The wheel is being reinvented in Dubai
Wieland sections for the largest Ferris wheel in the world
Wieland Austria supplied special copper sections for conductor rails which supply the world's largest Ferris wheel in Dubai with electrical power. They are designed for extreme currents and contribute to making the ride in the 250 metre high "Ain Dubai" a safe experience.
Dubai, the largest city and emirate of the United Arab Emirates, has repeatedly caused a stir in the recent past with buildings of superlatives. One example is the artificial island of Palm Jumeirah, which is around five square kilometres in size and reaches into the sea like the leaves of a palm tree. Another is the Burj al Arab, one of the most luxurious hotels in the world, whose sail-shaped silhouette has become one of Dubai's world-famous landmarks. Not forgetting the skyscraper Burj Khalifa, which rises almost 830 metres into the sky, making it currently the tallest building in the world.
Another world record is being set by Dubai in 2020: On the man-made "Bluewaters Island", the "Ain Dubai" (Dubai Eye), the largest Ferris wheel ever built, will go into operation. At 250 meters high, it is almost twice as large as the famous "London Eye" (135 meters), and it also clearly towers above the 168-meter-high "High Roller" in Las Vegas. The 48 large, luxuriously equipped cabins offer space for a total of 1,900 people, who will experience breath-taking views during the 48-minute ride. A special feature is the huge, round display with a diameter of 80 meters on the central axis of the Ferris wheel.
Construction of the spectacular attraction began in 2015; the Vahle Group in Kamen was commissioned with the electrification and automation. Wieland Austria supplied four different solid copper sections specially manufactured to customer specifications. These were turned into special conductor rails for extremely high currents with a total length of 15 kilometres. Accordingly, the sections made of Cu-ETP weighed more than 89 tonnes in total. Seen as a whole, the conductor rails are practically negligible – the central spindle and hub unit of the "Ain Dubai" alone weighs 1,800 tons!
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