Intamin

Last updated
Intamin
Industry Manufacturing
Founded1967 [1]
Founder
  • Robert Spieldiener
  • Reinhold Spieldiener
  • Alfons Saiko
Headquarters
Schaan
,
Liechtenstein
Number of locations
8
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Patrick Spieldiener (CEO)
Products
Amusement rides
Divisions
    • Intamin Amusement Rides
    • Intamin Transportation
Subsidiaries
    • ABC Engineering AG
    • ABC Rides
Website www.intamin.com OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure, was the world's tallest rollercoaster for 19 years Kingda Ka tower.jpg
Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure, was the world's tallest rollercoaster for 19 years

Intamin Amusement Rides is a design and manufacturing company in Schaan, Liechtenstein, best-known for designing and constructing thrill rides and roller coasters at dozens of international theme parks, amusement parks and other establishments. The Intamin brand name is a syllabic abbreviation for "international amusement installations". The company has corporate offices across the world, including three in Europe, three in Asia, and two in the United States.

Contents

Products and technologies

Intamin's product range spans two broad categories: rides and transportation.

Amusement rides

Roaring Rapids river ride at Six Flags Over Texas (2007) SixFlagsWaterRide-3943.jpg
Roaring Rapids river ride at Six Flags Over Texas (2007)

Roller coasters

Intamin created the first hydraulic launch system (known as the Accelerator Coaster), which catapults roller coaster trains from standstill to speeds upwards of 240 kilometres per hour (150 mph) in a few seconds before climbing to immense heights. Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure, for instance, was North America's tallest and fastest coaster, launching riders from 0–128 mph (206 km/h) in 3.5 seconds. [2]

Intamin uses computerized and industrialized engineering and manufacturing methods for its wooden coasters, rather than traditional on-site fabrication. [3] Coasters such as Colossos at Heide Park, Balder at Liseberg and El Toro at Six Flags Great Adventure utilized this manufacturing technique. Unlike other traditional wood coasters, these rides use prefabricated track sections made of a high-strength wooden laminate that can be secured on-site when the superstructure is completed. This design enables the coaster to reach speeds and navigate course elements smoothly, like a steel roller coaster, while retaining the look and some of the traditional feel of common wooden coasters. [3]

Ferris wheels

Giant Wheel, a double wheel at Hersheypark Giant Wheel.jpg
Giant Wheel, a double wheel at Hersheypark
Sky Whirl, a triple wheel at Six Flags Great America Sky Whirl 2.jpg
Sky Whirl, a triple wheel at Six Flags Great America
Incredicoaster, a Custom Intamin Looper at Disney California Adventure California Screamin' Launch.JPG
Incredicoaster, a Custom Intamin Looper at Disney California Adventure

Intamin brokered a number of rides that were manufactured by Waagner-Biro. These included a series of rides for Marriott Corporation, each comprising a vertical column supporting multiple horizontal arms, with each arm supporting a Ferris wheel. The first was Giant Wheel which operated at Hersheypark in Hershey, Pennsylvania, from 1973 until 2004. Similar Intamin supplied Waagner-Biro wheels included Zodiac (Kings Island, Mason, Ohio) and Scorpion (Parque de la Ciudad, Buenos Aires, Argentina). All are now defunct.

Sky Whirl, the world's first triple Ferris wheel, which debuted at both Marriott's Great America parks (now Six Flags Great America, Gurnee, Illinois, and California's Great America, Santa Clara) in 1976, was also manufactured by Waagner-Biro and brokered by Intamin. Also known as a triple Ferris wheel, [4] Triple Giant Wheel, [5] or Triple Tree Wheel, it was 33 metres (108 ft) in height. [6] The Santa Clara ride, renamed Triple Wheel in post-Marriott years, closed on 1 September 1997. The Gurnee ride closed in 2000. [7]

The Orlando Eye, which opened in April 2015, was designed and built by Intamin. [8]

Transportation

Outside the amusement realm, Intamin supplies monorail transportation systems which are used in both public transport networks and at tourist attractions across the world. Intamin was responsible for the design and building of the Moscow Monorail (Russian : Московская Монорельсовая Транспортная Система (ММТС)), which is 4.7 kilometres (2.9 mi) long and is located in the North-Eastern Administrative Okrug of Moscow, Russia, running from the Timiryazevskaya metro station to Sergeya Eisensteina street. Planning of the monorail started in 1998. It has six stations.

