Materials and Testing

Quality Products and Materials – Tested so you know they are Made to Last

We work hard to bring you a product that you can depend on, year after year. We refuse to compromise on quality―not in materials, not in manufacturing.

We build Playgrounds to Last a Lifetime.

Henderson Overhead Rototor Bearing Tested for 2 million cycles with 1000 lbs load.

We left the testing device outside through rain, shine, and snow to rotate though 2 million cycles with a load of 1000 lbs hanging off the overhead rotator support bars.

After completing the cycle test we removed the bearing to see the results of the test. See below the actual bearing after 2 million cycles with 1000 pounds loaded on it.

The result? Very little wear at all. Passed the test with flying colors. Note the cutaway on the threads is where we weld the bolt to the bearing to prevent loosening. This is an added safety feature from Henderson Recreation.

Henderson Overhead Rototor Bearing Tested for 2 million cycles with 1000 lbs load.

We build our playgrounds using 11 gauge 5-inch and 13 gauge 3.5 in round Allied galvanized tube. Each deck or component mounts directly to the post with a direct bolt method. Each deck and all play components bolt directly in a flush-mounted system to our uprights. No clamps to slip over time, no difficult and lengthy installations, no tiny cotter pins used to support clamp slippage. Our Bolt-N-GO direct bolt system has proven to be the simplest, strong and maintenance-free design on the market.

1	304 alloy stainless steel tamper-resistant TORX® head bolts provide superior vandal resistance
2	Microspheres® thread-coating keeps bolts tight
3	Bolt-N-Go uprights arrive pre-threaded and ready to receive components
4	PlaySteel FIT uprights are 3.5” O.D. x 13 gauge, Max 5″ O.D. x 11 Gauge galvanized steel for superior strength and durability
5	Durable cast-aluminum post caps

That's a Load! The Strength of a Good Connection

See the photo at left for a demonstration of the strength of the Bolt-N-Go Insert. The Dynalink dynamometer shows the weight suspended from a single insert at 4,880 lbs—more weight than a base model Ford F150 pick-up truck! The wall of the 11 gauge rectangular tube is bowed, yet the insert remains uncompromised.
In practical application on a typical playground, most inserts are installed in the much stronger horizontal position, yet even in the weaker vertical position, the insert was able to handle the 4,880-pound load.

If one insert can support the weight of a Ford F150 pick-up truck and four inserts are used to hold a single PlaySteel deck, you know that Henderson’s playground connection is built to last, with the very best in quality and strength.

Uprights

PlaySteel Max and PlaySteel FIT have massive 11 and 13 gauge uprights and all of our products use galvanized steel tubes with a full five layers of protection against corrosion, chipping, and fading. Our metal parts are finished with a zinc primer and then topped with a high-quality polyester powder-coat paint that is electrostatically applied and cured in our state-of-the-art paint facility.

Plastics

For plastics that last and keep looking bright and colorful, all of our plastics have UV-stabilized color pigments and anti-static guard. Sheet plastic is high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and roto-molded slides, roofs, and other products are medium-density polyethylene. Anti-skid HDPE is used throughout our product line wherever we feel extra traction can enhance safety.

Non Skid HDPE Plastic

For strength and corrosion resistance, Henderson uses 304 alloy stainless steel hardware. A tamper-resistant TORX® head bolt provides superior vandal resistance, while Microspheres® thread-coating keeps bolts tight. All post caps are durable aluminum.

Decks

Decks are PVC-coated (Poly-Vinyl Chloride) 12 gauge metal. All parts are cleaned with a state-of-the-art 6-stage wash system that utilizes environmentally safe chemicals and Nanotechnology to provide excellent corrosion resistance and paint adhesion when compared to traditional iron phosphate pretreatment systems. Once parts have passed through a dry-off oven, a proprietary heat-activated primer is applied for superior adhesion to the metal substrate. Once the primer has dried, each part is preheated to a temperature no less than 350° F and submerged into liquid PVC. Play surfaces and wear surface on-site amenities shall have a coating thickness of .085-.150 in.

IMPORTANT NOTE: PVC shall comply with the Consumer Product Safety Improvement act of 2008 by having a concentration that does not exceed 0.1% of the following phthalates; DINP, DIDP, DNOP, DEHP, or BBP. This formulation is also free of heavy metals such as Lead and Cadmium.

One Million Cycles Load Test with 600lbs

Our nylotron bearing is super durable. Kids love spinning and rotating products and we love building them to last. The image above shows the little wear the bearing received after being cycled tested a million rotations with 600 lbs.

We build products to last, and we test them to make sure.

Non Skid HDPE Plastic

We use HDPE non-skid plastic on important areas requiring extra traction like our launch pads used to access overhead play events and stepping pods on certain climbers. We also use nonskid plastic on our sit down and standing spinners to help children maintain traction during rotation.