For over 75 years, NBC is creating products that perform.

– Sanjeev Taparia

Sr. Vice President, Sales and Marketing, NBC Bearings

How is the market scenario developing for construction equipment bearings? What is the latest trend in bearings for CE applications?

According to Startview Research, the Construction Bearing Market will increase at a CAGR of 4.9 percent between 2021 and 2026, reaching a historic high of US$ 2.0 billion in 2026. Spherical roller bearings are likely to continue to dominate the market during the forecast period, owing to its high load-carrying capacity and ability to operate in the face of stress and misalignment, allowing enterprises to achieve lower maintenance costs and longer bearing service life.

Construction bearings are predicted to be the largest and fastest-growing market in Asia-Pacific. The majority of countries in the region are focusing on infrastructure development to promote economic recovery.

What are the emerging technological trends in bearings for CE?

The widespread adoption of condition monitoring technologies such as vibration analysis is a testament to the early adopters who pioneered their use within the industry. These technologies transformed the way we think about maintenance by providing users the ability to determine the health of an asset without interfering with its operation.

The industrial internet of things (IIoT), coupled with declining sensor costs, has further accelerated the use of these technologies and enabled remote monitoring of real-time data, automated analysis, and instantaneous alerts.

In some applications, traditional bearings simply don’t have enough hardness and dimensional stability to withstand the constant wear and impact required of them. Hydraulic valves, high-load bearings, and high-temperature conditions are among these uses. The bearings used in applications such as these simply had to be replaced periodically. Now, though, thanks to innovations in extremely hard metals such as tungsten carbide, bearings used in torturous applications can still have a remarkably long fatigue life.

What are your latest product ranges in CE bearings?

For over 75 years, NBC is creating products that perform.  With 2300+ variants and counting in sizes from 06 mm bore to 2000 mm outer diameter, NBC has solutions for all industrial applications.  The product range include tapered roller bearings, ball bearings, cylindrical roller bearings, spherical bearings, thrust bearings and other special products for niche applications.  Products with features like high temperature application, special heat treatment, coated roller/races and cage options are also available across product range. We also manufacture large diameter bearings which are essential to some industrial applications.

What are your product as well as market expansion plans in the range of bearings?

The company has undergone multiple economic, social, and policy changes, with a view to enhance the quality of its products and services, thereby addressing the needs of the stakeholders, keeping pace with the changing times. We are growing rapidly and will more than double our revenue by 2025.

In 2020, we acquired Kinex Bearings in Europe to enhance and diversify to provide best-in-class products to our existing and potential customers and to be close to international customers. We are also open to other M&A opportunities to enhance our reach and provide sustainable products to our customers which will reduce their and their customers’ carbon footprint. 

We are further expanding our manufacturing footprint in Bagru, near Jaipur where we will setup new lines for manufacturing bearings over the next four years. We are continually evolving trying to find agile and smarter ways to ramp up our production and offer value to our customers.

NBC Bearing is working with several leading research institutes and centers in India and abroad to develop the advanced design, testing, and validation capabilities, and is preparing to offer aerospace bearing solutions by establishing a world-class manufacturing facility with AS9100 certifications and the necessary NADCAP certifications. Kinex also has vast experience in aerospace bearing design and manufacturing.

What are the opportunities in CE market for bearings and do you anticipate any challenges?

India is a growing economy and the demand for bearings from all markets has been growing. The challenge is the supply chain – timely delivery at competitive pricing is the key. The CE industry uses quality bearings and hence we are in a good position to meet their demands.The market is growing each year. The outlook for next two years is very good. With a stable government in place, we expect construction projects to take off, leading to more demand for CE products.Growth in the manufacturing sector due to strong demand from multiple industries such as machinery, construction, automotive, aerospace, defense, etc. is further spurring the growth of India’s bearing industry.

How do you look at the future of bearings for CE applications in India?

The government’s focus has shifted to the infrastructure sector, with Vision 2030 proposing an action plan to turn the country into a manufacturing and export powerhouse for construction equipment and promote the development of world-class infrastructure. Apart from infrastructure, the industrial sector is likely to do well in the coming years as a result of initiatives like Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India, which are expected to boost growth in the construction equipment market and have a direct impact on bearing demand in the CE market.

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