NSK spherical roller bearings with TL technology are being increasingly adopted in the papermaking industry as more machinery manufacturers and paper mills seek to maximise operating life and uptime. The unique attributes of NSK’s TL (tough and long life) specification is proven to provide greater resistance to hoop stress, subsequently reducing inner ring fractures and delivering service life more than twice that of conventional bearings with standard heat treatment.

A steelmaker based in Poland is saving nearly €3 million per year after switching to NSK’s sealed-clean KVS bearings in its roll mill. Such has been the superior performance of these four-row tapered roller bearings that the company has adopted this solution for all of its tandem cold mills.

The popular and ever-expanding NSK academy – www.nskacademy.com – has added a new training module to its portfolio of courses. Aimed at increasing the knowledge of those involved in developing and specifying machinery for the food and beverage sector, the new module represents a comprehensive overview of all factors relating to bearing use in such applications. Like every training module available at NSK academy, those completing the course will be invited to answer a series of questions to test their knowledge. Participants attaining an 80% pass mark will receive a certificate in recognition of their achievement.

A leading UK manufacturer of soft drinks that was experiencing premature bearing failures on its automatic bottle sleeving machine, resolved the issue by adopting non-contact, shielded, greased-for-life deep groove ball bearings from NSK. The move has increased the operational life of the bearings by a factor of 52, which in turn is generating annual savings of €10,874.

A change of bearing type on the carousel of a casting line, coupled with a small recommended design change, has led to savings of €100,095 per annum at a leading manufacturer of gas turbine blades after it began experiencing bearing failures every six weeks.

Aimed at OEMs looking to add mobility to their autonomous or collaborative robots, NSK has developed an innovative direct-drive wheel unit. Specifically designed for use in quiet environments, such as hospitals, hotels, offices and libraries, robots fitted with the new wheel unit can efficiently carry and move loads up to 100 kg without disturbing people.

NSK, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of bearings, linear motion technologies and steering systems, has endorsed recommendations made in the final report of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). Within the report, it is recommended that corporations disclose information on risks and opportunities related to climate change which impact upon finance. The TCFD was established by the Financial Stability Board (FSB), an international body that monitors and makes recommendations about the global financial system.

NSK has developed the third generation of its in-wheel motor, the world’s first design of its type to feature a complete package comprising motor, inverter and wireless charging unit. The innovative wireless in-wheel motor (W-IWM) for the electric vehicle (EV) market is capable of charging from coils embedded in the road, while in motion. Development of the latest unit was conducted jointly by a research group comprising NSK, the Fujimoto Laboratory at the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, Bridgestone Corporation, ROHM Co Ltd and Toyo Electric Mfg Co Ltd.

A ceramic roof tile manufacturer is saving €4,950 a year by switching to NSK K1 lubrication units for its handling machinery. The move has dramatically reduced the previous labour and downtime costs associated with re-greasing the integral linear guides.

In co-operation with the WBA (World Bearing Association), NSK has developed a new app to help combat the ongoing issue of fake bearings. In recent years, the company has been working closely with the WBA, JBIA (Japan Bearing Industry Association) and authorities around the world to enforce law and order on counterfeiters, and eliminate bogus bearings from the marketplace.