Engineering in Santa’s Grotto

Christmas is less than two weeks away and Santa is taking care of the last preparations before he delivers millions of gifts to children all over the world. With the amount of work that needs to be done, Santa needs a multitude of machinery to help speed up the process.

From toys to Santa’s sleigh, components such as springs and wire forms help to create a truly magical time for every child on Earth.

Flying the Sleigh in the Nick of Time

In order to deliver all of the presents to boys and girls in time for Christmas, Santa needs to have a specially designed sleigh that is able to withstand the trip. To understand how durable Santa’s sleigh needs to be, we need to look at the physics behind his amazing feat.

The sleigh, according to Dr Larry Silverberg from North Carolina State University, is much more advanced than any technology we have for air transportation. The professor of mechanical aerospace engineering theorises that Santa would have advanced knowledge of the space and time continuum in order to travel around the world on Christmas’ Eve.

Einstein’s Theory of Relativity says that time runs differently for observers who are moving relative to each other – which could see only a few minutes passing on Earth while Santa has months to deliver his presents. Science can explain how Santa can deliver all of the presents in one night, and the sleigh needs to be built with extremely durable materials.

Springs are highly important in engineering, and Santa’s sleigh is no different. Able to withstand the high velocity experienced by the sleigh, springs are components that require a functional design in order for all of the sleigh mechanisms to work properly.

A Toy for Every Child

When building the popular game Mousetrap, a tension spring allows for the mice to be trapped and for the game to be played. But that’s not the only application Santa has for tension springs; the game Hungry Hungry Hippos uses tension springs to allow the hippos to catch the food.

Toys such as a Jack-in-the-Box utilise a torsion spring as a component in the gear system. After turning the crank, the torsion spring trigger a lock that make the clown pop out of the box. These springs store mechanical energy when they’re twisted, allowing for toys to entertain children around the world.

Santa builds a wide variety of toys that require springs to be designed in a varied amount of shapes and sizes. At European Springs we are expert spring manufacturers , and our team is able to design springs to specification, ensuring that all Santa’s projects are completed to his requirements. If you want to know more about our services, you can contact us on +44 (0) 208 663 1800 to speak to our team; we’re always happy to answer any query you might have.

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