Aerial Attractions is a company that delivers profitable, turnkey attractions worldwide and its core business is to create, design, and manufacture standalone ropes courses. Direct tension indicators (DTIs) are necessary to construct their courses. While most DTIs can get the job done, Applied Bolting’s Squirter® DTIs have unique features that allow for both increased efficiency and reliability. Once Aerial Attractions learned about this innovative product, they were interested in trying it out for themselves.
The Story of Aerial Attractions
The company’s core offerings include ropes courses, air parks, canopy bridges, and ziplines. They have over 150 individual elements to choose from when creating each custom-designed adventure park. The way they combine obstacles and climbs makes for both a physical and mental challenge. However, their wide range of options allows them to tailor parks to any age or skill level. The possibilities are endless!
It’s not surprising that the company has seen so much success because it was built on a foundation of a passion for climbing. The people at Aerial Attractions love what they do, and they make sure to do it properly. They even have one of their own parks at their headquarters in Squamish, British Columbia. As manufacturers, having access to use one of their own products gives them the best possible insights into durability, profitability, and of course, how fun they are.
Their work extends far beyond Canada though. The Aerial Attractions team in Germany does most of the designing, but that’s just the beginning of the process. Aerial Attractions engineers all their products. Much of the production work is done in Spain. From there they send teams all around the world to deliver and install parks for all kinds of different customers. Afterward, they even follow up with training and inspection services. They are truly a global, full-service company.
Aerial Attractions is known as the amusement industry’s most experienced complex steel structure builders. They may not be working on practical infrastructure projects, but they still have a real need to assemble their structures correctly, efficiently, and safely. That’s why it’s crucial that every piece of the puzzle, so to speak, is a reliable, high-quality option, such as Applied Bolting’s Squirter® DTIs.
The Opportunity to Make Installation Faster and Usage Safer
Although Aerial Attraction’s core offerings rely on structural steel, they are a far cry from the average, everyday jobs Squirter® DTIs are typically used on. Despite that, there are multiple reasons why this Applied Bolting product unleashed untapped potential for them. First, because Aerial Attractions installs their own parks, using an efficient method to do so saves them time, and therefore, money. Secondly, their parks are engineered to meet the highest safety level and the company is publicly committed to providing experiences that make participants feel confident in that. Therefore, it’s important for inspectors to be able to see that every fastening is tight. Finally, Aerial Attractions ensures that all their structures are reliable and durable so that they can be in use for a long time and turn a good profit for each customer. Squirter® DTIs presented Aerial Attractions with the opportunity to make the process of creating sound structures that can be continuously inspected over time more efficient.
How & Why Aerial Attractions Uses Squirter® DTIs
When Aerial Attractions realized that using Squirter® DTIs would assist in making park assembly not only safer, but much faster, they were sold. Their previous bolting method required them to use high torque impact wrenches and that took, in their own words, “ages of time.” This also meant that each worker had to carry a wrench in their harness while working up high on these steel structures. Not exactly practical or comfortable.
What makes Applied Bolting’s Squirter® DTIs unique is that they expel orange indication media when a bolt has been properly pretensioned. This is also a signal that everything else is within specification: bolt assembly, hole diameter, washer hardness, and installation tool output. If the DTI does not expel its media, you can know for a fact that something isn’t right.
“The visual confirmation of the bolt tension makes it quick and easy to install,” Aerial Attractions reported via an Instagram post.
Plus, the Squirter® DTI indication material is permanent and stays in place to prove the job was done correctly long after its completion, even in aggressive outdoor conditions. Aerial Attractions parks require rigorous inspection, not only for the safety of the participants, but also because regular checks can make all the difference in finding small issues before they become larger, more-expensive problems that a park owner would need to fix. The durable indication material makes this process more streamlined. Inspectors can easily see the orange silicone, so they don't have to climb out to all the connections or lug around a wrench to know the connection has been completed.
The Proven Benefits of Using Squirter® DTIs
Aerial Attractions reports that they are now able to complete the tasks that require DTIs during park assembly in about half of the time thanks to Squirter® technology! The other main benefit for them is the added safety assurance. Of course, safety concerns often play a big role in structural steel projects, but something about knowing that people of all ages will be recreationally climbing on these structures really emphasizes how important it is to be sure they’ve been constructed correctly. Because of this, it only makes sense that they undergo so many inspections by the company and third parties. Squirter® DTIs make it easy for inspectors to double check that the bolting has been done properly. Aerial Attractions likes the product so much that even though they do not purchase a lot of parts from the US since they are not located in the country, they say Squirter® DTIs are worth the exception.
In conclusion, Aerial Attractions is a company that is dedicated to staying ahead of the curve and incorporating cutting edge design. This innovation begins with the raw materials, which is what led them to our Squirter® DTIs. The proven quality of the product is what makes them repeat customers. If you’re interested in learning what Applied Bolting DTIs can do to improve your bolt-up process, we encourage you to contact us.