Sunkid Upgrades Aqualibi with Vertical Raft Return Conveyor
Sunkid, a leading provider of attractions for the whole family, has revealed details about its project to retrofit a Vertical Raft Return Conveyor at Aqualibi water park in Wavre, Belgium.
The highlight of the water park is a slide tower featuring four distinct water roller coasters. By the end of 2023, a Vertical Raft Return Conveyor was installed to ensure that all visitors enjoy a memorable and comfortable experience without the hassle of carrying heavy slide rafts.
The park operator selected Sunkid to plan, manufacture, and install the conveyor within a timeframe of just over four months.
Adaptable Modular Design
Peter Schiendorfer, Sunkid project manager, explains: “The challenge with projects like this is the integration into the existing structures. This means dealing with limited space and radii – both in the loading and unloading areas and for the upward transportation beneath the building roof.”
“Thanks to the straightforward modular design of our system, which can be easily tailored to local conditions, we were able to implement the right solution swiftly. Our system also minimises the structural preparations needed on the customer’s side. For instance, in Belgium, we used four steel girders attached to the building wall to support our conveyor belt, which spans approximately 20 metres. These were manufactured according to our specifications and painted in the customer’s preferred colour.”
The conveyor was designed to elevate the rafts vertically by 17 metres. To facilitate this, guests place 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 transports the rafts upwards.
The rafts are then evenly spaced and moved up a 75-degree incline. Non-slip contact points help reduce wear and tear while preventing any elements on all sides of the rafts from getting stuck or falling out. An additional tarpaulin collects dripping water, enhancing the aesthetic appeal. Once the tubes reach the top, they slide onto a second roller table, ready for collection by the guests.
Emergency stop switches and cables, warning lights, and other safety components have been strategically placed at every point where operators or potentially visitors might come into contact with the Sunkid system. TÜV Nord, a prominent service provider in testing, inspection, certification, and consulting, was involved from the project’s inception, advising on the installation of all safety equipment, which was successfully approved.
Cleaning and maintenance are simplified with an integrated ladder featuring a guide rail for the necessary safety rope. The advanced i-CONTROL control system includes an HMI touch display for basic operations, providing the client with valuable information on operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting, including maintenance schedules, alarm lists, automated reports, operating instructions, and options for remote maintenance.
Emanuel Wohlfarter, Sunkid CEO, states: “Thanks to the partial automation provided by our Vertical Raft Return Conveyor, the customer achieves significantly higher transport capacity and utilisation of their attractions – all while enhancing comfort and increasing sliding enjoyment for visitors.”
“Our comprehensive package, which extends beyond standard planning, production, and assembly expertise, was a key factor in our success. At Sunkid, we manage the entire electrotechnical development and associated component construction in-house. This means customers receive “everything from a single source” at Sunkid!”
Sunkid recently delivered four custom 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 subsequently put into operation by Sunkid.
Images courtesy of Sunkid
