What Are The Non-metallic Materials Commonly Used In Amusement Parks Ride Equipment?
With the development of science and technology, the performance of many non-metallic materials has been greatly improved and can be used in the manufacture of amusement rides. The following are some of the more common materials.
Rubber
Rubber is a highly elastic polymer, and rubber is divided into natural rubber and synthetic rubber according to raw materials. Natural rubber is obtained by coagulating and drying the latex that flows out of the Hevea tree when it is tapped.
Synthetic rubber is produced by artificial synthesis, and different kinds of rubber can be synthesized by using different raw materials (monomers). Rubber is mainly used in the tires of racing cars, hoses in hydraulic and pneumatic systems, tapes, cables and some anti-collision buffer devices in electrical construction.
1) When using rubber materials, the weather resistance, corrosion resistance and the control of harmful substances should be fully considered, and the rubber parts should be replaced regularly according to the specific use conditions.
2) When the driving wheel and the supporting wheel are made of rubber, their mechanical properties should meet the requirements in Table 2-4. When using rubber inflatable wheels, the inflation pressure should be moderate.
Table 2-4 Mechanical properties of rubber materials
| Parameter | Norm | Parameter | Norm |
| Tensile strength/MPa | ≥12 | Adhesion strength of rubber to iron core /MPa | ≥1.30 |
| Elongation at break（%） | ≥400 | Shore hardness (recommended value) | 70-85 |
| Wear reduction/（cm³/1.61km) | ≤0.9 |
FRP material
The scientific name of FRP is glass fiber reinforced plastic. It is a composite material with glass fiber and its products (glass cloth, tape, felt, yarn, etc.) as the reinforcing material and synthetic resin as the matrix material.
In amusement park rides, FRP is mainly used for water amusement rides, cockpits and decorations, etc. The relevant FRP and FRP parts should meet the “Safety Technical Supervision Regulations for Amusement Facilities (Trial)” and “Safety Specifications for Amusement Facilities” (GB 8408-2008). ) related requirements.
1) The surface of FRP should be smooth without cracks and uniform in color tone. The glass fiber reinforced plastic for water slides should meet the following requirements: the resin should have good water resistance and good anti-aging properties; the glass fiber should be made of alkali-free glass fiber, and the fiber surface must have good wettability; the thickness should not be less than 6mm, and the flange thickness should be Should not be less than 9mm.
2) The inner surface of the water slide slide is not allowed to have defects such as small holes, wrinkles, air bubbles, poor curing, poor impregnation, cracks, defects, etc.; Defects such as delamination and burrs; observed with the naked eye at a distance of 600mm, defects such as repair marks, scars, uneven color, cloth texture, unevenness, and collection cannot be clearly seen.
3) The requirements that FRP parts should meet: no defects such as poor impregnation, poor curing, air bubbles, delamination of the cutting surface, and uneven thickness are allowed; the surface is not allowed to have cracks, damage, obvious repair marks, exposed cloth lines, wrinkles, convex and concave For defects such as unevenness and inconsistency in color tone, the transition at the corners should be smooth without burrs; the FRP parts should have sufficient strength when directly connected to the force-bearing parts, otherwise the metal parts should be embedded; the mechanical properties of the FRP parts should be in accordance with Table 2-5 Provisions.
Table 2-5 Mechanical properties of FRP parts
| Parameter | Norm | Parameter | Norm |
| Tensile strength/MPa | ≥78 | Elastic modulus/MPa | ≥7.3×10³ |
| Flexural strength/MPa | ≥147 | Impact toughness/（J/cm） | ≥11.7 |
Nylon material
Polyamide, commonly known as nylon, English name Polyamide (PA), is a general term for thermoplastic resins containing repeating amide groups “-[NHCO]-one” on the main chain of the molecule. It is a tough angular translucent or milky white crystalline resin.
Nylon has high mechanical strength, high softening point, heat resistance, low friction coefficient, wear resistance, self-lubrication, good vibration absorption and noise reduction, oil resistance, weak acid resistance, alkali resistance, good electrical insulation, and self- It has the advantages of quenching, non-toxic, odorless, good weather resistance and poor dyeability.
The disadvantage is that the water absorption is large, which affects the dimensional stability and electrical properties. Nylon has good affinity with glass fiber, and the combination of glass fiber and nylon can reduce the water absorption rate of resin, increase the strength, and make it work under high temperature and high humidity conditions.
The nylon materials used in amusement family rides mainly include: safety belts woven with nylon materials, safety nets and wheels and bushings made of nylon rods, and their mechanical properties should meet the requirements of Table 2-6.
Table 2-6 Mechanical properties of nylon materials
| Parameter | Norm | Parameter | Norm |
| Tensile strength/MPa | >73.6 | Hardness HBW | >21 |
| Flexural strength/MPa | >138 | Heat distortion temperature/℃ | >70 |
| Impact toughness/（J/cm²） | >39.2 |
Polyurethane material
Polyurethane is a new type of organic polymer material, known as the “fifth largest plastic”, and is widely used in various fields of the national economy due to its excellent performance. Polyurethane is a very special polymer.
It consists of a hard segment and a soft segment. The glass transition temperature of the hard segment is very low and has the characteristics of plastic; the glass transition temperature of the soft segment is much higher than room temperature and has the characteristics of rubber.
During the synthesis of polyurethane, by controlling the polymerization reaction, the ratio of the hard segment and the soft segment of the polymer can be adjusted, so that the polyurethane behaves as a plastic or rubber.
When polyurethane materials are used in amusement equipment, their mechanical properties shall meet the requirements of Table 2-7.
| Shore hardness | 300% Tensile strength/MPa | Breaking strength/MPa | Elongation at break（%） | Permanent deformation（%） | Peel strength/(N/m) |
| 80±5 | ≥10 | ≥35 | ≥450 | ≤15 | 40 × 10³ |
| 90±5 | ≥12 | ≥40 | ≥450 | ≤20 | 50 × 10³ |
| ≥95 | ≥14 | ≥45 | ≥400 | ≤30 | 60 × 10³ |
Hardwood material
In amusement rides, hardwood is primarily used as a floor and seating material, but it is also often used as a structural component for larger roller coasters.
Both the “Regulations on the Safety Technology of Amusement Facilities (Trial)” and the “Safety Specifications for Amusement Facilities” (GB8408-2008) require that when wood is used in amusement equipment, hardwoods with high strength and not easy to crack should be selected, and the moisture content of the wood should be less than 18 %, and must be treated with flame retardant and anti-corrosion.
Plastic
Plastics are materials with plastic behavior. The so-called plasticity refers to the deformation that occurs when the external force is applied, and the state before the force can still be maintained after the external force is cancelled.
The elastic modulus of plastic is between rubber and fiber, and it can deform to a certain extent under force. Soft plastics are close to rubber and hard plastics are close to fibers. Plastic is a kind of polymer compound that can freely change the shape and style, which is polymerized by using monomer raw materials through synthesis or condensation reaction.
It is composed of synthetic resin and additives such as fillers, plasticizers, stabilizers, lubricants, pigments, etc. The main component is synthetic resin. According to the characteristics of plastics, plastics are usually divided into three types: general plastics, engineering plastics and special plastics. Engineering plastics are mainly used in amusement rides, which are mainly used for buttons, switches, instruments, etc.
