ultraPLAY Discovery Centers DC-2MDR User manual

MODEL # DC-2MD
MODEL # DC-2MDR
03-31-11
MODEL # DC-2MDR
MODEL # DC-2MD
ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS

Dear Discovery Centers™ Customer,
Thank you for choosing to purchase and install a Discovery Centers commercial playsystem by UltraPlay®. We appreciate the
confidence you have placed in our company, and we will strive to earn your trust.
This is your Owner’s Manual & Assembly Instructions booklet. We have designed this manual specifically for the products that
you have purchased. Included in this manual you will find the following:
• Maintenance schedule & record • Product installation instructions
• Safety guidelines • 2-D top view drawings
• Warranty information • Ground plan
Please save this booklet for future reference.
The first several pages of this booklet contain important and valuable information regarding the general placement, installation
and safety practices common to commercial play equipment. Please read this information carefully and use your best judgment
as to how these guidelines apply to your specific situation.
If you have any questions concerning your new equipment, you can contact a Discovery Centers Customer Service Representa-
tive at 1-800-458-5872 or reach them electronically by sending an e-mail to: [e-mail].
To register your equipment and activate your warranty, please go to www.ultraplay.com/productregistration within 30 days
of delivery. This will allow UltraPlay to have a record of your purchase in case of warranty claims.
For more information on Discovery Centers and UltraPlay products, please do not hesitate to give us a call or visit
uplaytoday.com & ultraplay.com.
Thank you for your business; we look forward to working with you on all of your future playground equipment projects!
Sincerely,
Discovery Centers by UltraPlay
A PlayCore®Company

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Maintaining your playground equipment and its surrounding area is essential to minimizing the risk of injury to users as well
as maximizing its useful lifespan. UltraPlay STRONGLY recommends that you follow these Safety Guidelines in conjunction with
conducting periodic maintenance inspections using the accompanying Playground Maintenance Checklist.
When installing your playground, always consider local conditions. Good common sense works hand-in-hand with the instructions.
LOCATING YOUR PLAY STRUCTURE:
Comply with the following when choosing the location for your new equipment: Equipment shall be positioned to eliminate
conflicting traffic patterns. As a general rule, allow at least 6’ of free space around the entire structure, EXCEPT for slide exits,
which require a distance X equal to the highest point of the sliding surface with a minimum of 72 inches and maximum of 96
inches from the edge of the slide. See Figure 1 below (example: a Slide from a 6 foot deck requires 6 feet of clear space with
resilient surfacing in front of its exit). Discovery Centers slides are 4 feet or shorter; therefore, the slide exit use zone is 72
inches. Swings must have a minimum of twice the swing beam height of free space in front and behind them for safe circulation.
See figure 2 below (example: a swing with an 8 foot high toprail requires 16 feet of free space in front and another 16 feet behind
it, for a total of 32 feet). These minimum areas should be filled with the appropriate resilient surface material. Read further for
resilient surfacing recommendations.
GENERAL COMMERCIAL PLAYGROUND SAFETY GUIDELINES (page 1 of 5)
X
8’
Figure 1 Figure 2

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GENERAL COMMERCIAL PLAYGROUND SAFETY GUIDELINES (Page 2 of 5)
Never overlap the safety zones of adjacent equipment. All separate play equipment must have its own safety zone, and these
cannot overlap. If you have an existing structure with a slide exit oriented toward your new one, add a minimum safety zone to
that of the existing slide to determine how far away you need to be.
Never install playground equipment near, around, or in conjunction with swimming pools, ponds, lakes or any other bodies of
water.
CHOOSING RESILIENT SURFACE MATERIAL:
Playground equipment must be installed on a soft, resilient, energy-absorbing ground surface. NEVER INSTALL EQUIPMENT ON
CONCRETE, ASPHALT OR EVEN GRASS! A fall on a hard surface from even as low as a 3 foot high deck has been found to result
in serious injury to the user. For most play equipment, these surfaces should contain a minimum of 12 inches of wood fiber or
other loose fill material intended for playground surfacing use. For more information on the proper surfacing materials, call the
CPSC hotline at 1-800-638-2772.
Soft, resilient surfacing should be placed in the use zones of all equipment, as specified for each type of equipment, and at
depths to meet the critical fall heights as specified by the U.S. Product Safety Commission, ASTM standard F1487 and Canadian
Standard CAN/CSA-Z-614. Equipment should be placed to eliminate conflicting traffic patterns.
Tip: If your surfacing is of the loose variety, checking for proper depth over time can be made easy by applying a non-removable
fluorescent tape of paint in a bright color at the proper level on each upright post. Thereafter, as the resilient material compacts
or washes away, the person responsible for regular maintenance inspections can easily see it must be replenished as the marks
become visible.
OVERHEAD OBSTRUCTIONS:
Overhead obstructions within the use zones of playground equipment that are not part of the play structure (for example, tree
limbs) shall be at least 84 inches (2130 mm) above each designated play surface or 84 inches (2130 mm) above the pivot point
of swings.
All overhead utility line clearances above the use zone areas shall comply with all local, state, and national codes, such as the
National Electrical Safety Code. For specific overhead obstruction requirements, refer to the CPSC and ASTM F1487 and use the
more stringent of the two.

