Fun park looks to Brevini UK for drive solution

The Fireball ride, located at The Adventure Island Park in Southend on Sea, Essex, has provided thrills to thousands of children and adults alike. The ride, which stands 9m tall, consists of a tower which holds a rotating hub with eight arms; each arm has a double seat attached to the end of it. It was designed and constructed by the park's own in-house engineering team, Adventure Island Workshop, who asked Brevini Power Transmissions to supply the main drive unit.

Brevini specified a High Torque S-series reduction gearbox coupled to an electric motor which allowed the drive system to fit within the main framework of the design. In addition, Brevini was able to ensure the components were delivered on time to meet the build schedule of the ride.

This gearbox and motor arrangement is mounted direct to the main frame of the ride using the motor foot plate and the drive end flange. This design meant that the drive assembly had to be as compact as possible while still being capable of producing the power required. The drive also had to meet the rigorous safety standards demanded for amusement park rides. Brevini's experience in gear reduction units ensured that the specifications were met for the ride speed and drive torque delivery, as well as guaranteeing the whole unit fitted into the required footprint.

The S-series planetary range has been designed to give optimal performance with minimum size and has the ability to offer between a 40-60 per cent reduction in terms of size and weight against traditional gears. The result is robust and yet cost effective. The range now spans a torque range from 1kNm up to 2500kNm, with larger variants available on request.

S-series gearboxes can provide up to four reduction stages as standard, with both in-line and right-angle versions. Additional reduction stages can easily be incorporated to achieve very high reduction ratios while maintaining a high overall efficiency. Output shaft options include female splined, hollow cylindrical, male cylindrical and male splined versions. The gear unit input can incorporate a multitude of different motor adaptions (electric, hydraulic, etc.); can incorporate a multidisc brake; and can of course be a simple male shaft. A wide range of input and output accessories is also available.

Brevini is also involved in the maintenance and replacement of drive systems in other theme parks, such as the Pleasure Beach, Blackpool, where it has repaired and replaced various gearboxes in many of the UK's most famous rides. In each case a specialist engineer from Brevini inspected the gearbox and ascertained which should be repaired and which would be more cost effective to replace.

To find out more abut Brevini motor and gearbox packages, including the S-series planetary range, please visit www.brevini.co.uk.