It has always been the goal and mission of Roller Coaster Corporation of America, in strict compliance with building codes, to produce the best and highest quality product possible for its amusement and theme park clients. The company utilizes only the highest quality materials and systems in its rides, coupled with precision shop manufacturing of the wood components in order to achieve this goal. The components and systems are then shipped to the park site where they are assembled and erected into place.


The company has always pre-manufactured the components for their rides, dating back to their first wooden coaster, built in 1972-73 for Six Flags Over Georgia, the "Great American Scream Machine®." Prior to the construction of the "Scream Machine", it took roller coaster builders approximately a year or more to build a wooden roller coaster ride. For the "Scream Machine", the schedule only allowed 6 months from start to finish. The pre-fabrication of the wood components was the key to making the schedule possible. In 1978, the company completed its "Florida Hurricane" coaster for Ringling Bros. in only a 5 month schedule, start to finish. That must be some kind of a world record for building a major roller coaster ride!

Prior to the "Scream Machine", all wooden roller coasters were built on the ground entirely at the jobsite, basically, like framing a house.

The advantages of pre-manufacture are:

1.

Higher Quality and Precision - just like steel - closer tolerances of the various wood structural components are achievable; as is a higher standard of workmanship and appearance for the finished structure.


2.


Time and Speed - manufacturing of the structural components is undertaken as the shop details are produced and while the foundations are being drilled and placed at the job site.


3.


Efficiency and Economy - not unlike an automobile assembly line, weather is not normally a factor in the manufacturing phase.

There are only bolts used in the bent frame assembly, which is the vertical "truss like" component of the structure. Nails are not used in the bent frame components because they can cause the wood members to split, weakening the critical connections, and nails often work loose. Nails are only used in RCCA rides to fasten some of the low stress 2 X 6 horizontal ribbon boards and, of course, the wood track ply laminations.

Our pre-manufactured wooden coasters can be shipped virtually anywhere in the world, ready to assemble, like a giant "erector set."


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