Maurer Söhne

Maurer Söhne
Name	Maurer Söhne
Native name	Maurer Söhne GmbH & Co. KG
Type	Private
Industry	Amusement ride manufacturing, Engineering
Founded	1876
Founder	Johann Maurer
Headquarters	Munich, Bavaria, Germany
Area served	Worldwide
Products	Roller coasters, Spinning coasters, Suspended looping coasters, SkyLoop, X-Car, Powered coasters, Water rides
Num employees	200–500

Maurer Söhne is a German engineering firm specializing in amusement rides, notably roller coaster design and fabrication, with headquarters in Munich, Bavaria and production facilities in Kassel and Munich, Germany. The company has delivered projects across Europe, Asia, North America, and the Middle East, collaborating with theme parks, leisure operators, and engineering consultancies. Maurer Söhne combines mechanical engineering, structural steelwork, and ride control systems to produce attractions such as the SkyLoop, X-Car, and spinning coaster models.

History

Maurer Söhne traces origins to 1876 with ties to Bavarian industrialization and the regional firms that served Munich and Nuremberg suppliers, evolving through the 20th century alongside firms like Siemens, MAN SE, ThyssenKrupp, Daimler AG, and BMW. Post‑World War II reconstruction linked the company with projects in Frankfurt, Hamburg, and Stuttgart and collaborations with contractors such as Hochtief and Bilfinger. In the 1980s and 1990s Maurer Söhne entered the global leisure market amid peers including Vekoma, Arrow Dynamics, Bolliger & Mabillard, Intamin, and Zierer. Strategic partnerships and export initiatives connected the firm to clients in Dubai, Doha, Beijing, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Orlando, and Montreal. During the 2000s the company expanded research activities, engaging with institutions like the Technical University of Munich, RWTH Aachen University, and suppliers including KUKA, Bosch, ZF Friedrichshafen, and Siemens Mobility.

Products and Services

Maurer Söhne manufactures attractions spanning coaster categories and bespoke mechanical systems, offering ride vehicles, trackwork, control software, and maintenance programs. Product families include SkyLoop, X-Car, spinning coasters, and powered coasters, alongside engineering services for parks such as Europa-Park, Heide Park, Phantasialand, Legoland Deutschland, and Efteling. The company supplies components to integrators and contractors like Rides & Attractions GmbH, Mack Rides, S&S Worldwide, Great Coasters International, and Premier Rides. Service offerings encompass structural analysis, fatigue testing, non-destructive testing with firms like DEKRA and TÜV Süd, and commissioning support interoperable with control platforms from Rockwell Automation, Siemens PLCs, and Schneider Electric.

Roller Coasters and Ride Installations

Maurer Söhne has installed roller coasters and attractions for theme parks, waterparks, and urban entertainment complexes, including projects in Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, Legoland Windsor, Gardaland, PortAventura, Six Flags Over Texas, Cedar Fair, and Six Flags Great Adventure. Notable ride types include steel looping coasters, vertical lift elements, shuttle coasters, and spinning cars, with installations referenced alongside parks such as Tivoli Gardens, Liseberg, Gröna Lund, Prater, and Luna Park Sydney. The company’s export footprint covers installations in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Macau, and South Korea.

Engineering and Design

Maurer Söhne applies advanced structural engineering, dynamics modeling, and ride control design, leveraging software and methodologies used by ANSYS, Siemens NX, Autodesk Inventor, Bentley Systems, and MATLAB. The firm conducts dynamic load analysis, finite element analysis, and comfort studies accounting for human factors described in standards from EN 13814, ISO 20957, and certification authorities such as TÜV Rheinland and TÜV SÜD. Design teams collaborate with architects and consultants including Arup, Buro Happold, Atkins, and WSP Global for integration into themed environments, and coordinate with transport and infrastructure firms like DB Engineering when projects interface with urban transit.

Notable Projects

Selected projects showcase Maurer Söhne work in diverse contexts: a SkyLoop installation adjacent to developments by Emaar Properties in Dubai, a spinning coaster for a resort development by Kerzner International in Atlantis The Palm, and family coaster systems at parks operated by Merlin Entertainments, Parques Reunidos, and Compagnie des Alpes. Other clients include municipal leisure authorities in Copenhagen, Vienna, and Stockholm and private operators such as Hard Rock International and Universal Parks & Resorts for conceptual and prototype work. The company’s projects have been profiled alongside industry showcases at trade fairs including IAAPA Expo, Euro Attractions Show, and FESPA.

Corporate Structure and Ownership

Maurer Söhne is structured as a family-owned limited partnership with executive management supported by boards comparable to governance in German Mittelstand firms and in dialogue with banks such as KfW, Deutsche Bank, and Commerzbank. The company engages with industry associations including the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA), the German Engineering Federation (VDMA), and participates in regional chambers like the IHK München. Strategic alliances and subcontracting relationships connect Maurer Söhne to steel fabricators such as Bilfinger Bergbau and logistics providers like DB Schenker and DHL Supply Chain.

Safety and Regulations

Safety management at Maurer Söhne aligns with European and international standards administered by entities such as EN 13814, ISO 14001, and oversight organizations including TÜV SÜD, TÜV Rheinland, and national authorities in United Kingdom, France, Spain, and United States. The company implements quality assurance processes and lifecycle maintenance plans informed by incidents and lessons from industry cases involving manufacturers like Arrow Dynamics, Intamin and regulatory responses studied by Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and European agencies. Training programs for operators and technicians reference curricula from institutions like Bauhaus-Universität Weimar and professional seminars at IAAPA University and European Coaster Club events.

Category:Manufacturing companies of Germany Category:Roller coaster manufacturers