Balder, at Liseberg, Sweden, was the fi rst coaster to use Intamin’s prefabricated
New Track Technology (NTT)
Hybrid versions, with a steel track and a wooden support structure, have gained in popularity, but some experts question if this is a true “Woodie”
INTAMIN
SASCHA N. CZIBULKA EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
What’s the appeal of wooden coasters? It’s the natural look of the wood, to some extent the ride experience and, at least for older park visitors, a sense of nostalgia.
Wooden coasters seem to be popular right now. Would you agree? Wooden rollercoasters are an integral part of a good ride mix, at least for larger parks. Yes, there’s currently a slightly stronger demand than usual. However, this is normal as demand works in cycles. Ten years ago, demand was also high, and suddenly it dropped and then it comes back. It’s normal in our industry and doesn’t apply just to wooden coasters. We’ve recently seen the same phenomenon with giant wheels and observation towers.
What boundary-pushing things you can do? Really exciting layouts, resulting in rather high speeds and a lot of air-time.
©CYBERTREK 2015 AM 2 2015
on Kerto technology. As well as being a fully treated and sealed wooden support structure, it’s also possible to establish highly dynamic layouts and especially keep the costs of ownership, such as maintenance and replacement, at a very low level, similar to those of steel coasters. Lately, the hybrid versions, with a steel track and a wooden support structure, have gained in popularity. However, some experts question if this is then a true “Woodie”.
Intamin’s Sascha N. Czibulka
Are there many diff erences between designing and installing Intamin’s wooden coaster and its steel coaster? It depends on the system used by the wooden coaster. With Intamin’s pre- fabricated track system – New Track Technology (NTT) — there are only small differences when it comes to designing, building and installing the two types.
In terms of engineering and design, what breakthroughs have you seen lately? NTT is our pre-fabricated track based
Is it diffi cult to maintain a wooden coaster? Does this make them harder to sell? This depends on the system of wooden coasters. For the traditional ones, the cost and efforts are pretty high, to say the least. In the case of Intamin, feedback from parks operating an NTT wooden coaster for a number of years now demonstrates that the costs are very similar to those for a steel coaster.
Can you describe the current market climate? Is business fast or slow? How do you stay ahead of the competition? The climate is good and business is indeed fast. We try hard to constantly invest in new products and technologies and push the envelope.
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