The playground is a dreamland for children to seek joy and excitement. However, behind this joy, there is an easily overlooked problem - when should the old playground equipment be updated or replaced? This is not a simple decision, it involves many aspects such as visitor safety, play experience, and operating costs. The following will introduce you to several situations where playground equipment needs to be updated or replaced, let's take a look!
1.The use time of playground equipment
Generally speaking, the service life of large-scale amusement facilities may be around 10 to 20 years. Daily inspection, cleaning, lubrication, etc. can keep the facilities in good operating condition, reduce failures and damage, and extend their safe use period. In terms of material selection for amusement facilities, metal equipment usually has a longer service life than wood or plastic, which wears out faster. At the same time, the update of industry technical standards will also affect the service life of amusement park facilities. When new safety and quality standards are introduced, some old facilities may need to be renovated or replaced because they cannot meet the requirements. Secondly, if you encounter harsh natural environments, such as high temperature, high humidity, strong winds, heavy rains, earthquakes, etc., it will also accelerate the aging and damage of amusement facilities. In severe cases, large-scale repairs or reconstructions are required, which will affect the normal operation of the amusement park and the use time of the facilities.
2.Playground Maintenance
Inspect for Damage
Amusement equipment has a complex structure and contains many parts and systems, so the inspection must cover all aspects. Minor damage to parts may gradually expand during the operation of the equipment, causing serious failures, so the inspection needs to be extremely detailed and not miss any clues. Different types of amusement equipment have different vulnerable parts and common failure modes, and the inspection needs to be targeted. For example, the track connection and wheel wear of the roller coaster. At the same time, inspections need to be carried out regularly, such as routine inspections before the park opens every day, comprehensive inspections every week or month, and in-depth inspections every year. Through these periodic inspections, it is possible to promptly discover the gradual damage of the equipment during operation, and to carry out repairs and maintenance in a timely manner, thereby avoiding the accumulation of failures leading to serious accidents.
Ensure Level Surfaces
A stable ground is the basis for ensuring the smooth progress of maintenance work. Grounds of different materials have different characteristics during the maintenance process. For example, concrete ground is strong and durable, suitable for parking large maintenance vehicles and placing heavy maintenance equipment. However, some special ground materials, such as wooden plank roads or rubber ground, although they have good elasticity and anti-slip properties, may face some problems during the maintenance process. Wooden ground is easily damaged by waterlogging, insect infestation, etc. Rubber ground may be scratched by sharp maintenance tools. At the same time, good ground drainage performance is essential for protecting amusement facilities. In the rainy season or when cleaning equipment, if the ground drainage is smooth, the accumulated water can be drained away in time, while the ground with poor drainage is prone to accumulated water. Long-term accumulated water will accelerate the damage of the equipment and increase the maintenance time and maintenance cost of maintenance personnel.
Regular cleaning
Cleaning the amusement facilities in time can prevent dust and debris from entering the equipment, accelerate the wear of mechanical parts, or cause circuit short circuits, which in turn cause malfunctions, and ensure the safe operation of the facilities. At the same time, public amusement facilities are used by many people and are easily contaminated with bacteria and viruses. Regular disinfection and cleaning can reduce the risk of disease transmission and protect the health of tourists. For example, cleaning and disinfecting the handles, seats and other parts of the carousel can provide tourists with a clean and hygienic playing environment. A clean and hygienic amusement park will definitely retain the hearts of tourists who come to play and gain their trust!
3.When to Update or Replace Playground Equipment
The renewal or replacement of amusement park equipment needs to be considered comprehensively from many aspects. The following are some common judgment bases:
Equipment aging and damage degree
When the key components of the equipment are severely worn, deformed, cracked, etc., even after multiple repairs, they still frequently fail, affecting the normal operation and safety of the equipment. At this time, it is necessary to consider replacing the equipment. For example, if the track of a roller coaster is severely worn in many places, it may cause the roller coaster to run unstably and there is a risk of derailment. The track or even the entire equipment should be replaced in time.
Changes in safety standards
With the development of the industry and technological progress, the safety standards of amusement facilities will continue to be updated and improved. If the existing equipment does not meet the requirements of the new safety standards and it is difficult to achieve them through transformation, then the equipment needs to be updated to ensure the safety of tourists.
Updating of amusement facilities
When more advanced, more interesting and more attractive new amusement equipment technologies appear on the market, in order to enhance the competitiveness and attractiveness of the amusement park, more advanced equipment may be selected to attract tourists. For example, virtual reality (VR) technology is increasingly used in amusement facilities, and some amusement parks will upgrade traditional amusement projects to equipment with VR technology.
The needs of mothers in amusement parks
The needs and preferences of the target customer groups of amusement parks will change over time. If the existing amusement equipment cannot meet the increasingly diverse and personalized needs of tourists, it needs to be updated or replaced. For example, add parent-child interactive amusement facilities suitable for children, or provide more challenging and stimulating amusement projects for young people.
Cost-benefit analysis
When the maintenance cost of equipment gradually increases and exceeds the cost of updating or replacing equipment, it may be more cost-effective to update the equipment from an economic point of view. For example, an old amusement equipment frequently breaks down, and each repair costs a lot of money and time, and the operating effect after repair is still not ideal. At this time, replacing the new equipment may be a better choice.
4.Reasons to Update Your Outdoor Playground
Outdoor playground equipment is exposed to the natural environment for a long time and is susceptible to wind, sun, rain, snow and frost, which accelerates the aging of the equipment. With the development of safety technology and the continuous updating of safety standards, old equipment may no longer meet the current safety regulations. Updating equipment can ensure that the playground follows the latest safety standards and provide reliable safety protection for tourists. At the same time, the amusement industry is constantly innovating, and new design concepts, manufacturing technologies and materials are constantly emerging. Updating equipment can enable outdoor playgrounds to keep up with the pace of industry development, use new technologies to improve the performance, reliability and fun of amusement facilities, and make tourists truly satisfied.
5.What happens to old playground equipment?
When dealing with old amusement equipment, you can hold a flea market inside or near the playground to display and sell the old amusement equipment. This way, you can increase the exposure of the equipment and attract more potential buyers. You can also organize an on-site auction and invite a professional auctioneer to host it. Through public bidding, you can quickly sell the equipment and possibly get a better price. You can also look for companies that specialize in recycling and processing amusement equipment. They have professional equipment and technicians. These companies will classify and disassemble the equipment according to its material and type, recycle the recyclable materials, and treat the non-recyclable parts in an environmentally friendly manner to ensure that the entire processing process complies with relevant laws and regulations and environmental protection requirements.
In summary, updating playground equipment is a decision based on a variety of factors, including safety, age, functionality, and changing trends. It is critical to regularly evaluate the condition of the equipment and pay attention to the needs and expectations of your visitors. We are a complete playground solutions manufacturer that can meet all your playground needs, from design and installation to maintenance and upgrades.
