Project Name
Safechase™ Greyhound Racing Lure System
Location
Australia wide
Client
Steriline Racing Pty Ltd
Description of Project
The design, development and manufacturing of the Safechase™ Greyhound Lure System which has improved safety in the sport.
What We Created
Battery powered and remote controlled Greyhound Racing lure system
Value of Project
$2.1 Million
Departments Involved
Safechase™ Greyhound Racing Lure System
Animal welfare is an issue that is paramount to the Greyhound racing industry. Covey was asked to engineer a solution that addressed one of the age-old problems of safety in the Greyhound racing industry; the lure. The older style lures are inherently unsafe and often malfunction, which can be dangerous to the dogs racing and the people around the track. Steriline Racing knew it was important to improve animal welfare and address health and safety risks, so they came to Coveys. We worked with Steriline to conceive, develop and produce an innovative new style lure that eliminated these dangers from the racing environment.
The performance and maintenance requirements of a traditional greyhound lure system are extraordinary, as there are hundreds of moving parts which are all critical to the system. The older style lure systems are incredibly large, complicated, and expensive in terms of CAPEX and OPEX. Our solution was to replace this with a lightweight, self-propelled machine that requires nothing else other than the rail it
runs along meaning a quick and easy transition between systems.
Achieving this was no simple feat. We needed to problem solve this issue from a range of perspectives, considering the problem in detail and utilising a variety of innovative technologies to help us design, prototype and then test the new lure system.
Challenges
First, there was the challenge of replacing a 200 kg, 3-phase powered electric motor pulling a 160 kg steel cable around a track with a system that could provide an equivalent output, but that would only use a lightweight battery and motor. Also, it had to weigh under 20kg.
In order to achieve this, our Mechanical Engineering department redesigned the track guide wheel interface system and lowered friction as much as possible. This optimisation also meant the lure was immune to derailment unlike the existing system.
An innumerable number of other challenges were identified during the design and testing process, and we were able to solve them all using both creative and technical problem-solving techniques. This meant we were able to optimise every mechanical and electrical component providing a product that has exceeded expectations and achieved fantastic reputation within the industry.
Tried & Tested
The process to realise the Safechase™ Lure has meant extensive prototyping, testing and experimentation along the way, utilising an iterative design process while maintaining the clear project and equipment performance requirements.
Outcome
We have a collection of extremely happy clients across Australia who are all grateful for the inherent safety benefits of the Safechase™ lure system, and enjoy the massive reduction in maintenance and operational costs.
"The Safechase™ lure system is the most innovative and important piece of racing equipment developed for greyhound racing in decades. It is cable free, battery operated, remote controlled with reverse function and it’s very easy to operate, providing tremendous efficiency and safety for our racetrack operations. The safety and welfare benefits for racing greyhounds using the Safechase™ Lure is unprecedented.
We are having great results in races and trials at the three NSW tracks GRNSW has the Safechase™ installed. The maintenance and servicing costs are also much lower than the cable system and I have no reservation in recommending the Safechase™ lure system to any racing authority, greyhound racing club, trial track operators or public users.”
Scope of Work
- Research and development
- Prototyping and testing
- Design, develop and conduct experiments
- Engineering analysis and optimisation
- Client feedback and interaction on designs
- Dynamic testing of systems and components
- Develop manufacturing and assembly processes
- Develop testing procedures and quality control documentation
- Develop operational manuals, commissioning material, and a full operator training program
- Reliability studies and continuous improvement reporting
