DURARUB® Composite Wear-Resistant Pads Make Innovative Applications in Theatre

    Recently, DURARUB® composite wear-resistant pads, a new type of material, have achieved a breakthrough in their application in the surround sound theatre, bringing audiences an unprecedented immersive viewing experience. 

   This innovative surround sound theatre adopts a unique 360-degree rotating design. Both the stage and the auditorium can rotate 360 degrees, completely overturning the traditional proscenium stage and fixed auditorium model. Coupled with the multi-level immersive circular stage structure and the multi-dimensional and multi-level holographic projection stage background on the screen, the real scene and the virtual scene are perfectly integrated, allowing the audience to watch the performance from all angles without dead angles and enjoy a seamless viewing experience, greatly reducing the interruption caused by scene changes in the dark. In addition, the architectural structure of the theatre adopts a large-span design, such as the super-large truss with a span of 72.9 meters and a height of 7.73 meters, providing solid support for the internal space layout and the rotating function. 

   In the design of the auditorium, the theatre adopts a semi-circular steel structure rotating device, with the wheel sets and the central parts supporting the entire rotating device. Considering the large force and the presence of dust in the bottom environment, the design engineers adopted a sliding friction pair design for the central supporting parts to avoid the problems of lubrication maintenance required by the rolling design and the jamming caused by dust entering. Therefore, the whole circle plane needs to be installed with wear-resistant sliders with a low friction coefficient to support the stable operation. 

   In the initial design stage, the theatre used 12 copper-based graphite sliders to support the rotating device, with a designed rotation speed of 5 degrees per second. However, shortly after being put into use, frequent movement jamming occurred, resulting in shaking and noise problems, which seriously affected the audience's viewing experience. 

   Recommended by the application engineers of CSB, the theatre decided to replace them with DURARUB® composite wear-resistant pads. DURARUB® composite wear-resistant pads use high-performance wear-resistant materials as the sliding layer and combine with the load-bearing layer reinforced by high-strength fibers, possessing excellent wear resistance and a low friction coefficient. This material is especially suitable for application scenarios with continuous high static and dynamic loads and relatively low sliding speeds. Meanwhile, it can also work stably in environments where regular lubrication is impossible or prohibited. 

   After replacing with DURARUB® composite wear-resistant pads, the rotating device of the theatre operates smoothly and without noise, and its operating life has been increased by nearly three times. This innovative application not only provides the audience with a more comfortable and smooth viewing environment but also provides a reliable guarantee for the maintenance-free and stable operation of the rotating theatre equipment. 

    The successful application of DURARUB® composite wear-resistant pads in the surround sound theatre this time demonstrates the great potential of material innovation in the field of culture and entertainment and is expected to promote the technological upgrading and innovative development of more cultural venues.