Germany: Ingenieurbüro Stengel Receives Red Dot Design Award

The Munich-based engineering company Ingenieurbüro Stengel, which is specialized in the design of dynamically highly loaded structures, has now received the “Red Dot Design Award“ for the development of its “Stengel BB Track Series“. The company received the “Best of the Best“ award alongside three other winners in the category “Industrial Equipment, Machinery and Automation“, in which a total of 77 companies received a Red Dot Award.

This patented track is based on the structural principle of connecting circular hollow-section profiles using thin metal sheets. „The assembly of the individual sheet metal components structurally visualises the flow of lateral and longitudinal forces. This design principle makes optimum use of the steel and thus minimises material usage. The distinctive shape of the sheets gives the track maximum safety and an exceptional lifetime. Despite being identically prefabricated, the sheets can be adapted easily to any curved roller coaster track. This allows for significantly simplified fabrication and thus outstanding cost effectiveness. The gauge and dimensioning are variable to fit different roller coaster types maintaining the track’s original design,“ says the statement of Red Dot Group.

“This steel track for roller coasters convinces with impressive technical qualities and a fascinating new shape at the same time. Fundamentally rethinking the design of such steel elements, the roller coaster track has been given an outstandingly appealing look based on the patented concept of connecting curved tubes by means of thin metal sheets. Moreover, this construction approach allows material usage to be minimised“, comments the jury. Most recently, the BB Track Series has been used for the Intamin construction of the “Kondaa“ mega coaster for Walibi Belgium (see EAP 3/2021). (eap)