After 30 years of operation, the 4-seater chairlift in the Speikboden ski resort in South Tyrol has been replaced by the new CD8C "Seenock". Equipped with LEITNER DirectDrive, premium chairs with artificial leather covers, weather bubbles and seat heating, the new installation utilizes the existing route. The overall look is rounded off by the station design by Italian design studio Pininfarina. With a journey time of just four minutes, the new chairlift transports 3,400 people per hour and provides convenient access to the varied slopes of the family-friendly ski area. The almost eight-kilometers-long valley run, which has one of the greatest differences in altitude in South Tyrol at 1,450 meters, is a real highlight.
"This chairlift serves the most beautiful sunny slopes in the area, so we want to offer our customers a new, modern and contemporary installation"
- Martin Unterweger, Managing Director Bergbahnen Speikboden
Martin Unterweger explains why a new chairlift at Seenock makes sense:
"As the main lift in the ski area, it completes one million trips per year. After 30 years, the old lift has brought a lot of skiers onto the slopes and an upgrade was due.
The sometimes very long waiting times at the old installation, especially during the holidays, will be significantly reduced with the new 8-seater chairlift.
The slalom course, snow park and speed course can be reached from the Seenock lift. Thanks to the modernization, the number of supports has also been reduced, offering even more fun."
Günter Tschinkel, Head of Electrical Engineering at LEITNER, explains the LEITNER Direct Drive:
"With our DirectDrive, the motor is flange-mounted right onto the sheave, without a gearbox between them, and is therefore much more efficient than a geared motor, where up to 5% efficiency is lost. The interaction between DirectDrive and the LeitDrive system, which compensates for the lack of flywheel mass, is also important.
LeitDrive, the frequency converter developed in-house, has been in use for 10 years and is the perfect complement to our DirectDrive. Thanks to the in-house expertise, a better service can be guaranteed and should a component fail, this will be compensated by the rest of the system or only the affected part can be replaced."
During the ride, Martin Unterweger explains the chair equipment they have chosen:
"The chairs on the Seenock ropeway are equipped with the premium chairs for the greatest ride comfort. The elegant design with imitation leather is rounded off by the integrated seat heating and the weather bubble.
For maximum passenger safety and to prevent children in particular from slipping out of the chair, safety bars with a footrest in the center between the legs have been fitted to the chairs. In addition, the safety bars are lowered slightly when boarding so that they are easier to reach. The lifting table in the station also makes it easier and safer for children to board, as it can be raised and lowered."
In the control room, Günter Tschinkel explains how the LeitControl system works:
"The LeitControl system enables good control and monitoring of the installation through good visualization. Usability was one of the key points in the development of the system.
The user interface is divided into three levels, with the first level providing a general overview with the most important information such as speed or torque.
In the two lower levels, the level of detail increases in each case and the focus is on a smaller sub-area of the system. For example, individual motor elements can be displayed or maintenance functions can be activated."
Text
