Access Tower
The SMI Access Tower uses a hydraulic system to lower the entire fan gun to ground level, providing full access to components without climbing. This allows for faster servicing and easier adjustments during snowmaking operations.
The tower can also remain lowered during operation, providing improved snowmaking angles in windy conditions. The fan head can oscillate in any direction regardless of tower height, allowing flexible snow placement.
When greater coverage and hang time are needed, the tower can be raised to its full height or positioned at intermediate elevations, depending on snowmaking requirements.
The Access Tower is compatible with all SMI automated fan guns.
How It Works
The Access Tower uses a hydraulic system to lower the mounted fan gun from its elevated position to ground level. Using simple controls, the entire snow gun lowers to waist-to-shoulder height, allowing full 360-degree access to all components.
After servicing, operators can:
Raise the tower to full height for maximum coverage
Set the tower at intermediate heights
Operate the snow gun in the lowered position or at any height
This flexibility allows operators to adjust snowmaking strategy based on terrain and weather.
Operating at Any Height
The hydraulic system runs throughout the snowmaking season as an operating tool, not just a service feature. Adjustments occur during operation, not between sessions — operators can adapt as wind direction changes or the snowmaking target shifts along a trail. Tower height becomes another adjustment alongside flow rate, oscillation, and aiming, with operators setting the position to match the conditions on the trail at that moment rather than being locked in at a single installation height.
That gives operators control to work with as conditions evolve through a shift, across a storm cycle, and through the season. The same gun adapts to different trail sections, different weather windows, and different snowmaking priorities — height becomes part of the strategy rather than a fixed property of the install.