In 2016, two monorails using Intamin equipment were opened: the 5.2 kilometres (3.2 mi) Ashgabat Monorail in Turkmenistan [9] ; and the 1.1 kilometres (0.68 mi) Calabar Monorail in the Cross River State, Nigeria, which connects the Calabar International Convention Centre to the Tinapa Resort. [10]

In 2020, the Marconi Express Monorail opened as a shuttle between the Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport and the Bologna Centrale railway station.

Intamin has also constructed monorails at amusement parks in Xi'an and Ningbo in China, and the Asia Park Monorail in Da Nang in Vietnam. [11]

Notable Intamin rides

Incidents

Intamin has been in the news for a number of safety-related incidents.

Notes

  1. ↑ A giga coaster is any roller coaster with a height of at least 300 feet (91 m), but less than 400 feet (122 m).
  2. ↑ A strata coaster is any roller coaster with a height of at least 400 feet (122 m), but less than 500 feet (152 m).
  3. ↑ An exa coaster, while a relatively new term, is any roller coaster with a height of at least 600 feet (183 m).

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roller coaster</span> Rail-based amusement park ride

A roller coaster is a type of amusement ride employing a form of elevated railroad track that carries passengers on a train through tight turns, steep slopes, and other elements usually designed to produce a thrilling experience. Trains consist of open cars connected in a single line, and the rides are often found in theme parks around the world. Roller coasters first appeared in the 17th century, and LaMarcus Adna Thompson obtained one of the first known patents for a roller coaster design in 1885, based on the Switchback Railway which opened a year earlier at Coney Island.

Cedar Point is a 364-acre (147 ha) amusement park located on a Lake Erie peninsula in Sandusky, Ohio, United States, owned and operated by Six Flags. It opened in 1870 and is considered the second-oldest operating amusement park in the US behind Lake Compounce. Prior to the merger with Six Flags in 2024, Cedar Point served as the "flagship park" of the Cedar Fair amusement park chain and hosted the corporate headquarters. Known as "America's Roller Coast", the park features 17 roller coasters, which ranks third among amusement parks in North America behind sister parks Canada's Wonderland (18) and Six Flags Magic Mountain (20).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inverted roller coaster</span> Type of roller coaster

An inverted roller coaster is a type of steel roller coaster in which the train runs under the track with the seats directly attached to the wheel carriage. Riders are seated in open cars, letting their feet swing freely. The inverted coaster was pioneered by Swiss roller coaster manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard in the early 1990s with the development of Batman: The Ride, which opened at Six Flags Great America on May 9, 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stand-up roller coaster</span> Type of roller coaster

A stand-up roller coaster is a roller coaster where passengers aboard a train stand throughout the course of the ride. The first manufacturer to employ the format was TOGO, a Japanese company that converted two traditional roller coasters in 1982 to stand-up configurations. Arrow Dynamics followed suit in the United States the following year with their own conversion. The first roller coaster designed from the ground up as a stand-up coaster was King Cobra, built by TOGO, which opened at Kings Island in 1984. Intamin and Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M) have also designed stand-up models beginning in the 1990s, with the latest opening in 2023 as Pipeline: The Surf Coaster in SeaWorld Orlando, which was the first stand up roller coaster built since 1999's Georgia Scorcher at Six Flags Over Georgia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Top Thrill 2</span> Launched roller coaster at Cedar Point

Top Thrill 2 is a launched roller coaster located at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, United States. The ride originally opened as Top Thrill Dragster in 2003, becoming the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world, as well as the first ever strata coaster. Designed by Werner Stengel, the Intamin accelerator coaster debuted with a height of 420 feet (130 m), and could accelerate from 0 to 120 mph (190 km/h) in 3.8 seconds. It was themed to Top Fuel drag racing, with the launch track designed to resemble a dragstrip. The ride consistently ranked as one of the world's top steel coasters in Amusement Today's annual Golden Ticket Awards publication. Top Thrill Dragster's records were surpassed in 2005 by Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure, though that ride's closure in 2024 may allow Top Thrill 2 to briefly reclaim the height record.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingda Ka</span> Roller coaster in Jackson, New Jersey, USA

