Sunkid, a leading provider of attractions for the whole family, has shared details of its project to retrofit a vertical raft return conveyor at Aqualibi water park in Wavre, Belgium.
The water park’s centrepiece is a slide tower with four unique water roller coasters. At the end of 2023, a vertical raft return conveyor was installed to provide all visitors with a memorable and comfortable experience without carrying the cumbersome slide rafts.
The park operator appointed Sunkid to plan, manufacture, and install the conveyor, within a timescale of slightly more than four months.
Adaptable modular design
Peter Schiendorfer, Sunkid project manager, says: “The challenge with projects like this is the integration into the existing structures. In other words, limited space and radii – both in the loading and unloading area and for upward transportation under the building roof.
“Thanks to the simple modular design of our system, which can easily be adapted to suit local conditions, we were able to quickly implement the right solution. With our system, we can also keep the structural preparations on the customer’s side to a minimum. Here in Belgium, for example, in the form of four steel girders attached to the building wall as a support for our conveyor belt, which is around 20 meters long. These were manufactured according to our drawings and painted in the customer’s desired color.”
See also: Sunkid: family attractions with evergreen appeal
The conveyor was required to move the rafts vertically by 17 metres. To achieve this, the guests put the double sliding rafts on a five-metre-long roller table. When the traffic lights turn green, an attendant pushes them onto a lifting system with a conveyor, which moves the rafts up.
The rafts are then spaced evenly and transported up a 75 degree incline. Non-slip contact points reduce the possibility of wear and tear while also preventing elements on all sides of the rafts from wedging or falling out. An extra tarpaulin collects dripping water and delivers the customer’s desired aesthetic. When the tubes reach the top, they slide onto a second roller table, ready to be collected by the guests.
Emergency stop switches and cables, warning lights, and other safety components were placed at every location where operators, or potentially visitors, might come into contact with the Sunkid system. TÜV Nord, a leading service provider in the field of testing, inspection, certification and consulting, was involved in the project from its inception. The firm consulted on the installation of all safety equipment, and the system as a whole was successfully approved.
Cleaning and maintenance tasks are made easier with an integrated ladder that includes a guide rail for the required safety rope. The sophisticated i-CONTROL control system features an HMI touch display which is used for basic operations. This gives the client useful information on operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting, such as maintenance schedules, alarm lists, automated reports, operating instructions, and remote maintenance selections.
Emanuel Wohlfarter, Sunkid CEO, says: “Thanks to the partial automation with the help of our vertical conveyor, the customer achieves a much higher transport capacity and utilization of his attractions – with increased comfort and more sliding fun for his visitors at the same time.
“Our overall package, which goes beyond the usual planning, production and assembly expertise, was a convincing factor. At Sunkid, for example, we keep the complete electrotechnical development and the associated component construction “in-house”. Customers therefore receive “everything from a single source” at Sunkid!”
Sunkid recently supplied four bespoke systems to Vietnam’s latest water park from its development and production facility in Bad Goisern, Austria. The conveyors were installed by the client and put into operation by Sunkid.
