Planetary gear units help to move seven enormous roof panels

Fabio Capello is not the only Italian making his debut at Wembley tomorrow

. Seven sliding panels, which open and close the roof of the stadium, are moved by 34 gear units supplied by Brevini Power Transmission. When open, the retractable roof allows sun to reach all parts of the field. But in the rare case of poor weather over England, the roof can be closed in 15 minutes. The seven sliding panels move at a speed of 30mm per second, along roof trusses that are 160m long. Each panel is a different shape and weight, ranging from 63 to 330 tonnes. The 34 planetary gear units ensure that the seven panels slide accurately into place.