Elephant®Play Sustainable Playground Equipment
and High-Quality Play Structures
In today’s park and recreation industry, choosing low-maintenance, sustainable playground equipment is a must. High-maintenance equipment that is not regularly and properly cared for can be detrimental to the safety of children. Without the benefit of self-maintained play structures, commercial playground equipment is subject to all kinds of damage from poor upkeep. Loose screws and bolts may interfere with the functioning of a play structure or lead to injuries. Similarly, minor flaws such as chipped or peeling paint may lead to larger defects in commercial playground equipment, such as rust that can weaken joints and affect the functioning of a play structure. With Elephant®Play low-maintenance play structures, there is no need for frequent maintenance treatments, nor is there ever a downtime repair period. Elephant®Play playground equipment is self-maintained and made with long-lasting, sustainable material such as stainless steel and aluminum, so that children can fully enjoy their play.
Self-Maintained Play Structure Design
Rotating playground equipment may need frequent greasing to operate smoothly, especially when the rotational parts are exposed. Many playground equipment manufacturers use external rollers that are subject to added wear and maintenance (see “Other Exposed External Roller”). With Elephant®Play, play structures are always designed to minimize upkeep. For instance, an isolated internal rotating mechanism functions autonomously to maintain Elephant®Play rotating climbing nets (see “Elephant®Play Sealed Internal Roller”). With sealed central rollers, there is no need for greasing. A top pressure bearing and bottom lateral bearing composed of dense self-lubricating nylon are integrated between the inner structural post and outer stainless steel post. The rotational parts are protected from sand or any external objects which might interfere with the operation of the play structure.
Vandalized Playground Equipment Easy to Repair
Elephant®Play commercial playground equipment is made with durable material to avoid vandalism. The thick nylon reinforced cords used in Elephant®Play play structures are extremely difficult to cut and have a very long life span. In the unlikely event that a cord is damaged, the playground equipment is designed to allow quick and easy local reparation. The ball joints on rotating climbing nets ensure that breakage is restricted to only one cord at a time and thus avoid the need for major repairs. Other playground equipment manufacturers often use crimped joints that are permanently fixed to the climbing net (see “Other Permanent Crimped Joints”). The result is a long and difficult repair process. In contrast, Elephant®Play manufactures detacheable cable joints and provides specialized tools with its climbing nets for local dismantling (see “Elephant®Play Detacheable Cable Joint”). Fixing a broken cord is quick and easy—simply unscrew the cable joint and insert a replacement cable in the connecting ball joint. There is no need to return playground equipment to the manufacturer or to disassemble the whole net for a single damaged cord. With Elephant®Play, local repairs mean children never have to wait to enjoy a play structure.
Low-Maintenance Playground Safety and Sanitation
Dirt and water will sometimes accumulate on the deck of a play structure (see “Other Play Structure Decks”). This can create a hazardous environment for children who may slip, hurt themselves on small debris or end up playing in unsanitary conditions with animal excrement. The result is that commercial playground equipment often needs frequent cleaning and maintenance. Elephant®Play has a simple solution with a secure draining floor that will take care of sanitation and weather maintenance on its own (see “Elephant®Play Self-Cleaning Deck”). There is hardly a need to sweep off dirt or dry off the floor before play. Children can enjoy Elephant®Play playground equipment immediately following rainfall with no need to worry about playground sanitation and safety.
No Twisted or Tangled Ropes on a Play Structure or Swing Set
The ropes of some play structures may easily become twisted and tangled. With high-tension cord suspension, Elephant®Play reinforced nylon ropes are virtually impossible to tangle (see “Elephant®Play Non-Tangling Arch Swing”). A traditional swing set with chain links can easily become knotted or caught on the suspension pole. On an Elephant®Play multi-user swing set, the suspended cables are fastened with rotating attachments. The attachments follow the movement of the swing without allowing cables to become entangled. The cables are both pliable and strong, and there is little slack to create knots. The swing sets are thus both safe and low-maintenance, with easy dismantling if necessary. Should a cable be damaged, replacement is quick and easy with removeable stainless steel cable attachments. With Elephant®Play, there is no need to send equipment back to the manufacturer for repairs.
