SKF Experience Center
A company exhibition dialed up to 11
When moving to its new headquarters in 2020, SKF sought to elevate its old company exhibition. Where the former required a guide and had a very do not touch atmosphere, the new one needed something the audience could explore freely and interactively. It needed to encourage the employees to tell their own stories.
A wall-busting start
The new SKF Experience Center hooks the visitor immediately upon entering the building. At the far end, a massive tunnel drill breaks through the wall. Constructed by set builders from GöteborgsOperan, this 3.5-meter diameter behemoth immediately catches your eye.
From there on, it is all about hardened steel, super-spherical balls, ceramic floating bearings, enormous and minuscule bearings, geometric shapes, and directional indicators. As well as several digital, visual, and tactile experiences that will change your view on Industry 4.0, SKF, and maybe even the world we are heading towards. A world in change. Sustainable change.
A shift made possible by green technology, fair business models, and a fresh look at how corporations can contribute to the development of the societies in which they are active. But the exhibition is also about historical change. How SKF transformed from Sven Wingquists first patent on the ball bearing in 1907 to the sensor- and cloud-connected zero-friction bearings of today. And everything in between.
“We needed to create something that symbolizes the transformation of a hundred-plus-year-old company from ownership to partnership – from selling hardware components to Rotation as a Service.”
The tunnel drill, 6 meters in diameter, is bursting through the wall.
The visitor follows the exhibition in the shape of an eternity loop, a lying figure eight. Every step is a puzzle piece in the change toward a circular economy.
bearings.
misses its mark.
Explore the Drama
The exhibition is built on a series of units that let visitors experience all aspects of industry 4.0. The crown jewel is a 270-degree and 7.1 surround-sound video room.
Here visitors are encouraged to explore dramatic real-world customer scenarios across the world. In the middle of the room, an interactive bearing sits atop a pedestal. On the massive screen, attract mode seeks to entice the visitor into interaction.
Turning the bearing shows teasers for customer scenarios – wave power underneath the Scottish seas, the heat of the most advanced steel mill in the US, and mining trains operating deep inside the polar circle in Sweden.
In each scenario, the viewer flies in from space and lands face-to-face with SKF and its partners against the most extreme forces of nature. The 270-degree field of view and wall-shaking 7.1 sound create an immersive experience.
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