Kingda Ka is a retired hydraulically launched steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey, United States. Manufactured by Intamin and designed by Werner Stengel, Kingda Ka opened as the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world on May 21, 2005, surpassing Top Thrill Dragster. It was the second strata coaster ever built, exceeding 400 feet (120 m) in height. Both were made with similar designs, although Kingda Ka's layout added an airtime hill on the return portion of the track.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bolliger & Mabillard</span> Swiss roller coaster manufacturer

Bolliger & Mabillard, officially Bolliger & Mabillard Consulting Engineers, Inc. and often abbreviated B&M, is a roller coaster design consultancy based in Monthey, Switzerland. The company was founded in 1988 by engineers Walter Bolliger and Claude Mabillard, both of whom had worked for Giovanola.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Launched roller coaster</span> Modern form of roller coaster

The launched roller coaster is a type of roller coaster that initiates a ride with high amounts of acceleration via one or a series of linear induction motors (LIM), linear synchronous motors (LSM), catapults, tires, chains, or other mechanisms employing hydraulic or pneumatic power, along a launch track. This mode of acceleration powers many of the fastest roller coasters in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Millennium Force</span> Steel roller coaster at Cedar Point

Millennium Force is a steel roller coaster located at Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio, United States. Manufactured by Intamin, it was the park's fourteenth roller coaster when it opened in 2000, dating back to the opening of Blue Streak in 1964. Upon completion, Millennium Force broke five world records and was the world's first giga coaster, a term coined by Intamin and Cedar Point to represent a roller coaster that exceeds 300 feet (91 m) in height. It was briefly the tallest and fastest in the world until Steel Dragon 2000 opened later the same year. The ride is also the third-longest roller coaster in North America following The Beast at Kings Island and Fury 325 at Carowinds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sky Whirl</span> Defunct amusement rides

Sky Whirl was the name of two amusement rides which featured triple Ferris wheels. Both debuted in 1976 at the California's Great America and Six Flags Great America amusement parks. The ride in Santa Clara closed in 1997, and the ride in Gurnee closed in 2000. Two additional triple Ferris wheels were later built for the Seibu-en and Lotte World parks in Japan and South Korea (1989–97), respectively. All four rides were manufactured by Waagner-Biro and brokered by Intamin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hypercoaster</span> Height class for roller coasters

A hypercoaster is a roller coaster with a height or drop measuring at least 200 feet (61 m). The term was first coined by Arrow Dynamics and Cedar Point in 1989 with the opening of the world's first hypercoaster, Magnum XL-200, which features a height of 205 feet. The next hypercoaster, Pepsi Max Big One, opened five years later at Blackpool Pleasure Beach featuring a height of 213 feet (65 m).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Superman: Escape from Krypton</span> Shuttle roller coaster at Magic Mountain

Superman: Escape from Krypton, originally known as Superman: The Escape, is a steel shuttle roller coaster located at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California. At the time of its opening in 1997, it was the tallest roller coaster in the world, a title which it lost to Top Thrill Dragster in 2003 and regained in 2024 with the closure of the then-tallest coaster, Kingda Ka. Its maximum speed of 100 mph (160 km/h) was tied for the fastest with Tower of Terror II, a similar roller coaster which opened two months earlier at Dreamworld in Australia. Both were the first to utilize Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM) launch technology to propel vehicles, although the intended opening date in 1996 at Magic Mountain was postponed due to issues with the launch system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rollback (roller coaster)</span> Instances where launched roller coasters do not reach intended points

A rollback occurs on a launched roller coaster when the train is not launched fast enough to reach the top of the tower or hill. It will roll backwards down the tower, and will be stopped by brakes on the launch track. Any roller coaster on which it is possible for a rollback to occur will have these brakes. Intamin, a manufacturer of roller-coasters, refers to the "rollback" as a "short shot".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dominator (roller coaster)</span> Floorless roller coaster

Dominator is a floorless roller coaster located at Kings Dominion amusement park in Doswell, Virginia. Built by Bolliger & Mabillard, it originally opened in 2000 as Batman: Knight Flight at Six Flags Ohio, in Aurora, Ohio. It was given its current name when Cedar Fair purchased the Ohio park in 2004. However, following Six Flags Ohio ’s eventual permanent closure in 2007, the coaster was relocated to Kings Dominion, where it reopened on May 24, 2008. Dominator is located fairly close to the park’s main entry plaza, in the area known as International Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xcelerator</span> Roller coaster at Knotts Berry Farm

