Information AboutIntamin Ag |
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Intamin AG is a designing and manufacturing company in Wollerau , Switzerland . It is best known for creating Thrill Ride s and Roller Coaster s worldwide. The U.S. division of the company is located in Glen Burnie, MD. This division is called IntaRide LLC, and is headed up by Sandor Kernacs. The Intamin brand name is an abbreviation of sorts for: '''INT'''ernational '''AM'''usement '''IN'''stallations. The company distributes approximately 5-7 roller coasters from their workshops in Switzerland and Glen Burnie each year. Intamin is a major player in the Amusement Park attractions industry, supplying some 22 different styles of rides to a variety of parks. Their first roller coaster installation was The Great American Revolution, a roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain in 1976. Since then they have installed a total of 70 coasters in several countries around the globe. They also designed and built the first "river rapids ride" known as "Thunder River" based off the idea supplied by Bill Crandall, a past General Manager at the now defunct Six Flags AstroWorld . Intamin also marketed the first Freefall (developed by Giovanola) experience and the first Drop Tower . PRODUCTS AND TECHNOLOGIES Intamin is well known for being innovative and creative with their rides. They were some of the first to create a magnetic propulsion system ( Linear Induction Motor s/Linear Synchronous Motors) and remain one of only a handful of manufacturers continuing to use such technology on roller coasters. Intamin also created the first Hydraulic launch system (also known as the "Accelerator" or "Rocket Coaster"), which is now being used to catapult roller coaster trains from 0 to speeds upwards of 120 Mph (193 Km/h ) in a few seconds before climbing up immense heights. Furius Baco at PortAventura was their latest achievement and is Europe's fastest coaster, launching riders from 0-135 km/h (83.9 mph) in 3.5 seconds. Intamin is also known for their massive "Mega" (Intamin's term for a hypercoaster; often considered over 200 ft/61 m) and "Giga" (over 300 ft/91 m)coasters. They have also created the "Strata Coaster" (Any coaster over 400 ft / 122 m tall). There are currently only two Strata Coasters in existence ( at Liseberg , Colossos at Heide Park , and El Toro at Six Flags Great Adventure which opened spring 2006. 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 super structure is completed. This design enables the coaster to reach speeds and navigate course elements smoothly not unlike a steel roller coaster while retaining the look and some of the traditional feel of common wooden coasters. Another recent roller coaster development by Intamin is the Ball Coaster, a type of Spinning Roller Coaster . It has individual cars, each with 8 seats, arranged in two pods coming of the sides of the car, each with 2 seats facing forwards and two facing backwards. This car is either lifted to the highest point by a conventional chain lift, or propelled around the course at a constant speed by Linear Motor system. Intamin is also responsible for a large number of other thrill rides. They have designed some of the largest Ferris Wheel s in the world, along with various types of Observation Tower s, and currently hold the record for the world's tallest and fastest freefall ride (The Giant Drop) at Dreamworld , Australia. They also supply Motion Simulator technology which can be seen in many installations around the world. Intamin is also credited with the invention of the river rapids ride, though the idea was given to Intamin by Bill Crandall, a past General Manager of AstroWorld. Outside the amusement realm, Intamin supplies Monorail Transportation System s which are used in both public transport networks and at tourist attractions across the world. Coasters See Connections with Bolliger & Mabillard The company is also known for being the original home to the famous (within the coaster world) Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M). The two engineers worked for Giovanola who in turn were frequently contracted by Intamin for their early stand-up roller coasters (Giovanola eventually started producing roller coasters independently). B&M broke away from Giovanola to form their own company which now supplies roller coasters as well. Similarities between the two companies are often obvious, such as the style of track used by B&M, which was used in a number of early Giovanola installations which were contracted by Intamin. SAFETY INCIDENTS See Also: Amusement park accidents Intamin has been in the news for a number of safety-related accidents or incidents.†
In 2004 an incident involving the Intamin lapbar system occurred within months of each other. The first on Hydro, an Intamin vertical river plunge at Oakwood Leisure Park (Narberth S.Wales) in which 16-year-old Hayley Williams fell approximately to her death. The peculiar incident is very similar to an earlier accident with another vertical plunge ride, Perilous Plunge. Hydro remained closed for the rest of the park's 2004 season before reopening 2005 with modifications that have seen the lapbar restraints replaced with "Over-the-Shoulder" restraints. The second incident of 2004 was on one of Intamin's mega coasters, Superman: Ride of Steel at the Six Flags New England park in Massachusetts . The ride, again with lapbar restraints, was dispatched with a sufferer of Cerebral Palsy in the front seat. According to an investigation {Link without Title} , the ride operators were primarily to blame for not ensuring the man was properly secured. Intamin was also partially blamed for the ride's safety system allowing the train to be dispatched without all the restraints properly secured as well as the victim himself for not notifying the operators of his condition. Intamin is now supplying rides with the more restricting OTSR (Over the Shoulder Restraints) as well as the traditional lapbars for added safety and to restrict the passenger's movements. In June 2007, a 13-year-old girl had both of her feet severed at the ankles on Superman: Tower of Power at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom . A ride malfunction caused a cable to snap and a cord to wrap around the girl's feet, amputating both of them. She was brought to the hospital in critical condition. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19370592/ :†Citations for all incidents listed above are available on the various ''Incidents'' pages listed at Amusement Park Accidents . In most cases, please see those pages for additional information. NOTABLE INTAMIN AG ROLLER COASTERS EXISTING INTAMIN ROLLER COASTERS An incomplete table of currently-standing Intamin coasters: REFERENCES SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
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