CRUISE SHIP P&O IONA

THE PROJECT AND ITS REQUIREMENT

The premium luxury cruiser MS Iona, which is being built in Meyer-Werft shipyard and will be powered by LNG, will be 337 long and have 18 decks with space for 17 restaurants and 5200 passengers. One of the 4 swimming pools is covered with a unique 970 m² glass dome known as the ›SKYDOME‹.

Almost friction-free movements within the sliding bearing, even during strong waves and extreme weather, guarantee a roof structure that is free of constraint forces.

THE SOLUTION

A lamellar arrangement of Ciparall sliding bearings proved to be the optimum solution. The sliding plates were mounted to the glass roof’s elliptical sub-structure and the bearing bodies were positioned to the lower rail. The challenge was to mount the sliding plates in a way that allowed them to sit perfectly over the matching bearing bodies once the sky dome was in place. Readjusting the bearings and sliding plates had been impossible right from the outset. Once the roof was moved to the correct position, the sliding plates and bearing bodies facilitated the required movements in the full extent required. The Ciparall sliding bearings ensure wear-free sliding support and homogeneous stress distribution by lamellar bearings.