The bearing turns the observation wheel - The "Millennium Wheel" has been rotating day after day for ten years on the bank of the Thames River in London. It has become the largest tourist attraction and modern landmark in the British capital. At the center of the observation wheel, rolling bearings produced by FAG ensure the reliable operation of the giant wheel. According to the original plan, the observation wheel was only supposed to operate temporarily as a tourist spot for a few years, but more than 36 million visitors have made it an unexpected success, extending its operation for over 10 years. Since the transition from 1999 to 2000 during the millennium changeover, FAG has supplied hub bearing support to the "London Eye," and the industrial division of the Schaeffler Group has become the preferred research and development partner and supplier for this project, which poses special requirements for engineers and rolling bearings. The London observation wheel, made of 1,500 tons of steel, rotates under the support of two double-row FAG spherical roller bearings. These two spherical roller bearings are installed in the observation wheel hub with one arranged as a locating bearing and the other as a floating bearing. The locating bearing has an outer diameter of 2.66 meters and weighs 6.3 tons, fitting tightly on the shaft. The floating bearing has an outer diameter of 2.62 meters and weighs 5.2 tons, capable of moving forward and backward along the shaft to compensate for thermal expansion.
The rated life of the spherical roller bearings is 50 years. Senior personnel from FAG Industrial Services (F'IS) conduct regular inspections during this period to ensure the reliable operation of the bearings. Using borescopes to inspect the raceways and rolling elements can ensure early detection of any existing damage. They also regularly extract lubricants to check for particles and wear. Engineers from Schaeffler have devised a clever solution to facilitate the disassembly of the bearings if necessary. Since the inner bore diameter of the floating bearing (2.1 meters) is larger than that of the locating bearing (2.04 meters), it can be "pulled" over the mating surface of the locating bearing. Both bearings can be disassembled from one side. Because the observation wheel is supported on the riverbank side, the bearings can be disassembled by the riverside. The convenience of operation saves time and costs.
In addition to the central hub bearing support, large spherical joint bearings from the ELGES brand of Schaeffler keep the London Eye upright. During installation, the large spherical joint bearings helped rotate the observation wheel across the Thames River from its horizontal installation position to a vertical installation position. For example, the bearings need to compensate for slight displacements caused by wind; otherwise, these would act on the rigid steel structure.
Standing at 135 meters tall, the Millennium Wheel was the world's largest observation wheel for a long time. However, Beijing is constructing a larger project. The industrial division of the Schaeffler Group has already provided spherical roller bearings for the hub of the "Beijing Wheel." Standing at 208 meters tall, the "Beijing Wheel" features accompanying bearings of new specifications: FAG spherical roller bearings with an outer diameter of 3.2 meters, a bore diameter of 2.6 meters, and a width of 630 millimeters. Each imported bearing weighs over 11 tons. Spherical roller bearings of this size and requirement have never been produced before.
Schaeffler Group owns three major brands: INA, FAG, and LuK, making it a global leader in the production of rolling bearings and linear motion products, as well as a renowned supplier of high-precision products and systems in the engine, transmission, and chassis application areas of the automotive industry. The group symbolizes high attention to customers, extraordinary innovation capabilities, and the highest quality standards. With approximately 61,000 employees globally and more than 180 branches in over 50 countries, the group's sales in 2009 were about 7.3 billion euros. This makes Schaeffler Group one of the largest family-owned enterprise groups in Germany and Europe.
Under the industrial division of the Schaeffler Group, the INA and FAG brands provide rolling bearings, plain bearings, and linear drive technology to approximately 60 different industrial sectors worldwide through services close to global markets and application support. The product range includes 225,000 products, ranging from miniature bearings just a few millimeters in size, such as those used in dental drills, to large bearings with diameters reaching several meters, used in wind turbines.
Independent of manufacturers, FAG Industrial Services (F'IS) provides services, service products, and training required in various fields of maintenance. It helps its customers save on maintenance costs, optimize plant availability, and avoid unexpected equipment downtime. F'IS is responsible for providing services for the INA and FAG brands under the industrial division of the Schaeffler Group worldwide.
Since starting investment production in China in 1995, the Greater China region of the Schaeffler Group has gradually expanded its production and marketing network. Now employing about 4,000 people, it has one Anting R&D center in Shanghai, five production bases in Taicang, Suzhou, and Ningxia, and 19 sales offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenyang, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Jinan, Chengdu, Wuhan, Taiyuan, Chongqing, Xi'an, Tianjin, Dalian, Hangzhou, Changsha, Harbin, Hong Kong, Taipei, and Taichung. This has laid a solid foundation for providing long-term high-quality and convenient services to Chinese users.