Growing demand for bearings

Bearings offer outstanding versatility and flexibility for a variety of uses in industries that involve motion.

That is, almost any kind of machinery or equipment - from household appliances and automotive parts to aerospace and defense equipment - uses bearings or is made from equipment that contains bearings.

 

 

There are two main types of bearings: roller bearings and ball bearings.

Roller bearings use cylinders to maintain separation between moving parts. Ball bearings, on the other hand, use balls to keep the shifting parts apart. Both roller and ball bearings are designed to reduce rotational friction while supporting axial and radial loads.

Ball bearings operate at higher speeds than roller bearings and can support moderate radial and axial loads. Roller bearings can achieve relatively high speeds, but are specifically designed to carry heavier radial loads.

 

Common Bearing Applications and Uses

Bearings are unique in that they are used by essentially every industry; every sector that uses machinery or involves motor machinery uses bearings in its equipment.

Bearings are a key component in military machinery and civilian mechanical equipment. Bearings are in use every time a person uses an appliance at home, completes a procedure at the dentist's office, or drives a car.

Everything from cars, bicycles, mixers, dental drills, the space shuttle, revolving doors, wind turbines and gas meters use these integrated components.

 

Growing demand for bearings

Demand for bearings is expected to increase in the coming years. Automotive manufacturing is the largest market for bearings, and demand is expected to remain high, as is the construction and mining industries.

The use of bearings in engines, turbines, robotics and automation, machine tools and power transmission machinery is also expected to increase.

Demand for bearings is closely tied to the state of the engineering industry and capital goods; the more manufacturers in the bearing industry invest in research and development (R&D), the more innovative they will be in manufacturing products as competition increases.

Various technological advances now allow the production of highly advanced, specialized bearings. For example, sensor units can now be integrated into bearings; these bearings are appropriately called "smart bearings.

These multifunctional components now have significantly longer service lives as lubrication technology, which is essential for reliable bearing protection, continues to advance. Bearing research and development has also led to the introduction of a variety of industry-specific solutions, particularly for aerospace and defense.

The global construction market is expanding rapidly, and the rail and aerospace sectors continue to use bearings in a variety of applications, including gearboxes, tilting mechanisms and shock absorbers.

As companies and consumers alike focus on environmental issues, the bearing industry has begun to implement a variety of sustainable practices.

For example, bearings are specifically developed to enable cost-effective wind energy generation; these bearings not only increase energy production, but also improve overall performance while reducing lubricant consumption. 

Similarly, the automotive industry is looking to improve energy efficiency, and precision bearings are helping to achieve this goal.

 

Bearing Solutions from Nicer Bearings

Nicer has been providing specialized ball and roller bearing solutions for a wide range of industries. Contact the team today to speak with an expert or request a quote to learn how our bearing solutions can help meet your specific application needs.