Gear reducers tackle demands of amusement rides

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Nov 9, 2001

Brevini says it is an established presence in the amusement ride sector, supplying a vast range of different types of gear reducers and hydraulic motors and electric motors

Today, the world of theme parks is big business and still growing.

The key to this growth is the seemingly never ending appetite for rides that evoke ever greater emotions - excitement and fear - in those who are brave enough to try them.

In this highly dynamic market the imagination of the manufacturers has created rides that can lift up, turn over, shake and accelerate to the limits of endurance - machines with powerful motors and gear reducers that can withstand the intense stresses exerted by the movements that are the source of all the fun.

At the same time as the rides are becoming ever more exciting, they are also being called to carry more people at much higher speeds.

Safety is therefore a prime concern, so the structure of the rides and all their drive components must be proportioned and manufactured with the greatest care.

They must also comply with the strict test standards that are in force in many countries.

Brevini has many years experience of helping manufacturers to meet these standards, and of meeting the demands for increasingly exacting levels of ride performance.

The company is an established leader in the amusement ride sector, supplying a vast range of different types of gear reducers and hydraulic motors and electric motors.

The gear reducers comprise all the 'basic range' of both in-line and right-angled gear reducers for torque levels up to and beyond 8000 DaNm.

There are also frequent applications for the RPR and RPRC type gear reducers for fifth wheel rotation.

The technical and commercial collaboration which has been built-up between Brevini and the ride manufacturers over the years is of fundamental importance, because the actual loads encountered in the ride cycles can be calculated only by means of complicated formulae that require a knowledge of the mass geometry, applied dynamics and construction science.

For this reason, data is required that is not normally to be found in the reducer gear catalogues.

Many of the rides Brevini is involved with are mobile, so an important feature of these designs is how easy it is to transport them by road.

One of the consequences of this is that components such as gear reducers are required to be lightweight and compact, but still deliver high levels of torque.

By offering weight savings of up to 60%, and efficiencies up to 98%, from a product envelope less than half the size of conventional reducers, Brevini's planetary gearboxes are able to meet these requirements exactly.

In addition, the ability of Brevini planetaries to install where other gearboxes won't translates into easier installation and neater design solutions.

Added to these features is the facility of modular design, based upon the epicyclic cell, to provide ultra-compact multiple reduction units.

The advantages of this arrangement to the designer are twofold.

The planetary stages can be combined to match the increasing torque being transmitted through a gearbox.

They can also be assembled to provide reduction ratios right up the scale: to a value of 15,000:1 if required.

Finally, high levels of reliability are a feature of Brevini's planetary design, thanks to the distribution of stress among several load -bearing components.

The international nature of Brevini's business means that the company is able to support the amusement ride industry with a highly effective pre and after-sales operation, providing service and spare parts throughout the world.

This is necessary because the rides, just like plant and machinery, have to be shut down periodically to enable operating parts to be serviced or replaced.

Local availability means that the downtime resulting from this process, and hence the lost revenue, is minimised.