Sunkid breaks all records

The new lifts at the Alpincenter Bottrop from the company Sunkid break all previous records. With a length of 400m each, a speed of 1.2 m/s and a drive power of 60 KW each, all previous records will be eclipsed - twice! Because in the indoor ski center of the Alpincenter Bottrop, two Sunkid Moving Carpet rides are ready for the ascent at the same time. Sunkid was able to convince in planning, construction and realization of this project and is happy about the new world record together with the customer!

The Sunkid world record project in Bottrop surpasses all previous ski conveyors in length, strength and speed. With 400m, a speed of 1.2 m/s and a 60 KW drive motor, Sunkid erected another milestone in the history of ski conveyors. Even before the go-ahead for this project, Sunkid was involved in the planning and preliminary work and stood by the Alpincenter Bottrop as a competent partner from the very beginning.

The Sunkid world record project began with a preliminary project including a safety analysis in cooperation with TÜV Germany and MH-Fördertechnik DI(FH) Huber, whereby guidelines and safety regulations for this unique project were precisely defined. Based on these specifications, Sunkid built the world record Moving Carpet according to the new future European standard for ski conveyors prEN 15700. More than 17,000 individual parts with a total weight of over 110 tons were delivered to Bottrop by 16 truck trains. Various components were even delivered "just-in-time", which required smooth organization. In cooperation with the Alpincenter Bottrop, a precise schedule was worked out for the installation of the new lifts. During the European Football Championship 2008, the installation of the new world record Moving Carpet took place within only three weeks. The installation was managed by two Sunkid fitters and was completed on schedule and approved by TÜV Germany.

Sunkid replaces previous model

The Alpincenter in Bottrop already had two conveyor belts of a different make installed when it opened in 2001. The installation at that time corresponded to the technology of industrial conveyor belts. As a result, 77% of the visitors were dissatisfied with the installation at that time due to the noise development, the conveyor belt surface, as well as the insufficient entry and exit. For these reasons, Sunkid was faced with the task of installing two modern conveyor belts equipped with all safety-related features.

As the main means of ascent, the operational safety of the Sunkid Moving Carpet is an important criterion for the operator. Supervision is provided by an external operator control center, from where the entire conveyor belt route can be viewed via cameras. Orderly access to the 1.2 m/s conveyor belt is guaranteed by an access barrier. The terrain at the entrance is slightly sloping, so winter sports enthusiasts can slowly ascend the conveyor belt. At the entrance there are no problems for skiers, snowboarders and also pedestrians despite the high speed. At the end of the conveyor belt is a sloping area, which has been covered with plastic mats. Since there is no ice or snow at the exit, but the winter sportsmen always find the same conditions, the exit from the 400m Moving Carpet is much easier. The user-friendly design of the exit minimizes shutdowns and further increases operational safety.