Snowmaker Blasts Disinfectant Instead of Snow

A company that normally supplies snowmaking equipment has turned its hand to a new concept during the pandemic – disinfecting gondola cabins to ensure any virus unwittingly carried in quickly killed off.

Normally this process involves PPE encased personnel hand-spaying disinfectant into every corner of the cabin.  This is labour intensive and can require the lift to be stopped to allow the work to be carried out, or for it only to happen before the lift begins operating in the morning.

Italian snowmaking firm Demaclenko’s idea is that after gondola users exit the cabin at the top station, or after the doors have opened before they board at the base, a specially adapted  snowmaking cannon automatically blasts the interior with disinfectant on every circuit.

“Gondola lifts are among the critical points concerning hygiene in a ski resort. Therefore, Demaclenko has developed a fully automatic and comprehensive solution, which enables complete, fast and efficient disinfection for every model of ropeway cabin and thus ensures maximum flexibility,” a company spokesperson said.

Along with the fact that the machine operates automatically without needing additional personnel now the lift to be stopped Demaclenko say it will work on all gondola types and can use any sprayable disinfecting agent. It produces a very fine spray over an even area thanks to stainless steel nozzles.

The machine was successfully tested on the Eisgratbahn gondola at the Stubai glacier this week, which has already opened for the 20-21 ski season.