The Heart of the World's Largest Bell – Made in PGO!
It is five times heavier than the Sigismund Bell, weighs roughly as much as 10 elephants, and stands as tall as a giraffe. The heart of the world's largest bell, "Vox Patris" (Voice of the Father), was made by PGO, specifically by Kuźnia Glinik in Gorlice. It is now beginning its journey to Brazil – it will be delivered to the Brazilian city of Trindade, to the Sanctuary of the Eternal Father. The transport will take 40 days by land and sea.
~“We are proud to have been part of this unique project. Being part of something ‘the largest in the world’ is an honor, but also a demonstration of the production capabilities of our facilities, specifically Kuźnia Glinik in Gorlice” said Łukasz Petrus, President of PGO S.A.
The Extraordinary Power of the "Voice of the Father"
Vox Patris weighs 55 tons, is over 4 meters tall and 4.5 meters in diameter. To make it swing, several specially designed linear motors are required, each with the power of a large industrial plant.
The sound range emitted by the bell is estimated to reach from several to even several dozen kilometers! It is also worth noting that Trindade ranks second in Brazil in terms of the number of pilgrims. Celebrations in honor of Our Lady of Lourdes are held there. During the most recent feast, over 3 million pilgrims participated!
Kuźnia Glinik – Experts in Special Tasks
The heart of the world's largest bell was forged from high-quality soft steel with a specially selected chemical composition at Kuźnia Glinik, part of the PGO Group. The entire process, including necessary additional operations, lasted eight hours and required extremely precise work. Due to significant diameter variations in the heart – from fifty to just twelve centimeters – the operator who manually performed the final forging had to demonstrate extraordinary sensitivity and delicacy to prevent the heart from warping at the narrowed section.
Any deviation from the design, developed by our engineers, would have affected the sound quality. For the bell to resonate, its heart must strike the crown (the thickest part of the shell), and the entire structure must be swung. In the case of such a giant as Vox Patris, this is no easy task. That’s why the company Rduch Bells & Clocks in Czernica specially designed the linear motors to set the bell in motion.
It was the first time Kuźnia Glinik forged a bell’s heart, but forgings of similar shapes and dimensions are often produced there.
“Vox Patris was a challenge for all the companies involved in the project, so we are proud that we could participate in this exceptional undertaking and rose to the occasion” said Kazimierz Malina, Director of Technology and Development at Kuźnia Glinik.
