Reliable 720° rotation of the Puy du Fou Theme Park Grandstand

The grandstand has been moving smoothly with igus® rotary e-chains® system since 2015

Honored as the best show in the world in 2017, the "Le Dernier Panache" attraction in France's Puy du Fou theme park offers the audience an immersive experience. The 2,400-seat grandstand rotates at the center of a ring of backdrops and 4K video projections. Visitors can follow the action in motion as if they were sitting on a camera dolly within a film set. In order to safely guide the many cables of the video projectors, the audio system and the various lighting systems during the 720° rotation, the operator relies on a harnessed two-story rotating energy supply, the Multi Rotation Module.

Profile

Theater stage with seating tiers and set, stage technology visible in the auditorium.

What was needed: A fully harnessed energy supply system including control, data and motor cables for the 720° rotation of the grandstand
Requirements: Robust material, reliable cable protection for intensive use: 700 performances and over 100 rehearsals per year, fast delivery and installation, minimum maintenance requirements
Industry: Stage technology
Success for the customer: With a ready-to-install Multi Rotation Module (MRM) rotating energy supply equipped with flexible chainflex cables, the park operator has received a proven, robust and low-maintenance solution that has been running without failure since its installation in 2015. The engineering, the products, the materials and the assembly are all provided by igus from a single source. The customer therefore saved on assembly, production, installation and maintenance costs.

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Products Used

igus rotary table module with transparent layers and visible circular guidance.

Problem

The Théâtre des Géants is a technological masterpiece built on an area of 9,000m² in 13 months. Setting the audience in motion by rotating the grandstand weighing hundreds of tons with up to 2,400 spectators at 1.2m/s in the middle is extremely complex. This is because all 18 of the 4K video projectors, the audio system and the various lighting systems have to keep pace with the movements of the grandstand. This requires a large number of electrical cables and fiber optic cable. All of these cables, which are essential for the show, have to make almost two laps at 1.2 meters per second during each performance several times a day.

In previous projects with rotating elements, the operators had already learnt that a simple cable line did not last long and breakdowns usually occurred on a Saturday morning or on the eve of a three-day summer weekend. Such a risk of failure had to be minimised at all costs for the new, ultra-modern attraction, especially as the material is subjected to far more intensive use here. Every year, there are 700 performances and more than 100 rehearsals on the program. For this reason, the company was looking for durable industrial solution. Punctual delivery, fast installation and minimised maintenance were also important requirements.

Solution

Because the quality of igus products had already been fully convincing in previous projects, the park operators once again turned to their project planning experts. The solution was a fully harnessed, compact Multi Rotation Module (MRM).

The circular two-story trough system is equipped with four lateral, reverse E4.42 series e-chains. Plastic sliding plates in the steel troughs ensure a long service life for the chains, as do extension links inside the chain, which enable better weight distribution and greater stability. Because each e-chain can be opened from both sides, the cables are easy to reach. The cables are protected by strain relief systems as well as separators and spacers that hold each cable in position and provide them with sufficient space.

Le Puy du Fou also relies on igus quality for the cables: specially developed for movement in e-chains, chainflex control, motor and data cables with a TPE outer jacket can withstand high cycle numbers in rotary applications without any problems.

The system is self-sufficient and requires no additional drive or control system. The maintenance is minimal — it is limited to a simple check once a year to adjust the strain relief if necessary.

The complete package with the cables pre-fitted by igus was delivered on time and was assembled in a very short time as a readychain system. Since then, the system has been running without failures and has helped to ensure that millions of visitors can enjoy the show in motion.

"We already know the reliability of igus products very well. With this unique design, the 720° rotation required a two-stage rotatable cable guide. igus offered us a single, compact, pre-fitted system that allowed us to save a considerable amount of time during assembly. This was an important point in the selection process, as we couldn't afford to make a mistake in terms of the completion date."