ex erienced


professionals when planning new parks/attractions?


MS – Sometimes a brand new park with a multi million budget can plan all the principal facilities but forget the “maintenance area ”. It ’s important to engage qualified personnel. In emerging countries, often professional workers are hired from other industrial sectors such as mechanical, electrical or chemical. This might seem like a good solution, but often it is not. Rides are complex objects that have mechanical, electrical, pneumatic and hydraulic parts. This requires experienced personnel. Also amusement parks are frequented by large numbers of people, including children. They are not a factory SK – Experts should be involved from the


y. e of the equipment


outset. Doing so can help avoid planning errors that may later only be remedied at enormous effort and cost and avoid a rude awakening at the official handover


over.r. 37


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