Xcelerator is a steel launched roller coaster located at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California, United States. Manufactured by Intamin and designed by Werner Stengel, it opened in 2002 as the company's first hydraulically-launched coaster and cost $13 million to construct. Following the early demise of Windjammer Surf Racers, a dueling roller coaster that briefly operated from 1997 to 2000, Xcelerator was soon announced as its replacement. It launches to a maximum speed of 82 mph (132 km/h) in 2.3 seconds and reaches a height of 205 feet (62 m), and has a short twister section that leads into the Brake run.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Accelerator Coaster</span> Roller coaster model by Intamin

An Accelerator Coaster is a hydraulically launched roller coaster model from Intamin. The model usually consists of a long, straight launch track, a top hat tower element, and magnetic brakes that smoothly stop the train without making contact. The technology was developed by Intamin engineers as an alternative to electromagnetic launch systems, such as the linear induction motor (LIM) and linear synchronous motor (LSM), that are found on earlier launched roller coasters like the Flight of Fear and The Joker's Jinx. Unlike the earlier linear induction motors, the Accelerator Coaster's launch system exhibits constant acceleration and is capable of reaching greater speeds.

The following article is a summary of notable incidents at the amusement parks and water parks that are operated by Six Flags Entertainment Corporation. In some cases, these incidents occurred while the park was under different management or ownership, such as legacy Cedar Fair parks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Superman The Ride</span> Steel roller coaster

Superman The Ride is a steel roller coaster at Six Flags New England in Agawam, Massachusetts. Built by Liechtensteiner manufacturer Intamin, the hypercoaster opened to the public as Superman – Ride of Steel in 2000. It features a 208-foot (63 m) lift hill, a 221-foot (67 m) drop, and a maximum speed of 77 mph (124 km/h). In 2009, the park changed the name to Bizarro, named after a DC Comics character portrayed as the antithesis of Superman. In accordance with the theme change, the coaster's track and supports were repainted with a purple and dark blue color scheme, and other special effects were added. In 2016, the Six Flags reverted to the original theme, but instead of restoring the name, it was changed to Superman The Ride. A virtual reality feature was added the same year, which created an optional 3D experience for passengers, but was removed prior to the 2017 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pantherian</span> Steel roller coaster at Kings Dominion

Pantherian is a steel roller coaster located at Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia, United States. The ride was manufactured by Intamin and opened to the public on April 2, 2010. Originally themed to racing, the coaster was originally named after the late NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt, who was commonly known as "The Intimidator". It is located in the Jungle X-Pedition section of the park near Anaconda on the former site of the Safari Monorail ride. Standing at 305 feet (93 m) tall and reaching speeds up to 90 mph (145 km/h), it is the second giga coaster to be built in North America, following Millennium Force at Cedar Point. The $25-million investment was the most expensive of any ride in park history and the 14th coaster to debut at the park.

