SMI® Customer Snowmaking Successes

Turnkey Success Story: Pelvoux-Vallouise, France

An innovative ski resort in the heart of the French Alps wanted to automate its entire snowmaking operation, including new machines of three different designs and existing snowmaking devices from two other manufacturers. Ski area officials at Pelvoux-Vallouise were looking for a turnkey package versatile enough to create one fully integrated network that could be started, run and monitored without human intervention, sequencing operations to maximize efficiency, water supplies and snow quality.

New machines, three new pumping stations and automation software have all been supplied by SMI® Snowmakers France, along with engineering, piping, cables and concrete vaults. Programmable logic control and custom software from SMI tie the system together for seamless integration.

SMI installed eight new Air Sticks for economical fixed-position operation, as well as fan snow machines that can be positioned where they’re needed most on any given day. Pelvoux uses SMI’s Kid PoleCat™, one of the company’s most versatile and portable designs, as well as the Super PoleCat™, a fan-driven, “big throw” snow gun.

Technical Data:

• Pump stations added: 2
• Level of Automation: Programmable logic control and custom software from SMI tie
      the system together for seamless integration
• Snow Machines added:
     8 SMI Air Sticks
     1 Kid PoleCat Tower
     1 Super PoleCat Carriage
• Snowmaking capacity: 700 m3 (185,000 gallons) per hour