Liebherr has achieved a new scale of size in the manufacture of components for cranes in the Offshore sector: on March the 8th, the roller bearing ROD 10005 has been delivered for the first time – which with a weight of a good 25 tonnes is the heaviest single-piece large diameter bearing in the history of the company.

The ROD 10005 slewing ring tips the scales at a total weight of more than 25 tonnes with a diameter of just over 6.000 mm, and as a special feature is designed with a second radial roller track. It contains more than 1.200 roller elements and takes more than 130 kg of lubricant. Not only the bearings but also the connection structures were investigated applying Finite Element Method considerations, in order to analyse the rigidity in the whole system and to achieve the best possible design for large diameter roller bearings. The decades of experience gained by Liebherr in the field of drive technology and sophisticated and refined design principles have proved a firm foundation for the entire development process.