Great wheel contract
January 1st 2007 At the end of November the Great Wheel Corporation awarded the Bosch Rexroth AG with the contract to supply the automation systems for the largest great wheel in the world in Beijing. The 208-meter high wheel will start service in Chaoyang Park in the Chinese capital in time for the 2008 Olympic Games. The scope of Rexroth's performance includes project engineering, shipment, and installation of the complete drive and control systems, as well as automation of the boarding stations. Reliability and safety – these are the key requirements for the technical systems to drive the Great Beijing Wheel. The drive system designed by Rexroth comprises a powerful, almost maintenance-free hydraulic power unit. Hydraulic motors drive 32 special tires that contact under pressure on the 198-meter diameter Great Wheel to make it rotate at a highly constant speed of three times an hour. A backup system insures reliable operation, even if a fault develops in the main circuit. The Rexroth drive concept has already been operating successfully on the London Eye on the banks of the Thames, so far the largest great wheel in Europe. More articles from Bosch Rexroth Ltd: | 
