Product Overview
A major amusement rides manufacturer needed to develop a secondary safety stop for its drop ride. A carriage load of passengers is raised to the top of a 35-meter tower, then dropped as a simulated free fall. A braking system safely decelerates the load, but a secondary stopping element was critical to ensuring passenger safety, as the carriage would still be moving at a high rate of speed. The solution would require maximum energy absorption to protect passengers and would need to be reliable in case of emergency.

The use of certain energy absorption devices, such as rubber bumpers or springs, could result in dangerous rebound forces, potentially causing passenger injury. Having had success with Enidine products on other rides, the customer approached us for an optimal safeguarding solution.

Product Solution
Enidine recommended the installation of two HD 2.0 x 32 shock absorbers, mounted beneath the platform stopping point. The units’ stroke was required to minimize G-load forces and maintain a safe rate of deceleration at a fraction of the design speed.

Enidine HD Shock Absorbers could now offer an additional safety stop. Since they are not effected by power failure or cable breakage, the units formed the “insurance policy” needed as a final safety precaution. Other systems, such as a secondary braking system, could have also been employed, but would have been much more costly and not as reliable.

Application Opportunity
The end result was an amusement ride with a self-contained safety device that met all applicable safety codes. As a result of this opportunity, Enidine was lead into the forefront of global amusement ride development.