References

  1. ↑ "Our History | Intamin | Rollercoaster Supplier & Amusement Ride Manufacturer". Archived from the original on 2019-05-13. Retrieved 2017-06-12.
  2. ↑ "World Records". Intamin Amusement Rides. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  3. 1 2 Pan, Phil (2003). "Colossos: Can a coaster be too good for itself". RollerCoaster! Magazine. Vol. 24, no. 3. Mission, Kansas: American Coaster Enthusiasts. p. 24. ISSN   0896-7261.
  4. ↑ Need Six Flags Great America Tickets? Archived 2015-10-17 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ↑ "Theme Park Timelines". Archived from the original on 2015-01-18.
  6. ↑ Zoning Board Minutes - 10-25-00 Archived March 12, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  7. ↑ "SKY WHIRL at Marriott's GREAT AMERICA parks". 24 March 2018.
  8. ↑ 360: Construction continues on the Orlando Eye Archived 2014-05-27 at archive.today
  9. ↑ "- YouTube". YouTube .
  10. ↑ "Buhari to inaugurate multi-billion Naira Calabar monorail". Vanguard. 20 August 2016. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  11. ↑ "First-ever elevated monorail launched in Da Nang". vietnam.net. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  12. ↑ "EVOLUTION OF CALIFORNIA'S AMUSEMENT RIDES SAFETY LAWS". California Research Bureau, California State Library. 1997-08-01. Retrieved 2006-12-21.
  13. ↑ "DESPITE RECENT DEATHS, PARKS SAY RIDES ARE SAFE". Deseret News. 1991-08-06. Archived from the original on October 23, 2012. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
  14. ↑ "Ride-Related Fatalities" (PDF). Emerson Associates. 2006-10-03. Retrieved June 3, 2011.
  15. ↑ "Theme-park patron ejected from roller coaster". 2004-03-12. Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-10-15.
  16. ↑ "Thrill ride lawsuits". Courier-Journal. 23 June 2007. Retrieved 4 November 2011.
  17. ↑ "Drop Zone death: no charges, no explanation". RideAccidents.com. 5 November 1999. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
  18. ↑ "Ergonomics and a Deadly Ride on the "Perilous Plunge"". 2001-11-06. Archived from the original on 2002-03-08. Retrieved 2007-04-05.
  19. ↑ "Girl dies in 100ft rollercoaster fall". BBC Wales News. 2004-04-16. Retrieved 2007-08-29.
  20. ↑ "Family unhappy after ride inquest". BBC Wales News. 2006-05-19. Retrieved 2007-08-29.
  21. ↑ "Coaster riders question safety steps".
  22. ↑ "Riders Injured on Top Thrill Dragster". WTOL-TV. July 13, 2004. Archived from the original on December 25, 2007. Retrieved July 31, 2006.
  23. ↑ admin (2008-04-14). "Deposition: Maintenance Guide Ignored on Ride that Injured Kentucky Teen". Insurance Journal. Retrieved 2023-05-08.
  24. ↑ "Teen's feet severed while on thrill ride - US news - Life - NBC News". NBC News. 22 June 2007.
  25. ↑ Gordon Gibb (14 March 2011). "Aftermath of a Horrific Amusement Park Accident". lawyersandsettlements.com. Retrieved 24 December 2012.
  26. ↑ Scott Weber (2009-09-18). "Caught on Tape: Coaster Attacks Two at Knott's Berry Farm". NBC Los Angeles. Retrieved 2009-09-18.[ dead link ]
  27. ↑ Bild.de (29 April 2010). "FULL STEAM OUT OF THE TRACK POPPED: AGONY IN THE ROLLER COASTER".[ permanent dead link ]
  28. ↑ "Iraq War vet dies on Darien Lake Rollercoaster". 9WSYR.com. 2011-07-08. Archived from the original on 2012-07-16. Retrieved 2011-07-09.
  29. ↑ "Adolescente morre após acidente em parque de diversões no interior de SP". 24 February 2012. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  30. ↑ "Rita Launch Cable Snaps -> COASTER-net.com: Amusement Park and Roller Coaster News, Information, Photographs, & more!". Archived from the original on 2012-07-31.
  31. ↑ Kara Sutyak (July 19, 2013). "Person Released From Hospital After Cedar Point Ride Malfunction". fox8.com. Local TV, LLC. Retrieved July 20, 2013.
  32. ↑ Gerard Couzens (8 July 2014). "Teenager killed after being thrown from roller-coaster called Hell at Benidorm theme park". mirror.
  33. ↑ "Girl, 11, dies after Drayton Manor theme park fall". BBC.
  34. ↑ "Parents speak out after 11-year-old son killed at amusement park: 'It is a nightmare'". www.msn.com. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  35. ↑ Thompson, Spencer (2021-07-21). "Lack of Maintenance and Disregard for Industry-Recommended Safety Procedures May Have Contributed…". Medium. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
  36. ↑ "Guest struck by metal piece that fell off roller coaster at Cedar Point". Akron Beacon Journal. Retrieved 2023-05-08.
  37. ↑ "Cedar Point permanently closing Top Thrill Dragster, world's second-tallest roller coaster". www.cbsnews.com. 6 September 2022. Retrieved 2023-05-08.
  38. ↑ "Attraction Objectif Mars prend feu et blesse deux femmes". twitter (in French). Retrieved 2023-05-23.
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