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CATCH POINT & PROTRUDING HARDWARE:
There should be no dangerous pieces of hardware, such as protruding bolt ends and narrow gaps in metal connections or open
“S” hooks at the top and bottom of swings. Exposed hardware can cut children, puncture skin, or catch clothing drawstrings,
which could strangle a child.
All protruding nuts and bolts should be eliminated; sharp edges on pipes should be capped or removed. Check for bent, broken,
or severely worn pipe and replace. Examine slide bedways, bedrails, handrails and exits for foreign objects, holes, and rough
edges.
TRIPPING HAZARDS:
There should be no exposed concrete footings, abrupt changes in surface elevations, tree roots, tree stumps, and rocks, which
can trip children and adults. Check for trip hazards, such as the balance beam support posts, or environmental trip hazards,
such as rocks or roots in the play area. Make all necessary improvements or repairs.
AFTER THE EQUIPMENT IS IN USE:
• Never add components not intended for use with this product.
• Never install other play equipment, fencing, landscaping, etc., which encroach upon the safety zones of this equipment.
• Check overall stability and rigidity of all play equipment.
• Check for proper assembly, installation and ground anchoring.
• Check and re-tighten all fasteners after the first few days of use and again after three weeks of use. Thereafter, exercise
normal maintenance procedures. Use of a thread-locking compound on the threads of bolts can prevent persistent loosening.
• Swing “S” hooks must be completely closed. Replace worn “S” hooks and never re-use them.
GENERAL COMMERCIAL PLAYGROUND SAFETY GUIDELINES (Page 3 of 5)

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GENERAL COMMERCIAL PLAYGROUND SAFETY GUIDELINES (Page 4 of 5)
ROUTINE MAINTENANCE:
Regularly inspect and maintain your playground equipment and its surrounding area to ensure the safety of the user. Proper
maintenance of Discovery Centers equipment includes using the accompanying Playground Maintenance Checklist found in
the back of this booklet to identify areas requiring repairs or replacement, and barricading the equipment to prevent use while
corrections are being made.
As the Owner/Operator of the equipment, you should establish and maintain detailed installation, inspection, maintenance,
and repair records for each public-use playground equipment area. Find out if your playground has a designated official who
periodically inspects the play equipment for preventative maintenance. This includes: replacing missing, broken or worn-out
components; securing hardware; checking for deterioration in the metal or plastic materials; maintaining the proper 12 inch
depth of surfacing material; and cleaning up debris.
Following are some regular maintenance areas of note:
• Check for and repair damage caused by wear or vandalism, a major factor in injury causing situations.
• Proper maintenance of Discovery Centers equipment requires regular tightening of all bolts, nuts, set screws and other
hardware.
• All equipment should be free of rust and repainted with an appropriate lead-free paint whenever necessary to deter rusting.
This should also be done for any chipped or peeling areas.
• Regular checking of all parts, casting, etc., should be made. If part is broken or worn it should be replaced immediately.
• Check for loose spring castings and tighten.
• Check for missing or broken parts, rungs, or steps and repair as necessary.
• Replace worn or damaged strap seats or other swing seats.
• Check for worn chains and replace them as needed.
• Check to be sure there is free movement of swing hanger and other moving attached parts.
• Check the vertical distance between the underside of the occupied swing seat and the protective surface. It should measure
no less than 12 inches. Adjust swing seat height as necessary.
• Check for deformation of open “S” hooks, shackles, rings, links, etc. Check “S” hooks for excessive wear, making sure they are
properly closed; never reuse an “S” hook.
• Check for worn swing hangers and chain. When these areas are identified, replacements should be made.
- Continued next page

