SKF USA Inc., Lansdale, Pa., is supplying two giant bearings and related technology for Caesars Entertainment Corp.’s Las Vegas High Roller observation wheel to open on the Las Vegas Strip in late 2013. The 550-ft-tall wheel (eclipsing the 443-ft-tall London Eye) will be equipped with two SKF spherical roller bearings that will be the largest ever manufactured at the company’s facility in Gothenburg, Sweden.
The two 8,800 kg bearings will have 2,300-mm ODs, 1,600-mm IDs, and 630-mm widths. Engineered features will include W26 lubrication holes in the inner ring, NoWear-coated rollers, and PTFE coating in the bore — plus advanced lubrication, sealing, and ongoing condition-monitoring systems once the wheel is up and running.
SKF was awarded the contract by American Bridge Company, Coraopolis, Pa., which is responsible for constructing the tension wheel, including its four steel support legs, a braced leg, fixed spindle, rotating hub, 2-m-diameter tubular rim, and 112 locked coil-cable spoke assemblies.
The Las Vegas High Roller is the centerpiece of The LINQ, a $550 million open-air retail and entertainment district between Imperial Palace and Flamingo Las Vegas. Each of the wheel’s 28 revolving cabins will accommodate up to 40 people during a 30-minute ride. For more information, visit skfusa.com.
