Bearing Reliability!

Rising demand for high-performance bearings has resulted in manufacturers integrating advanced sensor units in their products. Equipment Times explores the market, key engineering attributes, emerging opportunities, product & site support in the bearings market.

Bearings are virtually used in every kind of equipment or machinery, ranging from automobile parts, farm equipment, and household appliances to defense and aerospace equipment. This factor is projected to drive the market in near future. There has been a rising demand for bearings with lower maintenance requirements, higher efficiency, and longer service life. Moreover, a rise in demand for specialized bearing solutions that meet different industry-specific requirements and challenges is projected to boost the market. For instance, the rising application of high-capacity products in wind turbines is expected to catapult the demand. Wind turbines utilize these products to enhance turbine performance and reliability, increase energy production, and reduce lubricant consumption.

Manufacturers constantly work on improving product designs to increase performance and energy efficiency. They use a special material for raceways, cages, and rolling elements as well as redesigned raceway profiles. Furthermore, technological advancements in seal and lubrication technologies and the use of lightweight materials in high-performance products are generating huge prospects for manufacturers. Integration of electro-mechanical features directly into the bearings helps in performance improvement and reductions in size and cost.

Rising demand for high-performance bearings has resulted in manufacturers integrating advanced sensor units in their products. The sensor units assist in the digital monitoring of axial movement, deceleration, acceleration, rotation speed, and load-carrying capacity of the product. Additionally, the advent of the Agricultural Internet of Things (IoT) has encouraged the adoption and constant monitoring of connected equipment and machinery. This trend has also influenced the market positively.

A few key suppliers have started providing smart bearings, whose conditions can be constantly monitored to predict faults before they occur. The adoption of these products is still in the nascent stage. Several other major manufacturers are likely to offer in their portfolios in near future. As it is easy to predict the faults in smart bearings before they occur, they add considerable value by reducing the cost of unexpected downtime, which is projected to surge the espousal of these products.

Product Insights…

Based on product, the bearings market is segmented into ball, roller, plain bearing, and others. The roller bearings segment accounted for the largest revenue share of more than 47.37% in 2022. The segment is also estimated to continue its supremacy and emerge as the fastest-growing segment in the coming years. These products reduce rotational friction, support radial and axial loads, and can sustain limited axial loads and heavy radial loads more efficiently than their counterparts. The widespread espousal of roller bearings by several industries, such as capital equipment, automobiles, home appliances, and aerospace, is estimated to positively impact product demand.

Ball bearings have a smaller surface contact, and therefore, help to reduce friction to a great extent. They can also be used with thrust and radial loadings, ascribed to which, these products are increasingly being used in both four and two-wheeled automobiles. Hence the segment is anticipated to witness healthy growth.

Plain bearings, also known as sleeve bearings, are the most preliminary type of bearings with no rolling components. They are used for sliding, oscillating, rotating, and reciprocating motions. In sliding applications, they are used as bearing strips, slide bearings, and wear plates. Due to greater contact area and conformability, plain bearings offer greater resistance to high shock loads and load capacity as compared to roller bearings. Such benefits offered over their counterparts make plain bearing a preferred option in applications where greater resistance to damage from oscillatory movements is requisite. The demand for plain bearings is expected to register a steady growth rate.

Leaders speak…

Sujeeth Pai, Director – Industrial Business, SKF India, said, “Bearings are an essential part of every machinery. In fact, everything that moves has a bearing in it. Our bearings are engineered with several key attributes that ensure optimal performance and reliability. These attributes include high load-carrying capacity, reliability and durability, low friction, and high-speed capabilities. We utilize advanced materials and manufacturing processes to deliver bearings that can operate in harsh environments and withstand temperature ranges and environmental conditions of the application without compromising performance. These bearings are designed to reduce energy consumption and minimize maintenance requirements, resulting in lower operating costs for our customers. SKF bearings are also customizable to meet specific customer needs, such as sealing solutions or special coatings. These engineering attributes are critical in ensuring that our bearings provide long-lasting and efficient performance, making them a preferred choice for a wide range of industrial applications.”

Sanjeev Taparia, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, National Engineering Industries (NBC), said, “NBC Bearings find extensive applications in a wide range of industries, including 2 and 3 Wheelers, Cars, Trucks, Tractors, Electric Motors, Railway Wagons, Coaches & Locomotives, Steel Mills, Heavy Engineering Plants, Bulldozers, Shovels, Tillers, and Thermal Power Plants, among others. Recognizing the significant impact of machinery downtime on industries, NBC collaborates with various sectors to offer tailored product and service solutions that ensure machinery uptime and optimal equipment performance. Whether it involves supplying specialized bearings for customized processes or providing condition-based monitoring services, NBC strives to support its customers effectively. NBC’s product lineup encompasses a variety of bearings, including ball bearings, taper roller bearings, cylindrical roller bearings, spherical roller bearings, and needle bearings. Furthermore, the company manufactures large diameter special bearings for applications in railways, heavy engineering industries, and power generation plants. Additionally, NBC produces Axle Boxes for railway rolling stock, along with other related, specialized, and next-generation products.”

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