Trident waist height turnstiles customised for cricket stadium’s ticket access control system
Leveraging its extensive experience in the supply and installation of a large number of turnstiles for the 2003 Cricket World Cup, South African manufacturer Turnstar Systems, was selected to provide nine waist height Trident turnstiles for the Sahara Park Willowmoore Stadium in Benoni, Gauteng.
The company provided 142 turnstiles to nine stadia across South Africa in the run-up to the 2009 Cricket World Cup and was therefore the obvious choice when Sahara Park Willowmoore Stadium elected to upgrade its access control system.
Sahara Park is the home of Easterns Cricket and was founded in 1924 by English miners who named it for the backdrop of willow trees and the surrounding moor. The stadium has been extensively upgraded over the years and now boasts a capacity of 20 000, making ticket checking a logistical challenge.
Turnstar chose its ever-popular waist height Trident turnstiles, manufactured with a corrosion-resistant 304 grade brushed stainless steel cabinet, to fulfil the access control role at Sahara Park. This not only provides high levels of protection from the elements, but is also aesthetically pleasing. The Trident turnstile is designed for high-speed, ultra-quiet operation and is suited to applications that require high-volume access and medium levels of security.
Sacks points out that the Trident waist height turnstile uses the ROTALOK rotation locking mechanism, which allows for bi-directional operation and has been tried and tested over a period of 25 years. The self-centring rotation system on the turnstile means that the rotor returns to the starting position after very rotation. It also contains an extra secure 60° anti-reverse system and has a mechanical key override for both clockwise and anti-clockwise operation.
To accommodate the large influx of spectators to the stadium in an orderly and efficient manner, Turnstar systems customised its Trident turnstile to allow for the mounting of the stadium’s chosen ticket access system. Turnstar Systems’ team of qualified and highly experienced engineers and designers has produced a number of customisations, geared around improved traffic flow and security. The development of a tailor-made option for the Sahara Park Willowmoore Stadium application was expedited with minimal fuss and is proving to be highly effective.
Not only does Turnstar Systems have a large footprint of turnstiles at various cricket stadia, but it is also the largest supplier of turnstiles to the stadia market in South Africa. Turnstar Systems was also involved in the supply of turnstiles for other major sporting events, such as the CAF 2008 African Cup of Nations, Soccer City and Green Point stadia for the 2010 Soccer World Cup, as well as a to a number of international stadia. Add to this the Turnstar industry leading guarantee of five years on the ROTALOK rotation locking mechanism and it’s easy to see why it was Sahara Park’s first choice.