18-04-20

Cast off - cruise ship with impressive glass roof

Facilitation of horizontal movements fort he glass roof while at sea and under temperature expansion
The Iona cruise ship by P&O Cruises has a glass roof, making it unique among cruise ships.

This roof is welded in place pointing in the direction of travel. A sliding bearing must be installed on the opposite side to avoid damage caused by component constraint forces. 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.
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.