Bearing specialist supplying Eurovision
SMB Bearings has been contracted to provide specialist bearings as part of the set design for the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest, taking place in Kyiv, Ukraine on May 13. The stainless steel bearings will be used in lighting and camera rigs on the set of the annual televised contest.
As authorised distributors of the Japanese EZO brand of miniature bearings, SMB Bearings has been appointed to supply the specialist miniature, thin section and stainless steel bearings to the set design team of Kyiv 2017. EZO bearings are a high precision range manufactured by Japanese bearing specialists, Sapporo Precision, which are traditionally used across a variety of applications including aerospace, machinery, food processing and robotics. Alongside EZO products, SMB Bearings offers a range of miniature, stainless steel and thin section bearings which provide cost effective options for customers.
“The set design team for Kyiv 2017 were in need of specialist EZO ball bearings as part of their set construction,” explained Chris Johnson, managing director of SMB Bearings. “As the appointed distributors for EZO bearings in the UK we were able to support the Kyiv team in selecting the right bearings that could handle their needs and precise, smooth movement of equipment such as like lighting and camera rigs. EZO bearings are renowned for their quality and reliability, so it is the perfect selection for such a high-profile event, with reported viewing figures over 200 million across Europe.”
The staging for the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest has been designed by Florian Wieder who has extensive experience of designing sets for both stage and screen across the world, and this year’s design is based upon the theme for the contest, celebrating diversity. The stage incorporates numerous multi-media surfaces, enabling a unique set to be developed for each act.
SMB Bearings provides technical knowledge and specialised bearing and relubrication products and services across a variety of industries, and offers advice in providing non-standard lubricants like food grade, high temperature enduring and military specification greases.