Heavy Rolling and Plain Bearings in the “London Eye”

Examples of Application Engineering WL 34 501 EA

The London Eye, British Airways England

Early in 2000, the great moment 424 meters and a total weight of The two spherical roller bearings had come: After a one-year 2 100 tons. were mounted in a locating/floating development and construction Its 32 capsules carry up to bearing arrangement in the hub on period, the Millennium Wheel – 25 passengers each. The wheel the axle of the Ferris wheel. The also called The London Eye – the revolves at a speed of 0,26 meters floating bearing is an 804543 biggest and heaviest Ferris wheel per second, corresponding to a whereas the locating bearing is an in the world, was put into service. duration of ride of 30 minutes for 804544. It was designed and built by the one full revolution. The wheel’s safe foothold is ensured Dutch company Hollandia on behalf The wheel revolves smoothly thanks by two large maintenance-free ELGES of the operator, the airline British to the large FAG spherical roller spherical plain bearings GE 440 DW. Airways. bearings, each of them with an The Ferris wheel is 135 meters outside diameter of more than high, has a circumference of 2 meters and weighing several tons. 99/01/07 Printed in Germany by Druckhaus WEPPERT GmbH urne ihrda loadcarrying capacity. guarantee ahighradial perrow, i.e. morethan standard cages, and elements rolling possible numberof incorporate thelargest andpin-type through-bored rollers with roller bearings decided touseFAG spherical more than 50 year a lifeof weretohave According tospecifications, thebearings Locating bearing: opnns A eomnsrglrisetosat regular inspections components, FAG recommends arecons thebearings As grease. 007” SHC with theoperating conditions, with “Mobil ar The twobighubbearings Lubrication andmaintenance thelocating bearing. space of can bedismounted throughthemounting it so that and asmaller outside diamet a cleveridea: The floating came upwith some timeinthefuture, the FAG experts whenreplacing thebearings To save timeandcost can bescrewed. into which eyebolts andouterrings innerrings the bearings of faces For easier mounting, tapped Mounting anddismounting Floating bearing: Hub bearings Mass: 5185 kg Mass: 5185 ø2040 (ø 2 F-804544.PRL roller bearing Spherical as 253kg Mass: 6 (ø 2100 (ø 2100 F-804543.PRL roller bearing Spherical idered safety-relevant s. Therefore theFAG engineers ern a alarger bore bearing has ~ e lubricated, inaccordance ~ er than thelocating bearing oe were provided inthe holes 625 ø 2 660 ø 2 cages.cages These ~ ~ 400 mm) 400 mm) hc r ob xmndfrrbe-f ealcparticles. metallic which aretobeexamined forrubbed-off taken are near each pin In addition,grease samples roller. thebarrel bore of thepinandin for wear ontheoutside diameterof damage, especially of dismounted andchecked forsigns pin–is the pin-typecage –theso-called check two-year Durin intervals. iharsligcnatpesr necs f450N/mm of pressure inexcess with aresultingcontact operating position (slewing vertical intoits the Thames mounting position across horizontal fromits forslewing thewheel were essential plain bearings spherical The twolarge ELGES plainbearings spherical large ELGES of with thehelp wheel theFerris Erection of vnwt otc rsue f362N/mm of pressures even with contact levels. with lowmoment loads maintenance-free andcan are plain bearings spherical ELGES, thelarge INA-ELGES slidinglayer developedby to ELGOGLIDE, aPTFE Thanks construction. steel stiff comparatively onthe wouldotherwise have anadverseeffect that compensating forwind-induced micromovements of task have had the plain bearings Since then,thespherical httewelwudpoal okmc eselegant today. much less look wouldprobably thewheel that design woul static different plain bearings, atotally spherical for large ELGES pl spherical high forradial nentwww.fag.com 972191-3435 +49 Internet [email protected] E-Mail Fax +49972191-0 Phone (Germany) 97419 Schweinfurt Postfach 1260 Mining &Processing Industries Heavy Schaeffler KG g each inspection, onepinof i erns fi antbeen hadn’t it ain bearings. If comdt xrml high accommodate extremely d have beenrequiredso nl fmorethan 90°) angle of hsgaate longlife guarantees This as=194 218mm Mass 600mm kg Width = OD = 440mm Bore ø= 440DW GE ELGES 2 htarevery that E440DW GE 2 .