LONDON HAS ITS EYE ON HIAB

For years, the London Eye was the world’s tallest Ferris wheel. It’s still the world’s most iconic—and it set its sights on HIAB.

The London Eye is a feat of engineering and so much more than just an entertainment form. It’s the ultimate photo op, with jaw-dropping city views extending up to 40 kilometres away, and it revolutionized city skylines the world over.

Technically, the Eye is the world’s largest cantilevered observation wheel. That means it is supported, on one side only, by a pedestalled A-frame. Supporting and maintaining the Eye requires technically demanding skills and equipment. “HIAB? London calling.”

In a nighttime operation, over a five-day period in mid-March, two new HIAB eX.232 HiPROE-5 truck cranes were carefully moved into position through the wheel’s spokes, while it was slowly rotated into position. Tolerances were extremely tight. Close coordination across multiple teams was critical. Precision and timing were everything, as the Eye remained operational the whole time!

The two HiPRO truck-mounted cranes are fully certified to meet EN 280 standards for Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWP), also known as aerial work platforms. That’s a mouthful, but what it means is that they safely lift people, tools and equipment to high, hard-to-access areas. The eX.232 HiPROE-5 cranes are purpose-built for this exacting work, giving engineers the flexibility and control they need and the confidence they can rely on to keep London’s most popular paid attraction safe for the 3.5 to 3.75 million* visitors it attracts each year. (londoneye.com)

The HIAB eX.232E-5 features electro-hydraulic technology— energy-efficient and electric-vehicle (ePTO)-ready, HIAB’s evolutionary SPACEevo control system, an Olsbergs V200 valve for high oil flow capacity and smooth, simultaneous movement control, a two-tonne hoist, an advanced safety system, and an interlock system that prevents the wheel from rotating unless the cranes are safely stowed. The EYE models are also fitted with personnel buckets. The HIAB cranes are a necessary alternative to traditional access methods for working at these extreme heights (132 m) and restrictive access levels. They will lift and position heavy components to help maintain the attractions’ 32 rotating capsules and assist in work on the EYE’s mechanical and electrical systems.

London has its EYE on HIAB. And HIAB is keeping an eye on this world-class structure.