Captivating Audiences
Cirque du Soleil has built a global reputation for innovative live productions that blend acrobatics, athletic performance, and live music. Its flagship aquatic show, “O,” stands as a pinnacle of both technical and artistic achievement.
The production features a complex stage made up of four independently actuated platforms. In under sixty seconds, technicians can transform the solid dry deck into a full-depth pool. This rapid, precise change enables intricate synchronized swimming sequences and dramatic high dives from heights of up to 60 feet.
The Challenge
Engineer better hydraulic cylinder solutions that provided smooth operation and decreased maintenance costs.
Aspects that couldn’t change:
- Stroke
- Retracted Length
- Mounting
- Speed
Partnering For Solutions
Aggressive Hydraulics partnered with SunSource – a leading distributor of industrial and mobile fluid power solutions – to engineer, design, and manufacture the first set of custom replacement hydraulic cylinders for the “O” stage.
Technicians completed installation of the initial platform in December 2016, with the remaining three following shortly after.
The Results
This collaboration delivered true drop-in replacement hydraulic cylinders that meet all performance requirements. The new cylinders raise and lower the platforms with smooth, consistent motion in both directions, eliminating the slow and jerky operation of the originals. They also require no manual adjustments, and each unit weighs about half as much as its predecessor, making handling and installation significantly easier.
