MAUMEE, Ohio (June 19, 2017) – Dana Incorporated announced that it is providing driveshaft assemblies and gearboxes for the New York Wheel – which will be the world's tallest observation wheel. This attraction is currently under construction on the north shore of Staten Island in New York City and will stand 630 feet (192 meters) high when completed in early 2018.
The New York Wheel features 36 pods that will each hold 40 people, taking visitors on a leisurely ride with a view of the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan skyline. Production automation company VDL Steelweld is manufacturing these capsules, and Dana is supplying driveshafts to support a leveling system that allows each pod to stay balanced as the wheel rotates. Dana is also supplying custom-made adaptors to convert the end of the shaft to fit the drive.
In addition, Dana is supplying its motion system products to engineering company Starneth for the New York Wheel project. Thirty-two planetary gearboxes will be used to rotate the wheel. These gearboxes are typically designed to move continuous chain-tread vehicles or other heavy machinery and feature a custom cylindrical input shaft to fit the needs of this specific application.
Dana gearboxes were also supplied for the 550-foot tall High Roller observation wheel in Las Vegas, which opened in 2014.
The New York Wheel is expected to draw more than 3.5 million visitors annually and will be visible from the New York harbor.
For more information, visit Dana Incorporated.