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• Check for missing, damaged, or loose swing seats. Check rubber seats for wear, sharp edges/points, scorching, or burn
damage. Repair and replace as needed.
• Check for swing chain wrapped around top rail and if found, unwrap. Replace chains as necessary.
• Check for hard surfaces and correct, including under swings, slides, etc., where loose surfacing may have been kicked away.
Refer to CPSC surfacing requirements.
• Check for surfacing material that is worn or scattered and restore.
• Debris, broken glass, trash, or other foreign objects within or on the play area/equipment should be removed.
• Check for poor drainage areas and repair.
• Check concrete footings to see if they are exposed, cracked, or loose in the ground and repair as necessary.
• Check for lack of lubrication on all moving parts and lubricate as needed.
• Check crush points (exposed mechanisms, junctures of moving components) and eliminate.
• Check for broken support/anchors. Stability in ground, structures should not be easily swayed; connections should be solid
and adequately secured.
• Check all posts in ground for corrosion or rot below grade.
• Check exit areas of slides. The exit area should be no more than 11 inches from the protective surface for slides under 4 feet
high. For slides over 4 feet high, the height of the exit region from the surface should be between 7 and 15 inches.
• Check the surface area around slide exit for erosion and other damage and repair if necessary.
• Check for visible cracks, bending, warping, rusting, or breakage of any component and repair as needed.
• Check for accessible sharp edges or points. Check for protruding bars, bolts, nuts, etc. Eliminate these conditions.
• Check for exposed ends of tubing that should be covered with plugs or caps.
• Check for loose bolts, nuts, etc. and tighten.
• Check for broken or missing rails, steps, rungs, or seats and replace.
• Replace broken springs and seats on spring riders and other similar play events.
GENERAL COMMERCIAL PLAYGROUND SAFETY GUIDELINES (Page 5 of 5)

LIMITED WARRANTIES
• Upright Posts
• Post Caps
• Hardware
• Moving Parts
• Freestanding and
other components
• Rotomolded Plastic
Components
• Blowmolded Plastic
Components
• Ground Mount Metal Parts
Materials and Workmanship
Ten Years Five Years One Year
Materials and Workmanship
All warranties specifically exclude damage caused by man-made or natural disasters, vandalism, negligence,
improper installation or improper use, modification, changes in appearance resulting from weathering,
scratches, dents, discoloration, normal wear and tear, or marring as a result of public or private use.
Claims are limited to replacement of equipment only and do not include any costs associated with labor,
removal or installation of the original or replacement product.
Warranties are valid only if products are installed and maintained in accordance with UltraPlay installation
instructions and use of approved parts.
Materials and Workmanship
To register your equipment and activate your warranty, please go to www.ultraplay.com/productregistration
within 30 days of delivery. This will allow UltraPlay to have a record of your purchase in case of warranty claims.

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WARRANTY DETAILS
UltraPlay warrants its products to be free from defects in materials and/or workmanship, subject to normal usage and installation, for
a period of 1-year from the date of shipment to the original purchaser. In the event of a claim under this warranty, UltraPlay will replace
the component at no cost within the first 12 months from date of shipment to the original customer. Equipment not specifically
addressed in the following paragraphs is also subject to this limited 1 year warranty against defects in materials and/or workmanship.
TEN-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY ON UPRIGHT POSTS, CAPS, AND HARDWARE
UltraPlay provides a limited warranty on Discovery Centers metal upright posts, caps, and hardware to be free from defects in materials
or workmanship against structural failure which causes the product to become unfit for its intended use, subject to normal usage and
installation, for a period of 10 years from the date of shipment to the original customer.
FIVE-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY ON ROTOMOLDED AND BLOWMOLDED PLASTIC COMPONENTS
UltraPlay provides a limited warranty on rotomolded and blowmolded plastic components such as the following plastic parts: slides,
climbers, roofs, panels. These components are warranted to be free from defects in materials or workmanship, subject to normal
usage and installation, for a period of 5 years from the date of shipment to the original customer.
FIVE-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY ON GROUND-MOUNT METAL PARTS
UltraPlay Systems provides a limited warranty on metal footers, inground footers, surface mount plates, ground spikes, slide and
climber mounting posts and plates to be free from defects in materials or workmanship against structural failure which causes the
product to become unfit for its intended use, subject to normal usage and installation, for a period of 5 years from the date of
shipment to the original customer.
ONE-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY ON COMPONENTS WITH MOVING PARTS
UltraPlay Systems provides a limited warranty on components with moving parts, freestanding components such as spring riders and
swings, and all other components not specifically named above to be free from defects in materials or workmanship against structural
failure which causes the product to become unfit for its intended use, subject to normal usage and installation, for a period of 1 year
from the date of shipment to the original customer.
LIMITED WARRANTY ON SITE FURNISHINGS
UltraPlay provides a five-year limited warranty on the finish of thermoplastic coated site furnishings from the date of shipment to the
original customer. Additionally, all site furnishings are guaranteed to be free from defects in materials or workmanship for one-year
from the date of shipment to the original customer.
All warranties specifically exclude damage caused by man-made or natural disasters, vandalism, negligence, improper installation or
improper use, modification, changes in appearance resulting from weathering, scratches, dents, discoloration, normal wear and tear,
or marring as a result of public or private use. Claims are limited to replacement of equipment only and do not include any costs
associated with labor, removal or installation of the original or replacement product. Warranties are valid only if products are installed
and maintained in accordance with UltraPlay installation instructions and use of approved parts. This warranty is applicable to the
original owner only. Warranties are non-transferable.