Millennium Force were installed to illuminate the ride. Twenty COLORado Range and ten COLORado Ridge wash lights were installed at the base of the lift hill structure. When it opened in May 2000, Millennium Force broke six world records and used a new magnetic braking system instead of friction brakes found on most roller coasters. This new system enabled the use of a shorter brake run, which slows the train from down to a standstill in six seconds. Millennium Force held the records for tallest and fastest complete-circuit roller coaster until August 2000, when Steel Dragon 2000 opened. Millennium Force held the
MKM steel MKM steel MKM steel, an alloy containing nickel and aluminum, was developed in 1931 by the Japanese metallurgist Tokuhichi Mishima. While conducting research into the properties of nickel, Mishima discovered that a strongly magnetic steel could be created by adding aluminum to non-magnetic nickel steel. The developers claim MKM steel is tough and durable, inexpensive to produce, maintains strong magnetism when miniaturized and can produce a stable magnetic force in spite of temperature changes or vibration. MKM steel is similar to Alnico. MKM is an acronym for Mitsujima ka magnetic, 'Mitsujima ka' being the name of the inventor's childhood home.